These quick, easy, and delicious snack balls are made of pure and wholesome plant ingredients that are nutritionally dense and contribute to good health, while they satisfy your sweet tooth. They provide healthy fats, protein, carbohydrates, as well as fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients. They are naturally low in sodium and cholesterol-free.

Characteristics

TYPE: Snack, Treat
PREP TIME: < 15 mins (+ pre-soaking and chilling)
SERVINGS: Makes 24 to 36 balls

  • Whole food
  • 100% Plant-Based (Vegan)
  • Raw
  • Gluten-free
  • Wheat-free
  • Grain-free
  • Soy-free
  • Corn-free
  • Oil-free
  • Refined Sugar-free

Goodies Needed*

INGREDIENTS:

TOOLS:

Preparation Steps

  1. Soak the 1 cup of dry almonds in a bowl of water for 8 to 12 hours, or overnight. When you are ready to work with the almonds, drain the water, rinse them well several times, and place them into your food processor.
  2. Remove pits from the dates and place the dates into the food processor.
  3. Add all of the remaining ingredients into the food processor, and process until a uniform, crumbly, and sticky mixture results.
  4. Remove the blade from the food processor so that you can safely reach your hands inside or transfer the mixture into a wide dish.
  5. Take a small amount of the mixture, about 1 tablespoon, into your hand. Press the mixture with your fingers and roll around between your hands to form a ball. Repeat this process until you have used up all of the mixture. The balls should be about the size of a truffle or slightly bigger.
  6. Place the formed balls into a glass container that can be sealed tight with a lid, and place the dish into the refrigerator to set and chill for a few hours. You can place the balls in the freezer for about 2 hours to set faster or for about 4 hours into the fridge. The balls can also be eaten immediately in their soft state.
  7. Store the balls in the fridge and aim to consume within 1 to 2 weeks, or freeze for long-term storage.

Tips

  • Experiment with other spices that you may enjoy, like powdered cardamom, ginger, or nutmeg.
  • If the balls are too dry and do not stick well when being formed into balls, which can happen if your dates are too dry and not as fresh, then add more peanut butter.
  • If the balls are too sticky and too messy when being formed into balls, which can happen if the dates are extremely soft and fresh, then add into the mixture a bit of a drying ingredient that does not have to be cooked or baked, like coconut flour or almond meal.
  • The amounts of any of the ingredients do not have to be exact, so you can experiment to find what works best for you. The ingredients are all delicious on their own and versatile to combine together as you see fit.
  • For best digestion, weight, and energy, always aim to eat treats like these in between meals as snacks, not right after meals as desserts.

Health & Nutrition Benefits

Almonds / Almond Butter

  • provide healthy fats, protein, some carbohydrates, and fiber
  • provide phytonutrients, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory benefits
  • provide vitamins, especially vitamin A, E, and most B vitamins, including folate
  • provide minerals, especially potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, selenium, and manganese
  • support optimal health, weight, healing, and prevention
  • support healthy blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels
  • protect against cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes type 2, osteoporosis, and other diseases
  • Tips: Choose organic and raw almonds and almond butter, as conventional almonds and roasted almonds have pesticide, toxin, and other health concerns.

Medjool Dates

  • provide healthy carbohydrates, fiber, protein, and are virtually fat-free
  • provide phytonutrients and antioxidants
  • have anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties
  • provide vitamins, especially the B vitamins
  • provide minerals, especially potassium, copper, manganese, magnesium, calcium, and iron
  • support optimal health, energy, weight, healing, and prevention
  • support digestive, immune, and cardiovascular health

Peanuts / Peanut Butter

  • provide healthy fats, protein, some carbohydrates, and fiber
  • provide phytonutrients and antioxidants
  • provide vitamins, especially vitamin E and most B vitamins
  • provide minerals, especially manganese, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, and potassium
  • support optimal health, weight, healing, and prevention
  • support healthy blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels
  • protect against cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes type 2
  • Health Tips: Choose only pure organic peanuts and peanut butter, as peanuts have both serious pesticide and mold health concerns. Avoid peanuts and peanut butter with any oil, sugar, salt, or other additives.

Vanilla

  • provides antioxidants and phytonutrients, like vanilloids, and has anti-inflammatory benefits
  • provides some B vitamins
  • provides some minerals, especially manganese, potassium, copper, and magnesium
  • supports healing, prevention, and overall health
  • supports cardiovascular and nervous system health Tips: Use the vanilla bean directly or choose pure, natural, and organic vanilla extracts. Avoid synthetic vanilla and similar artificial vanilla products.

Cinnamon

  • not a significant source of calories or macronutrients (carbs, fats, protein)
  • provides lots of phytonutrients, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties
  • provides vitamins, including vitamin A, K, and some B vitamins
  • provides minerals, especially calcium, potassium, and iron
  • supports optimal health, weight, healing, and prevention
  • supports optimal digestion and immune protection
  • supports healthy blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels
  • protects against cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes type 2, and other diseases

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