A 6-Ingredient Easy Vegan Caramel Bliss Ball recipe that will become an instant favourite! No oils, no sweeteners, no binders - this beautifully simple recipe just has dates, nuts, coconut and vanilla with a pinch of salt. And the delicate caramel flavour is absolutely divine!
Date Bliss Balls Packed With Iron And Protein
In winter back in India, dates stuffed with warmed homemade ghee was a favourite mid-morning snack. I remember when I was cramming for the HSC, mum would pop into my room and leave me a bowl of ghee-stuffed dates and a handful of nuts. Dates and nuts were my snack buddies and they kept me going. These bliss balls are an ode to that mid-morning study ritual. But handier and somehow more delicious.
Dates are packed with iron and fibre and nuts are full of protein. These bliss balls are purely dates and nuts with a tiny smattering of desiccated coconut for texture and vanilla for a flavour lift. I don't like adding coconut oil to my bliss balls or vegan treats because the taste overpowers everything else. And one doesn't need the added cholesterol (Coconut oil has been known to increase LDL - the bad cholesterol, and has six times the amount of saturated fats than other oils). In fact, if you are clever about the way you cook and create in the kitchen, you can keep things simple; something I have discovered over the years from experimentation.
In this bliss ball recipe, for instance, I don't use any oil or binder because I am using dates. Soaking dates in hot boiling water changes their composition completely. They become tender, softer and stickier. When processed with nuts, these dates are enough to bind the bliss balls without needing any further additives.
Enjoy these simple, delicious treats. Don't forget to share your creations with me on Instagram by tagging @cookrepublic #cookrepublic. I love to see what you are cooking and creating from the blog. x
Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 cup (155 g) pitted dates
- ½ cup (75 g) raw almonds
- ½ cup (75 g) raw macadamia nuts
- ¼ cup (25 g) desiccated coconut
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Soak dates in boiling hot water for 10 minutes. Drain and squeeze lightly.
- Add dates, almonds, macadamias, coconut, vanilla and salt to a small food processor.
- Process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Scoop mixture into a bowl. Take a tablespoon of mixture in the palm of your hand and gently roll it into a ball. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
- Store bliss balls in an air-tight glass container in a cool corner of your kitchen for up to a week.
I've been buying these types of little balls until now, so silly! I just tried this recipe, so quick and so yum - I pinched one before my toddler got to them ! Rolled them in a bit of extra dessicated coconut. YUM
Very nice energy bites! I am going to give them to a family with a new baby and a toddler. One handed foods are the go-to for those families. Thanks for a great recipe!
Love the look of this recipe! Totally agree with your comments on coconut oil. Because we are soaking the dates can we use good old cheap dried dates??
Yes! Absolutely! they will soften right up 🙂 x