Chococolate Coconut Date Balls
These easy no-bake balls taste similar to a Samoas cookie, without the baking, refined sugar, and junk! You just need 5 simple ingredients and about 15 minutes of hands-on time to make these delicious bites.
Ingredients
- 1.5 cup pitted medjool dates about 15, see notes below and make sure they're moist and sticky!
- 1.5 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- small pinch of salt
- ⅔ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
Toast Your Coconut
- Toast your coconut in the oven at 400°F on a baking sheet for about 4 minutes until it's light golden brown. If you'd prefer, you can toast it in a dry pan on the stove over medium heat for just a few minutes. If you do it on the stove, stir it occasionally so it doesn't burn. If you skip this step, your balls won't have that deep, delicious coconut flavor. See the notes below for extra tips.
Make Your Balls
- Once your coconut is toasted, add it into the bowl of your food processor with the dates, vanilla, and salt. Pulse the blade until the mixture is a fine crumb and it sticks together easily when rolled into a ball.
- Roll your date mixture into 12 balls and place them on a small parchment-lined cookie sheet that will fit into your freezer. The balls should be just a bit larger than a big grape.
- Melt your chocolate chips. I do this in the microwave in 20-second increments, stirring between each interval until everything is melted and smooth. In my microwave, this takes about a minute total. Be careful not to let it burn! You can also do this in a double boiler on the stove. See notes below for chocolate tips.
- Use a fork to dip each ball into the chocolate, turning it over gently to cover all sides. Lift the ball out of the chocolate with the fork, let the excess drip back into the bowl, then gently place it back on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat for the rest of the balls. You can sprinkle the tops of the balls with a little bit more of the shredded coconut if you'd like.
- Carefully place the cookie sheet in the freezer for 15 minutes, until the chocolate hardens.
- Transfer your balls to an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to one week. If they're a bit hard right out of the refrigerator, you can leave them out at room temperature for a few minutes before eating.
Video
Notes
Dates: Your dates need to be soft and moist for the balls to stick together. If they're dried out, put them in a heat-proof bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let them rest in the water for 20-30 minutes, then drain out the water. The dates should now be soft, moist, and slightly sticky. Add them to your food processor and proceed with the remaining steps.
Toasting the coconut: I do not recommend toasting the coconut in your toaster oven or convection oven if the fan can't be turned off. Otherwise, the coconut will blow all over your oven. If you aren't sure about your oven's fan, I recommend toasting the coconut on the stove as mentioned above.
Chocolate chips: To keep these on the healthier side, I like to use dark chocolate chips made without refined sugars (see above for recommendations). Milk-style, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate will work here.
Most chocolate chips have a bit of oil in them, so the chocolate should be thin enough once it's melted. If your chocolate seems too thick for dipping the balls, you can stir in 1 teaspoon of melted coconut oil to thin it out.
Nutrition
Calories: 183kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 2gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 0.1mgSodium: 27mgPotassium: 255mgFiber: 4gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 28IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 45mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!