Description
These Chocolate Brownie Date Balls are a delicious, no-bake treat combining the natural sweetness of dates with rich cocoa powder and the crunch of walnuts. Perfect for a healthy snack or guilt-free dessert, these energy balls use wholesome ingredients like pumpkin purée for moisture and are easy to make using a food processor.
Ingredients
Nuts
- 3/4 cup walnuts (2.6 oz total)
Fruit & Purée
- 10 pitted Medjool dates
- 1/4 cup canned or homemade pumpkin purée
Other Ingredients
- Pinch sea salt
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch process)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare Walnuts: Place 1/3 cup of the walnuts into a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process them until they resemble coarse sand. Remove and transfer these to a small bowl to use later for rolling the balls.
- Grind Remaining Walnuts: Add the remaining walnuts to the food processor and process until finely ground to form the base texture for the mixture.
- Add Other Ingredients: To the finely ground walnuts, add the pitted dates, pumpkin purée, cocoa powder, a pinch of sea salt, and vanilla extract. Process continuously until all ingredients are completely combined and create a smooth, sticky mixture.
- Shape the Balls: Using a spoon or your hands, scoop and roll the mixture into 8 equal-sized balls roughly the size of a golf ball.
- Coat the Balls: Roll each ball in the reserved coarse walnut crumbs to coat them evenly, adding texture and extra crunch.
- Serve or Store: Enjoy immediately or store the date balls in the fridge or freezer for a chilled, convenient snack any time.
Notes
- Nuts: You can substitute walnuts with pecans or almonds based on preference or availability.
- Nut Allergies: For nut-free alternatives, hemp seeds or pumpkin seeds work well.
- Pumpkin: Replace pumpkin purée with mashed banana or other fruit purées for different flavors or textures.
- Dates: Use regular dates but increase quantity slightly as they are smaller than Medjool; prunes are also a great substitute.
- Cocoa Powder: Swap with protein powder to add protein content.
- Extras: Shredded coconut can be mixed into the dough for added flavor and texture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Snack
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: American
