Coconut Date Balls are a sweet snack that will become an instant favorite! They are simple to make with just 3 ingredients: coconut, Medjool dates, and cashews.
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As soon as I made these date balls, I knew I would be making them every week! I love the simple combination of ingredients, it reminded me of the coconut cream pie larabar.
This recipe is relatively easy to throw together. Plus, you don’t have to wait for them to harden up in the refrigerator before enjoying!
The possibilities are endless with customizing this recipe too! A fan favorite variation of this recipe are these easy cocoa date truffles.
Ingredients
You will need these 3 simple ingredients to make coconut date balls:
- Medjool dates sweeten these little coconut bites and hold them together. Make sure to start with soft Medjool dates, otherwise you need to soak them in hot water.
- Coconut flakes coat the outside of these date balls and are mixed inside. If you have desiccated coconut, that’s even better! I like to use unsweetened coconut for this recipe.
- Cashews are the final ingredient in these date bites. Using raw, unsalted cashews is great because they don’t take away from the coconut flavor.
The recipe card below includes the full list of ingredients + instructions.
Ways to Customize
Here are a few ways to customize these date balls:
- Other nuts - Instead of cashews, try making these with walnuts or almonds.
- Other seeds - While I haven’t tested it, you could make these coconut balls nut-free by using sunflower seeds.
- Substitutes for coconut - You could play around with different flavors; instead of shredded coconut, you could roll the date balls in cocoa powder, popped quinoa, or freeze-dried raspberry powder. Or, if you want to stick with coconut, you can elevate that flavor by toasting the coconut first!
- Flavor additions - I wanted to keep this recipe simple with just 3 ingredients but you can always add more flavor with cinnamon, vanilla, or sea salt.
Equipment
You will need a food processor or blender to make coconut date balls. This is a smaller-batch recipe, so I used my 3.5 cup food processor.
If you intend to double the recipe, you will need to use a 7 cup food processor or work in 2 batches.
How to Make Coconut Date Balls
Here’s a step-by-step guide to making the best coconut date balls:
- Step 1: Process half the coconut flakes until they are desiccated, in tiny pieces. Set aside in a separate bowl for later.
- Step 2: Add the Medjool dates, cashews, and the other half of coconut flakes to the food processor. Process the mixture for about a minute, then check to see its progress. It should start out looking very coarse and crumbly.
- Step 3: After about 2 minutes the mixture becomes sticky and the cashews start to release some oil. The mixture won’t be completely smooth but you will see that it is sticking together.
- Step 4: Use a tablespoon sized scooper to portion out the mixture into 9 pieces.
- Step 5: Use your hands to roll the balls.
- Step 6: Place each ball into the desiccated coconut and roll to fully coat.
Top Tips
Be patient! It take around 2 minutes for the mixture to get to where it needs to be. You want to stop processing right as the cashew releases some oil. This will allow the mixture to become harder and easier to form into balls, meaning you don’t have to wait to refrigerate the mixture.
If your dates aren’t already soft you will need to soak them before blending or add a bit of water when you are processing the cashew and date mixture.
Recipe FAQ
Store date balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks.
More Easy Vegan Snacks
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Coconut Date Balls
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Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 6 Medjool dates
- 1 cup raw, unsalted cashew or other nuts
- ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
- Process half of the coconut flakes until they are desiccated, in tiny pieces. Set aside in a separate bowl for later.0.25 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- Add Medjool dates, cashews (or other nuts), and the remaining coconut flakes to the food processor.6 Medjool dates1 cup raw, unsalted cashew (or other nuts)0.25 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- Process the mixture for about a minute, then check to see its progress. It should start out looking very coarse and crumbly.
- After about 2 minutes the mixture becomes sticky and the cashews start to release some oil. The mixture won’t be completely smooth but you will see that it is sticking together. That means they are ready to be formed into balls.
- Use a tablespoon sized scooper to portion the mixture into 9 pieces.
- Use your hands to roll the mixture into balls.
- Place each ball into the desiccated coconut and roll to fully coat. The coconut should easily stick to the balls as some of the oil will be released from the cashew.0.25 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
Notes
* The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy will vary on specific ingredients and brands used.
Liz says
These are such a great afternoon snack. I love that they're made with Medjool dates.
Sarah Pilley says
Thanks Liz!