Date Balls (Date Nut Seed Balls)

Ingredients

• 18 to 20 (380 grams) medjool dates (pitted/deseeded)
• 1 cup (120 grams) nuts & seeds mixed (almonds, cashews, walnuts, pistachios, pecans, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds)
• ½ to ¾ teaspoon ground cardamom or vanilla extract
• ¼ cup desiccated coconut (optional, to garnish)

Steps

How to make Date Balls

1. To soften the dates, heat them in a pan over medium flame until hot and soft. Alternatively, put them on a baking tray and heat at 350 F / 175 C for 7 to 10 mins, until hot; there is no need to preheat the oven. Let the dates cool.
2. Toast the nuts in a pan until nutty and crunchy, then move them to a cooling tray. Toast the seeds over medium heat to a crunchy, nutty state.
3. Pulse the nuts and seeds in a food processor until broken up. If using flaxseeds, grind those separately to a fine powder in a small grinder before adding them here. Put in the dates and vanilla or cardamom, then process until the mixture comes together.
4. Taste the mixture. Add more dates if a sweeter result is wanted, or more nuts to make it less sweet.
5. Take 1 heaped tbsp mixture for each ball and roll or shape it between your fingers or palms. Roll the balls in coconut.
6. Store the date balls in an airtight jar: up to 2 weeks at room temperature, or for a couple of months in the refrigerator.