Simple, practical, and full of everyday flavour, Date Balls (Date Nut Seed Balls) is a gluten-free, vegan world dessert made with simple everyday ingredients in about 20 minutes. The recipe lays out the ingredients and each cooking step clearly, so you can adjust seasoning, texture, and serving size for your own kitchen.
Recipe Snapshot
- Prep time: 12 minutes
- Cook time: 8 minutes
- Total time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 20
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: world
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))
Method
How to make Date Balls
- Soften dates: Add your dates to a pan and heat them on a medium flame until hot and soft. Or Place the dates over a baking tray and heat them at 350 F / 175 C for 7 to 10 mins, until hot. You don't need to preheat the oven. Cool them.
- Toast the nuts: Toast the nuts in a pan until nutty and crunchy. Transfer to a cooling tray. Toast the seeds on a medium heat until crunchy and nutty.
- Make Date Balls: Add the nuts and seeds to a food processor and pulse them until broken. If using flaxseeds, powder them fine in a small grinder separately & add here. Add the dates, vanilla or cardamom and process until the mixture comes together.
- Taste test and add more dates if you want them sweeter or add more nuts if you want them less sweet.
- Shape the balls: Scoop out 1 heaped tbsp of mixture and roll/shape them between your fingers or palms to balls. Roll them in coconut.
- Store date balls in a air tight jar for up to 2 weeks at room temperature or in the refrigerator for a couple of months.
Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note
Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.
