This rich Chocolatey Coconut Date Balls recipe makes a fabulous gift, or after dinner sweet tooth soother. Infused with bourbon, for a holiday delight or coffee/espresso for an afternoon pick me up, this date ball recipe easy to make in a food processor and such a tasty treat! This recipe is vegetarian and vegan.
Why You’ll Love These Coconut Date Balls
They whip up quick, hold well in the fridge for several weeks and if gifting, arrive all in one piece to your second cousin twice removed half way across the country. And, if not for gifts, I love having these little date balls on hand for snacking.
These little bites are
- No bake – so they’re easy to pull together
- Naturally Sweet – dates are so sweet, you’d hardly guess there’s no refined sugar in these vegan date balls.
- Crunchy – toasted nuts and cacao nibs give these bites flavor and crunch!
- Versatile – infuse with bourbon for the holidays or coffee for a afternoon pick-me-up.
- Rich and Chocolatey – they taste almost like truffles!
Pure bliss!
About the Key Ingredients
- Dates: Medjool dates are dried fruits that are larger and more supple than their diglot date cousin. Medjool dates are noticeably sweeter, which makes them perfect for these little energy bites. Look for them in the bulk bins for best value.
- Nuts: walnuts and almonds, however you can use one or the other or include pecans instead.
- Coffee or Bourbon: I include both options in this recipe. Either can be used depending on your needs. Coffee is delicious for a date balls snack, while including bourbon is fun for holiday gifting.
- Cacao Nibs: for the crunch! These can also be found in the bulk bins. Cacao nibs are crumbled bits of dried cacao beans. They’re rich in flavor and their texture is similar to roasted coffee beans!
At a Glance: How to Make Chocolate Coconut Date Balls
- First, toast the nuts and coconut.
- Second, process the nuts in the food processor. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Third, add the dates, cocoa powder, coffee or bourbon, salt, and vanilla to the food processor. Process until a paste forms.
- Fourth, add the nuts, and coconut to the date mixture and pulse until mixed. Taste the mixture to see if maple syrup is needed – add and process again.
- Next, transfer to a large bowl and mix in the cacao nibs. Mix with your hands.
- Last, scoop and roll the date balls in toasted coconut.
These coconut date energy bites taste best at room temperature, so be sure to pull them from the fridge to soften before sharing. They can also be stored in a freezer safe container or bag for longer storage.
No Food Processor? You can make this recipe in a blender! Toast the nuts and chop fine by hand. In a high speed blender, process the dates, coffee/bourbon, cocoa, vanilla and salt until a paste forms. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the chopped nuts, coconut, maple if using and cacao nibs. To mix, quash together with your hands. Scoop and roll in toasted coconut as directed.
Traci’s Tips
- Dry Dates: dates tend to dry out over time. If the dates you’re using are stiff and dry, soak them in very hot water for about 10 minutes. Drain, remove the pits and press out the water before processing.
- Holiday Foodie Gifts: These little treat bags show off your hand made coconut and date balls. Baker’s twine in red makes for a festive finish!
- Prefer booze-less date balls? Leave the Bourbon out and add strong coffee or espresso instead! If neither is preferred, water makes a fine stand in.
More Date Recipes to Love
Chocolate Coconut Date Balls
Servings:26 Truffles
Calories:123kcal
This rich Chocolatey Coconut Date Balls recipe makes a fabulous gift, or after dinner sweet tooth soother. Infused with bourbon, for a holiday delight or coffee/espresso for an afternoon pick me up, this date ball recipe easy to make and a tasty treat! This recipe is vegetarian, and vegan.
Ingredients
- 12 (280 grams) Medjool Dates (unpitted)
- 1/2 cup (55 grams) Walnuts
- 3/4 cup (105 grams) Almonds
- 1 1/2 cups (141 grams) Unsweetened Desiccated Coconut divided, or use Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
- 1/4 cup (55 grams) Strong Coffee / Espresso or Whiskey Bourbon**
- 3 tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Dutch process or raw cacao
- 1/2 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 3-4 tablespoons Maple Syrup* – optional see note
- 3 tablespoons Cacao Nibs
Instructions
- Get Ready: Assess the dates. Do they seem stiff and dry? If so, you can rehydrate them by soaking in hot water for about 10 minutes. Drain, press out the water and pat as dry as possible.
- Place nuts on a sheet pan and toast at 350F (176C) for 8-9 minutes. Also, place 1/2 cup of coconut on a separate sheet pan and toast at same temperature for about 4-6 minutes – tip: watch the coconut close as it toasts quickly. You'll use this coconut to roll the date balls in. Set coconut aside to cool.
- Transfer the toasted nuts to a food processor bowl fitted with the S blade, (this can be done while the nuts are still warm) and process until the nuts are finely chopped. There will be some that are finely chopped and others that are a bit larger. This is ok. Empty nuts into a large bowl and set aside.
- Remove the pits from the dates. Transfer the dates, coffee or bourbon**, cocoa, salt and vanilla into the food processor bowl. Process until a paste forms. You may need to scrape the bowl down several times as the dates tend to clump into a ball.
- To the date mixture, add the toasted, finely chopped nuts along with the remaining 1 cup untoasted coconut. Pulse mixture together until all ingredients are evenly distributed. Taste for sweetness and add maple syrup if desired. Pulse a few more times to incorporate the maple syrup.
- Transfer the mixture into a large bowl and pour in the cocoa nibs. Mix together with your hands, squeezing and mashing until the cacao nibs are evenly distributed.
- Use a #50 scoop or 1 1/4 tablespoons to portion individual balls. Roll each portion between you hands to make a ball. Then roll the ball in the toasted coconut.
- Store in a covered container in the fridge for up to two weeks. They taste best at room temperature, so give them about an hour out of the fridge before sharing.
Notes
Maple Syrup: These balls are rich. For added sweetness, taste after the ingredients are mixed together and if a little sweeter date ball is desired, add the maple syrup to taste.
Freezer Storage: Freeze on a sheet pan, then transfer to a lidded container or freezer bag and store for up to a month. Thaw at room temperature overnight.
**Gluten Free? Opt to use what best fits your diet/needs whether a traditional bourbon/whiskey or a sorghum based whiskey, you can leave it out, sub water or espresso/strong if preferred.
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Serving: 1ball | Calories: 123kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 47mg | Potassium: 160mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 17IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg
Made It? Leave a comment below! The most helpful comment may include recipe rating, feedback, any modifications and/or helping other commenters. On Instagram? Take a snap of your make and share, tagging @VanillaAndBean #VanillaAndBean!
Fantastic recipe. I only needed to add about a tablespoon of maple syrup as the espresso was good and stroooooong!
A delicious pick me up.
I made them with Rum because thats all I had, They tasted great!
Perfect Mary! Thanks for your tip and note… rum sounds fabulous! I’ve not tried it… yet ;)
This looks really good, however I don’t have a food processor . . . is there a workaround to make it without? Thanks! Jo
Hi Jo! Thank you for your note! A high speed blender will do the trick for making the dates and bourbon pasty, however I’d hand chop most of the inclusions so they don’t become too fine, then stir or squish the dates + bourbon and other ingredients together. Otherwise, you can chop the dates fine, then use the side of your knife to squish them to create a paste. I hope this helps! Please keep us posted!
Thank you so much for your response, can’t wait to try it, it looks really really good. I’m not a fan of overly-sweet things (and it seems most desserts these days are extra-sweet, for some reason), and so this fits the bill perfectly. Even though I’ve not actually tried the recipe yet, I’m giving it five stars based on the ingredients, which I know will make it a favourite. :-)
Forgot to post this, the blender worked fine and the results were delicious. Made it for a birthday party in which one guest was gluten sensitive. Used rye instead of bourbon because that’s what was on hand, and there’s no doubt bourbon would be better. Thanks for the recipe! Up next is your peanut butter bars. :-)
Hooray, Jo! SO happy to hear. I hope you enjoy those PB bars too :D
These were incredible! Tomorrow we are going to make them with coffee. Thanks!
I love hearing this, Jackie! Thank you for your note! The espresso is fabulous too :D
So glad you stopped by Nathalie, thank you!
Ooooh, I love it when that happens! No trip to the store! :D Thanks for stopping by Lucy! :D
I made these to nibble on over Christmas & New Year as a healthier snack than endless chocolates etc. They were fantastic and so easy to make. Got high praise from other half which is good as I wasn’t sure he’d like the hint of bourbon. Will definitely be making them again.
Sue, this is great! So you put the glug of bourbon in anyway?! It does make them a bit more festive and your other half enjoyed them too! Fabulous! Thank you for sharing your success!
I just made these and they are divine! I will be gifting them as well as keeping some for myself.
Right on, Kris! So happy you’re enjoying the deliciousness! Thanks for sharing! :D