Date Nut Balls
Growing up, my mom had a handful of treats and goodies that she only made at Christmas time. One of those treats were Date Balls. Having followed a plant-based diet for nearly 8 years, I have not had the joy of eating them at Christmas. My first year following a vegan diet, I attempted to veganize them with plant-based butter and the natural Arrowhead Mills Puffed Rice cereal, that I was buying at the time, for a Friendsgiving gathering. Though they worked okay, the natural puffed rice over the traditional Rice Krispies style puffed rice did not hold their shape as well. Not too long after that year, I started trying to reduce my plastic consumption, so I stopped purchasing commercially produced cereals, so I turned my attention to making other treats at the holidays and had not looked back until this year.
This year, while baking my own treats along side my mom in her kitchen, I realized that she had extra dates as well as Rice Krispies cereal because the recipe only uses a small portion of the box. With the availability of Rice Krispies, I decided to make up a batch for myself and vegan family members who had not had the chance to enjoy Date Nut Balls for many years. These treats are sweet, almost caramelized, crunchy and chewy. I have included a reduced size version here, but if you wish to make a gathering sized batch, you can easily double the recipe to feed a crowd.
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Date Nut Balls
Yields: 16-20 balls
Ingredients:
114g / 4oz Dates (Chopped)
85g / 6 tbsp Butter (tested with Earth Balance)
90g / 1/2 c Raw Sugar (or granulated)
26g / 1 c Rice Krispies Cereal
57g / 1/2 c Finely Chopped Pecans
1-2 c Powdered/ Confectioners Sugar
Directions:
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt together the butter, sugar and dates. Cook for 5-6 minutes until the sugar has completely dissolved and the dates have started to break down slightly.
Remove from the heat and stir in the pecans and Rice Krispies.
Using a 2 tbsp scoop pr a set of spoons, portion the mixture into little dollops on a piece of parchment paper. As soon as the mixture is portioned, before it cools, carefully roll the portions into balls. To get the ingredients to hold together, you can slightly press the mixture as you roll, but do not over compress.
Allow to cool for 30 minutes before rolling them in powdered sugar. The balls will still be slightly soft, so be careful. Allow them to sit at room temperature for a few hours to fully set or refrigerate for 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.