November 11, 2013

Vegan Chocolate Orange and Date Balls Recipe


Ok, these are the most amazing date balls I have ever eaten in my life. Jerome loves them so much that he even made a big batch to take to our baby shower and everyone loved them. The crazy thing about these balls is that they taste like a decadent naughty sweet dessert but are actually not naughty at all! In fact, they are made from completely guilt-free ingredients... they are like a wonder dessert! Jerome and I always make different types of date balls but this is the first time we have added the deliciousness of orange rind. The orange rind adds this amazing rich flavour to the balls and makes them taste so luxurious. Whenever I make a batch of these to put in the fridge, Jerome eats them all in one go. It is way too hard to pace yourself... we started making these in massive sizes to limit the amount of trips to the fridge hehe. I guarantee that you will love them! 


makes 25 - 30 balls


   1 cup dates
   1/4 cup desiccated coconut
   1/4 cup almonds
   2 tablespoons cocoa or cacao
   orange rind from 1 whole orange
   1 teaspoon vanilla essence
   1 teaspoon water*



  1. Add all ingredients except for the orange rind to a processor and process for 1 minute or so until completely combined, sticky and chopped. It should almost form a large ball in the processor due the stickiness  If it doesn't seem sticky, add a tiny drizzle of water and pulse until sticky. 
  2. Add in the orange rind and pulse a few times until the orange rind has been distributed. 
  3. Take 1-teaspoon portions of the mixture and roll in to balls. Do this will all of the mixture.
  4. Refrigerate or place in a container until needed. Enjoy!


  • *The 1 teaspoon of water is optional. I find that it makes the mixture a lot more sticky and makes it easier to roll the balls. If the mixture is already sticky enough feel free to omit the water. 



15 comments :

  1. These look wonderful! Great to see gluten free recipes as well! I really want to make these for a friend but she is allergic to nuts - any substitute recommendations?

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    1. Hi Catherine, thank you! I would add extra coconut until the same consistency is achieved :)

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  2. Mmmmm. I love these kind of treats. Chocolate-Orange is one of my favourite flavour pairings too!

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  3. These look amazing! I think I will make some of them this week!

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  4. made these today - amazing!
    just wanted to add a few things:

    1. I added a tiny pinch of salt/sea salt. it really adds to the flavour
    2. the calorie info was missing for this post so thought I'd share! I used the measurements specified but also weighed the ingredients at the same time - 25g coconut, 150g dates, 50g almonds. Making 25 balls, each would be approx 42 calories. wowie!!!! (I'm not some crazy obsessed calorie freak but just wanted an idea :) these really are a healthy dessert/snack !!! )
    3. I soaked the almonds overnight - there's a lot of info on the net about the benefits of soaking nuts and 'activating' them - and I guess it does no harm!

    these were so yum, thanks madison! so excited for you both with bub on the way!

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  5. My friend gave me this recipe and I can't stop making them and trying out new and different variations every time! They are a HUUUUUGE hit!

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    Replies
    1. Hello! Oh so glad that you liked them :) I will definitely be making them for Christmas!

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  6. Do you used dried dates, or fresh dates such as medjool for this recipe?

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  7. Wow this Vegan dessert are amazing. I love to eat sweets when I was a kid . but due of high RBS since 2008, I decided not to eat cakes anymore. Anyways, I also follow one website which talks about vegan food and fitness, http://www.bodybyblasian.com/

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