Easy, 5-ingredient tahini chocolate date balls that are simply divine. These tahini date balls are ready in just 15 minutes, making them the perfect on-the-go snack.
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Why You’ll Love This Vegan Recipe
- Quick & Easy: This recipe for tahini chocolate date balls is quick and easy to make, and tasty as heck!
- Healthy: Tahini is a good source of healthy fats and protein. In contrast, dates are loaded with fiber and potassium. This winning combo is not just a healthy snack; with all three macronutrients, it will keep you fuller for longer. #winning
Ingredients
- Medjool dates should be soft and sticky. I recommend getting dates with the seed still inside. If a different type of date is more accessible to you, go for it! They may taste slightly different, but they’ll still be tasty as heck!
You can actually purchase dates that are pitted, so you can skip the step of removing the seed, but I don’t recommend this. In my experience, a container of pitted dates usually has at least one date that didn’t get pitted properly, leaving the seed intact, which can wreak havoc on your blender or food processor.
Getting dates with the seed makes it so that you get to inspect the inside of every single one. This usually isn’t a big deal, but I have run into a date that does have black mold on the inside every once in a while. If you get pitted dates, you wouldn’t see the mold.
- Tahini should be nice and creamy. It should be similar to pancake batter, not thick like nut butter. If you’re unsure which brand to go with, Soom is the best I have found.
- Cocoa powder gives these bliss balls a rich chocolate flavor. I like to use FlavaMix from FlavaNaturals because it is packed with flavanol antioxidants. (Talk about a bonus!)
- Salt is a wonderful addition and helps amplify the flavor of the other ingredients in these chocolate balls with dates.
- Sesame Seeds add a subtle little crunch to these chocolate date balls. I did half black and half white sesame seeds. You can use either or both or skip them altogether.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Add dates to a food processor and blend long enough to have the dates combine a little bit and start to stock together (about 15-30 seconds).
- Pour in the tahini, FlavaMix (or cocoa powder), and salt. Blend until well combined and smooth. (It should all be sticking together and even forming a big ball at this point. This is what you want.)
- Roll the mixture into small balls and then roll it through white and/or black sesame seeds. The easiest way is to pour some sesame seeds onto a small plate and then roll the balls on.
Tips For Making These Tahini Date Balls
Using a food processor makes this recipe incredibly fast. That being said, I have made date balls without one. It definitely takes longer, but they turn out just as delicious.
If you make these chocolate date balls without a food processor, it’s even more important for the dates to be moist. If they are on the dryer side (not tacky), then after removing the pits, you’ll want to soak them in hot water for about 5 minutes.
Once they are nice and moist, finely chop them and add them to a large bowl. Add in the remaining ingredients and thoroughly combine. Without a food processor, the easiest way to do this can be with a potato masher or just your hands.
Storage Tips
You’ll want to store these chocolate tahini date balls in an airtight container. I recommend glass as they tend to provide a tighter seal, keeping your tasty tahini chocolate date balls fresher longer.
They can keep in an airtight container at room temperature for a week or in the fridge for two weeks.
FAQ
The short answer is yes; date balls are healthy! Dates are a deliciously sweet whole food. Full of complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Date balls made with healthy plant-based fats like nuts, seeds, or nut butter, have increased satiation.
Bliss balls are usually date-based. Additional ingredients can include nuts, seeds, spices, superfood powders like matcha or cacao, etc.
Your bliss balls could be dry because the dates are older and therefore dried out a bit. There’s a simple fix to this, though.
If you notice your dates are dry ahead of time, place them in a large bowl. Boil some water, pour the hot water over the top of the dates, and let them soak for about five minutes. Then strain all the water out and make your date balls like usual.
However, if you realize your mixture is too dry halfway through the recipe, you have a few different options.
You could add hot water one tablespoon at a time, slowly combining it into the bliss ball mixture. Alternatively, adding in a nut or seed butter can help increase the moisture contents significantly.
More Vegan Snacks
Recipe
Chocolate Tahini Date Balls
Ingredients
- 3 cups Medjool dates, pitted (roughly 25-30 dates)
- 4 tablespoons tahini
- 4-5 tablespoons FlavaMix, or cocoa powder
- a pinch of Himalayan salt
- black sesame seeds and/or white sesame seeds for coating
Instructions
- Add dates to a food processor and blend for 15-30 seconds.
- Pour in the tahini, FlavaMix, and pink salt and blend until well combined and smooth. (It should all be sticking together and even forming a big ball.)
- Roll into small balls and roll in white or black sesame seeds.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
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These are tasty!