Chocolate Date Brownie Balls

A fan-favorite, super-easy dessert treat that sneaks in some healthy omega-3 fats in the hemp seeds. This is a no-bake recipe ready to roll in minutes and have fun with color and flavor of optional toppings! My favorite is the crushed, freeze-dried raspberry topping. Get the family or your students in on this one!

INGREDIENTS

2 cups pitted dates (medjool dates work well due to moisture content)

1⁄2 cup raw pecans

1⁄2 cup shelled hemp seeds

1⁄4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Possibly: nondairy milk, or sesame tahini

Optional Toppings: Extra pecans (finely chopped), finely shredded coconut, matcha powder dusted shredded coconut, crushed freeze−dried raspberries (for dramatic color and flavor contrast) use an old−fashioned mortar and pestle until a coarse powder is achieved.

HOW TO MAKE

Line a baking pan with parchment paper.

Chop dates into quarters – to ensure that the pits are removed. Even one pit can jam up a food processor!

Put pitted dates and pecans into food processor fitted with an “S” blade. Process until the pecans are chopped up and the mixture just starts to stick together. Should look like a wet, coarse meal.

Add the rest of the ingredients – hemp seeds, cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla. Process until the mixture starts to clump together. Do a pinch test and see if you can roll it into a tight ball. If your mixture is too dry, add a spoonful of nondairy milk, tahini, or nut butter & keep adding and pulsing until you can roll a ball between your fingers.

Use a spoon to portion out approx.. 1 tablespoon of the dough at a time and roll into balls.

OPTIONAL: Roll the brownie balls in either finely chopped nuts, coconut, or crushed freeze-dried raspberries.

Place the balls onto the prepared baking sheet and enjoy now, or refrigerate or freeze until hard.

NOTES

One cup = ~ 8 Medjool dates = about 6 ounces

A 12 ounce pack of Trader Joes organic Medjool dates has about 16 – 17 dates, = 2 cups