Coconut Date Balls (Or Bites)

Looking for a naturally sweetened treat that is easy to make? Made with only two ingredients, coconut and dates, these coconut date balls are naturally sweet, without any refined sugar. For a fun presentation, they can also be pressed into candy molds.

In the past, I have showed you how I make my own Coconut Butter.

One day, when making it, I decided that I was going to try adding in some dates to sweeten the mix. 

With only a few dates, you end up with a slightly sweeter coconut butter that you can use as a spread. Add in some more dates, though, and you end up with a thicker mix that can be formed into balls.

In the winter, the balls will harden up as the coconut oil solidifies in the cold.

Ingredients

Like I said, these are really simple and only use shredded coconuts and dates.

Once you’ve tried the basic recipe, though, you can experiment with adding other ingredients to add other flavors. 😉 (I have a suggestion for you below!)

Procedure

Making the coconut date balls is just as simple.

Add the shredded coconut to a food processor and process it until it forms a paste that begins to release its oils.

Next, add the the dates and continue to process the mixture until the mixture holds together when you press on it.

Once you’ve reached that point, you can roll it into balls or press it into candy molds.

If using candy molds, in the winter, they’re usually ready to unmold almost immediately. In the summer, you may need to refrigerate them first so that you can easily unmold them.

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Troubleshooting

If you are having a hard time forming the mixture into balls, you may need to process the mixture longer. When forming the balls, rather than rolling the mixture between your palms, try pressing it together from all angles until it is ball-shaped.

If you still find it too difficult, you may find that it’s easier to press the mixture into candy molds.

This recipe relies on two things to hold the mixture together: the stickiness of the dates and the fact that the coconut releases oils when processed. Those oils solidify below 76ºF/24ºC.

So, there are a number of factors that can affect why it may be easier to form the balls one day versus another. It may depend on the temperature that day or the stickiness of the dates used.

Because the stickiness of the dates can help hold the mixture together, you may need to add more dates to help bind the ingredients. (You can also add more to further sweeten them.) Some dates, like Medjool dates, are larger and stickier, so you won’t need as many when using them as you would a smaller, drier date.

If you add too many dates, especially those on the drier side, the mix can also end up being more crumbly. I’d suggest adding the last few dates one by one to make sure you aren’t adding too many.

If you do notice that the dates you plan to use are on the drier side, you can also try pre-soaking the dates. Keep in mind, though, that incorporating water into the mixture will affect the shelf life of these coconut date balls.

Normally, these coconut date balls don’t need refrigeration and will keep for a long time. If you add moisture by either adding liquids or pre-soaking the dates, though, the moisture allows for bacterial/mold growth. So, if incorporating water or other liquids, you should refrigerate them and use them relatively quickly.

If you are trying to use less dates to keep the amount of sugar to a minimum, try processing the coconut for longer in your food processor before adding the dates. The idea is to turn it into more of a coconut butter consistency. The released oils help bind everything together without needing as many dates.

In the worst-case scenario, if you still can’t form the mixture into balls after reading those tips, you can try one last idea. Add in some coconut oil and blend it together with the other ingredients to help bind everything together.

Variations

As I’ve already shown you, these can be made into balls or into candy shapes by pressing the mixture into candy molds.

You can also experiment with adding different flavors to the balls. You can try using extracts or even essential oils like mint, lemon, or orange.

Matcha coconut lime balls

One variation that I tried and really liked is matcha coconut lime balls. To make them, add some matcha powder, lime zest, and lime juice. (Again, remember that adding liquid like the lime juice will reduce the shelf life of the balls.)

Storage

If no liquids have been added to the mixture, these can be kept at room temperature. They will keep for several weeks.

If you pre-soak the dates or add any liquids, they will need to be stored in the fridge.

Video

This recipe has been featured in the community cookbook, Naturally Sweetened Treats!

This post was originally published on January 5, 2014. It was rewritten with clearer instructions, nutritional information, new photos and video in January of 2021.