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.
Pour the shredded coconut into a food processor and process on medium to high speed until it starts releasing oils.
When it starts to get mostly smooth, add in some dates. It's best to add the last few one by one, checking on the consistency between additions. (It can get very difficult to form the balls if you add too many.)
Process for long enough to get a mixture that can be shaped into balls.
Either roll the mix into balls, or push into candy molds. When using molds, placing them in the fridge/freezer allows them to harden enough to easily remove them.
Pop your coconut bites out of your molds.
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Notes
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.