Date Balls

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My favorite date balls! Just 4 ingredients for deliciously soft date centers topped with melty chocolate drizzle and crunchy nuts for the perfect texture combo.

closeup overhead photo of date balls this recipe

Date Balls: Soft, Sweet, and a Little Salty

‘Tis the season for all the sweet cookies, candy, and balls? Date balls, oh my! Creamy, soft date centers drizzled with rich chocolate and topped with crunchy almonds—welcome to the best date ball recipe!

Date Balls with 4 Ingredients

  • Dates
  • Almond butter
  • Almonds
  • Chocolate
Two photos showing how to make date balls – drizzling with chocolate

How to Make Date Balls

Here’s an overview of how to make date balls. Remember, exact ingredients and instructions are in the recipe card, toward the bottom of this post.

  • Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Then, clear some space in the freezer for this sheet.
  • Next, add dates and almond butter to a food processor. Blend until sticky and cohesive.
  • Now, add in 1 cup almonds, vanilla, and salt. Pulse until date ball mixture is soft and crumbly.
  • Add melted chocolate, blending until chocolate date ball “dough” forms.
  • Scoop and drop balls of date ball dough onto the prepared cookie sheet.
  • Drizzle melted chocolate onto date balls. Sprinkle with chopped almonds.
  • Chill and enjoy the best date balls! Then, make these Chocolate Coconut Candy Clusters.
Two photos showing how to make date balls – sprinkling with nuts

Customizing This Date Balls Recipe

Wondering if you can put your own little spin on this recipe for date balls? Go on now! Here are a few of the ways in which you can make this recipe your own.

Change the chocolate

I love using dark chocolate to make my date balls, but you can easily use milk chocolate, white chocolate, or even salted chocolate. For another chocolate fix, make my Vegan Cake!

Switch up the Nut Butter

Instead of using almond butter, try peanut butter, sunflower seed butter or even homemade cashew butter. 

Swap the Nuts

Don’t love almonds? No worries! Try making this date ball recipe with peanuts or another kind of nut. Watch out for pecans and walnuts, which tend to be a bit too oily when blended.

Rows of these treats on a silver rack

Change the Extract

While I love using vanilla extract in these date balls, I sometimes like to add in a splash of pure almond extract. Try this date ball recipe with ¼ teaspoon of another extract, increase as needed. 

Skip the dates… yep, I said it!

You can skip the dates in these date balls entirely. Just substitute the dates with another similar dried fruit. Dried raisins work well!

Customizing this recipe is just as easy as these Breakfast Bars. 

Storing & Freezing Date Balls 

Store date balls in an airtight container at room temperature or on the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.

To freeze, store date balls in a freezer-friendly container for 1-3 months. Allow to thaw until softened before serving. Then, make these No Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies!

Angled photo of this recipe

More No Bake Recipes

Tools You Need

Great Balls of… Dates!

So, whaddya think of today’s recipe for date balls? Let me know in the comments below. And if you make this recipe, take a pic and share it on Instagram and Facebook using the tags @beamingbaker and #beamingbaker. I can’t wait to see it! ‘Til next time…

Sending you all my love and maybe even a dove, xo Demeter ❤️

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square photo of date balls on a silver rack

Date Balls

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5 from 7 reviews

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Description

My favorite date balls! Just 4 ingredients for deliciously soft date centers topped with melty chocolate drizzle and crunchy nuts for the perfect texture combo.

 

Ingredients

Units Scale

Tools You Need

  • Food processor
  • Stainless steel rack
  • Cookie scoop
  • Cookie sheet

Date Balls

  • 1/2 cup (packed) Medjool dates, pitted (about 7 dates)
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted, natural creamy almond butter
  • 1 cup unsalted, roasted almonds
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
  • 1/4 cup melted chocolate

Chocolate Drizzle

  • 2 tablespoons melted chocolate – can use more if you’d like heavy drizzle
  • 1/4 teaspoon coconut oil (optional)

Topping

  • 1–2 tablespoons unsalted, roasted almonds, finely chopped

 

Instructions

  1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or wax paper. Set aside. Clear some space in the freezer for this sheet—you will need it later.
  2. Add dates and almond butter to a food processor. Blend until you get a somewhat cohesive, sticky mixture, like chunks of dough—the mixture will begin to pull away from the sides of the processor and roll into bits of dough. This will take about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the processor frequently, making sure to scrape and press the mixture together to make it more cohesive and work in any almond butter that’s stuck at the bottom of the bin.
  3. Take breaks in between to avoid overheating. You’ll know you’re done when you can pinch the mixture between your fingers and it turns into a smooth bit of dough.
  4. Once the date “dough” has formed, add in 1 cup almonds, vanilla and salt. Blend until the almonds are fully-incorporated and very finely chopped. The mixture will be soft and crumbly. Thoroughly blend the almonds to avoid crumbly balls. The mixture is done when you can pinch it between your fingers and it holds firmly together.
  5. Add melted chocolate. Pulse to combine.
  6. Once the chocolate is evenly dispersed, pulse and blend until the mixture pulls away from the sides and slightly more moist “dough” forms. The mixture will start clumping up a bit. It’s ready when you barely have to press it together for the mixture to hold.
  7. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop and drop almond butter date balls onto the prepared cookie sheet, evenly spaced apart.
  8. Melt chocolate and coconut oil for drizzle using the double boiler method or heat in the microwave in 10-second increments until just melted. Make sure to stir in between melting to create smooth melted chocolate.
  9. Drizzle the balls with melted chocolate. Top with chopped almonds.
  10. Enjoy immediately if you like it soft with melted chocolate topping, or freeze for 20 minutes. Remove from freezer. Enjoy! Storing instructions below.

 

Equipment

Notes

Storing Instructions: Store date balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks, or, in the freezer for 1-2 months.

How to make Vegan: Use vegan chocolate.

How to make Gluten Free: Keep the recipe as-is.

  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Category: Snacks, Dessert
  • Method: No Bake, No Cook
  • Cuisine: American

   🧡 📸 💛

📸 Did you make this recipe? Take a pic and share it on Instagram with the hashtag #beamingbaker & tag @beamingbaker. I’d love to see it! 📸

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It’s nice to meet you! Erik and I love sharing easy recipes that are fun & approachable. I love cozy movies, chocolate, big hugs, and being out at sea.

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36 Comments

  20. I purchase date paste, mash it and add whatever mix-ins we feel like (shredded coconut is nice), then make a small ball around one whole almond and freeze to harden. Then dip in melted chocolate and refrigerate to set. Extra option is to drizzle melted white chocolate over the set balls and store in fridge or freezer. Delicious!

    Reply