My last pregnancy changed my taste buds forever. There are many foods I once enjoyed that I no longer do (more on that later)….but much more noteworthy are the foods that I used to feel nothing about that are now the center of my world. One example is Chinese takeout. My husband and I went eight (YES 8) years without ever ordering takeout. That all changed in the first trimester of my most recent pregnancy. I was sick, and every food on the planet sounded disgusting to me….every food that is, except Chinese. We try to live frugally so I never entertained the thought of ordering food to eat at home. However, one day I told my husband what I was craving and he didn’t skip a beat. Thirty minutes later I was eating food I enjoyed for the first time in weeks, and I didn’t have to cook it. My hero.
The other food that used to repulse me, but I now can’t live without is coconut. I couldn’t even eat something with coconut oil in it. True Story. But now….in the glorious present I crave coconut all.the.time. I don’t know how I ever lived without it. I created this Cashew Coconut Energy Bite recipe because I wanted a healthy snack that was sweet but not chocolatey, filled with lots and lots of coconut.
These balls are so easy to make. Toss the ingredients into a food processor and let the magic happen. I always process my dates first for two reasons. 1) I like to make sure there are no surprise pits in them and 2) they take the longest to blend well. Look at all that coconut. Delish.
I chose to use almond butter in this recipe because I wanted something without peanuts (gasp). However you could substitute whatever type of nut/seed butter you prefer. These snacks are gluten free, dairy free AND refined sugar free! Triple lightening rod.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dates
- 1 cup roasted & salted or raw cashews
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut
- ½ tsp vanilla
- ¼ - ½ tsp salt (depending on how salty your cashews are)
- 2 TBS almond butter
Instructions
- Process dates in a food processor fit with “S” blade until crumbly.
- Add coconut, cashews, vanilla and salt and process until well blended and fine.
- Add almond butter and process until mixture starts balling up or sticking together.
- Roll into balls, 1-2 TBS at a time.
- Enjoy! Store in the refrigerator or freezer.
If you make something from JoyFoodSunshine I would love to see your creations!
#joyfoodsunshine
Instagram: @joyfoodsunshine
Pinterest: JoyFoodSunshine
Facebook: JoyFoodSunsine
Twitter: @joyfoodsunshine
Pin me for later! ????
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase a product through a link you clicked on here, I receive a portion of the sale. Thank you for supporting JoyFoodSunshine!
Oooh those look seriously delicious!
Thank you Julia!! They’re one of my favorite healthy snacks! 🙂
I very tried your recipe today! Delicious! How many calories are in each ball?
I’m SO glad you enjoyed this recipe Irene! I can’t seem to keep them stocked around here because my kids devour them so fast! I do not include calorie counts but you can use a recipe nutrition calculator {<- link} and find out that way!
These have a really great flavor and are super easy to make. I am usually not super into things with coconut flakes but these were not too coconutty! I processed the nuts a little too long and it got pretty oily, so next time I will pay more attention. Such a great healthy and filling snack or quick breakfast!