I am always on the lookout for healthy and delicious snacks. Sure when that afternoon snack craving hits I could have a small handful of nuts, but really if I am being honest, that is just a bit boring.
I am not here to eat just to get by, I want to eat because I love food and I enjoy what I am eating. Snacks therefore are no exception.
To be honest, I am actually not the biggest snacker. But when I do, I know that I have a tendency to lean towards the unhealthy. But if I have something healthy and yummy within reach, then I have no reason not to want to eat that. I sometimes think healthy food just feels either like too much effort to make or even just more expensive than the unhealthy alternatives so we don’t worry about it.
But let me tell you, it doesn’t have to be. Cheap and easy snacks can be made at home and brought with you, to work, when shopping (major snack territory) or just for whenever you feel a little peckish.
What I have found is that these little peanut butter balls get me past the craving for something sweet in the afternoons and leave me perfectly satisfied. Dates are a wonder food, and by using them as the base for these balls you get this beautiful caramel flavour that just takes the peanut butter taste to the next level. It’s all kinds of good.
And just like with my lamington bars, I am using plain old regular dates from the cheap shelf to make these healthy little balls and just rehydrating them in warm water. Medjool dates are too expensive for this sort of thing I just don’t expect anyone to drop that kind of coin to eat healthy, I know I wont.
Healthy snack balls have been around for a while in all sorts of forms, but recently I have I started treating myself to a packet of these little balls that I found in my local supermarket. They were made from all real ingredients and were the best afternoon snack option I had found locally with a reasonable price tag. I started always having a packet in my handbag for emergency snack situations.
With just a few key ingredients, I knew I should just be making these at home myself – so that is what we have here. With a handful of simple ingredients and a food processor, you can whip up your own caramel and peanut butter balls at home, keeping a stash in the fridge for when a yummy little treat that won’t blow the diet is needed.
And let’s face it, everything tastes that little bit better when you have made it yourself.
These caramel & peanut butter balls are an easy to make, healthy snack that will satisfy the afternoon sweet craving. They can be made quickly in advance and are vegan too!
- 1 cup dates
- 3/4 cup raw peanuts
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut
- pinch salt
- 1/4 cup extra shredded coconut , for rolling
- Soak dates in warm water for 10 minutes.
- Drain dates and add to a food processor with peanuts, shredded coconut & salt. Process for about 5 minutes until everything is chopped up and mixture is sticky.
- Roll about a teaspoon and a half of mixture into a ball, then roll in extra coconut. You will need to roll the ball again in your hand again to make sure the coconut sticks on the outside.
- Place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
Best stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
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