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    Home » Recipes » Cakes » No-Bake Dark Chocolate Coated Cashew Balls

    No-Bake Dark Chocolate Coated Cashew Balls

    Updated: Jul 21, 2023 by Veronica Noone · This post may contain affiliate links · 26 Comments

    dark chocolate coated cashew balls pin

    It's holiday cookie season! I love this time of year because it forces me to get creative in the kitchen. Sure, I could make all the standard cookie recipes out there but where's the fun in that? I'd much rather experiment and come up with fun, healthy ways to indulge while still getting some good stuff in the kids.

    Don't get me wrong, I'm not against all the traditional baked goods out there. Give me a standard chocolate chip cookie or double chocolate brownie and I'm good to go, but in a way I find baking that stuff at home boring and well, monotonous. It's what everyone bakes. It's what every store carries.

    I'm much more motivated to cook and bake when I move past the old standbys and try to come up with something new that hopefully my family will embrace and I can feel good about them eating.

    Yesterday these fit the bill and I'm IN HEAVEN!

    Don't they look so festive?! The best part? Well, I can't pick ONE. First, they are no-bake. Total bonus during the busy holiday season. Second, there are only 5 ingredients and that includes the sprinkle of powdered sugar on top. Third, 3, let me repeat, THREE, are only 130 calories! And let me tell you, 3 are totally satisfying. Rarely do I stop at a single serving but my belly was full after eating these. Of course I did go back for more a few hours later but still. 😉

    Oh! and the kids? Well both loved them!

    Ryan had 3 after school.

    Yeah, that's "The Toddler" all grown up giving old mom the look while calling his friend on the phone after finishing his homework. *sigh* When did THAT happen? Anyway, notice the chocolate lips. Evidence. lol

    Little Bean, well, he was also caught red handed, err, faced.

    But he attacked the plate during the photo shoot.

    Of course he was taking bites of them and then putting them back before grabbing another one. Please tell me your kids do that too.

    Anyway, how do they taste? Well delicious! The dates and cashews make a great indulgent combo, similar to the cashew cookie flavor of a Laura bar. The cocoa on the outside isn't sweet but gives that tart cocoa flavor which by itself isn't yummy, but once you bite into the sweetness, it all comes together for the perfect bite. I loved them at room temperature but kept the leftovers in the fridge only to realize they are even better cold. The dates almost takes on a caramel texture. Delicious!

    Okay, lets get down to the recipe. I'm excited about these, can you tell?

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup Salted Cashews (65g)
    • ~20 dates 140g
    • ¼ teaspoon vanilla
    • 1 tablespoon Dark Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (5g) (Regular cocoa would be great too)
    • â…› teaspoon powder sugar

    Instructions

    I'm obsessed with nuts at the moment and cashews are on the top of the list.

    If you don't have salted I'd add a pinch to the recipe.

    Put the cashews, dates and vanilla in your processor or bullet.

    Pulse until all the major chunks are broken up a bit.

    Then keep going until the mixture forms dough balls while it's processing.

    It took about 2 minutes for me shaking the bullet a bit to get things back down towards the blades.

    Roll the dough into small balls around 10 g each. According to my calculations you should get 20 - 10g balls but I was only able to make 18. You lose a bit during the process and that includes nibbles. 🙂

    Now you could stop there but I wanted to make these a bit more festive so I pulled out my secret weapon.

    I LOVE this stuff. If you can't find it near you, regular cocoa powder would work great too. I'm just obsessed with all that is dark chocolate.

    Put the cocoa powder on a plate and loosen any clumps with a fork.

    Roll the balls until coated well and then tap to remove some of the excess.

    I thought they looks just like truffles!

    It was a last minute decision to add the powdered sugar. Just a touch for holiday effect.

    dark chocolate coated cashew balls main

    I'm calculating the batch to make 6 servings of 3 balls each to be safe. If you get an extra 1 or 2, well BONUS! 🙂

    Happy NO-baking. 🙂

    📖 Recipe

    dark chocolate coated cashew balls featured

    No-Bake Dark Chocolate Coated Cashew Balls

    These no-bake dark chocolate coated cashew balls are vegan, gluten-free, and oh-so-delicious. Blend, roll, and enjoy!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 2 minutes mins
    Total Time 12 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 18 balls
    Calories 45 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • ½ cup Salted Cashews 65g
    • ~20 dates 140g
    • ¼ teaspoon vanilla
    • 1 tablespoon Dark Unsweetened Cocoa Powder 5g (Regular cocoa would be great too)
    • â…› teaspoon powder sugar

    Instructions
     

    • Put the cashews, dates and vanilla in your processor or bullet.
      ½ cup Salted Cashews, ~20 dates 140g, ¼ teaspoon vanilla
    • Pulse until all the major chunks are broken up a bit.
    • Then keep going until the mixture forms dough balls while it's processing.
    • It took about 2 minutes for me shaking the bullet a bit to get things back down towards the blades.
    • Roll the dough into small balls around 10 g each. According to my calculations you should get 20 - 10g balls but I was only able to make 18. You lose a bit during the process and that includes nibbles.
    • Put the cocoa powder on a plate and loosen any clumps with a fork.
      1 tablespoon Dark Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, â…› teaspoon powder sugar
    • Roll the balls until coated well and then tap to remove some of the excess.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 45kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 1gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 25mgPotassium: 77mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 0.03mgCalcium: 5mgIron: 0.3mg
    Keyword Balls, Cashews, Chocolate
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

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    1. roni

      February 02, 2013 at 3:35 pm

      Rachel - I haven't used them but I'm thinking the same amount in grams in probably your best bet as they are larger, correct. Just weigh out 140g worth, you should be fine. Hope you like them!

      Reply
    2. Rachel Bridgwood

      February 01, 2013 at 7:53 pm

      REALLY looking forward to trying this. I usually use Medjool dates. Any experience with these? I highly doubt I should use 20 of them, right? Any idea how many Medjool dates would equal the 20 that you used? :S haha

      Reply
    3. Tricia

      December 19, 2012 at 6:17 pm

      Haha, sorry just read the WHOLE post. Thanks, they really are Delicious!

      Reply
    4. Tricia

      December 19, 2012 at 6:12 pm

      Just made these, and they are a hit!! Would love to make these as part of my holiday goodies baskets- How do you store them? in the fridge? do they keep well?

      Reply
    5. Barb

      December 15, 2012 at 10:17 am

      Oh my, just realized there was this link from the no bake thumbprints - cashews are my favorite nut. Yum!

      Reply
    6. roni

      December 12, 2012 at 3:09 pm

      Freezing would be fine but I'm not sure how they texture wil be once defrosted. If you try it let us know!

      Reply
    7. Britta

      December 12, 2012 at 2:39 pm

      Is it ok to freeze these?

      Reply
    8. roni

      December 10, 2012 at 3:29 pm

      Yvette - That's pretty normal. It's the oil coming out of the nuts.

      Reply
    9. Julie

      December 10, 2012 at 3:22 pm

      Yvette, mine were really oily, too. I just assumed that this was normal?

      Reply
    10. yvette

      December 10, 2012 at 3:11 pm

      I just made these and they are really good. But mine are really oily...does this mean I didn't process the "dough" long enough? (I also used really cheap cashews-maybe they were oilier than they should be.)

      Reply
    11. roni

      December 07, 2012 at 12:26 pm

      I started with a few pulses and then let it run. If it starts to drag I'll pick up the whole unit and shake in towards the blades. I do this for single serve bana ice cream too... https://greenlitebites.com/2012/05/22/banana-soft-serve-magic-bullet/ <--video

      Reply
    12. Kris

      December 07, 2012 at 12:15 pm

      Sort of like a Lara Bar. I am making them now. Unless you have a super powerful Magic Bullet, I would like to know how you did it - mine is about ready to burn out. Any tips?

      Reply
    13. Andrea

      December 07, 2012 at 10:12 am

      Loved these! I couldn't bring myself to make 10 g balls--so they ended up being a slightly more indulgent 15 g--but still a very virtuous snack.

      Reply
    14. roni

      December 05, 2012 at 11:40 am

      Liz - I was going to make other varieties with nuts but I didnt think of using raisins! I don't see why they wouldn't work but I'm not sure the proportions would be the same. Dates are much stickier and have almost a carmel consistency.

      Reply
    15. Dana

      December 03, 2012 at 9:20 pm

      These look yummy! Purchased all the ingredients today and will be making these this week.

      Reply
    16. Birgit

      December 03, 2012 at 12:29 pm

      I tried them today (and I once before tried dates and wasn't impressed) - and the balls are sooooo good!!!
      Right now they are chilling in the fridge, but I loved my sample.

      Thanks!!

      Reply
    17. Liz

      December 02, 2012 at 5:17 pm

      Could you use a different kind of nut and raisins instead? Just tring to use what I have in the pantry already.

      Reply
    18. Julie

      December 01, 2012 at 5:25 pm

      I am currently eating these and they are amazing! The hubby couldn't believe what was in them when he tasted them, they are that good. Thanks, Roni, for another wonderful recipe.

      Reply
    19. Carol

      December 01, 2012 at 12:08 am

      I can't wait to make these. I already bought dates to try my hand at homemade Larabars, but these look even better! Here's hoping both of the 11 yo twins will like them. Usually, if one likes something the other one doesn't. Plus, it's something my Gluten Free hubby could eat. Bonus!

      Reply
    20. Crystal

      November 30, 2012 at 6:08 pm

      Just made these and my 9 and 12 year old love them! Thanks! 🙂 it always feels good to feed them good all natural food!

      Reply
    21. roni

      November 30, 2012 at 12:55 pm

      It IS a type! Thank you so much. Only 1g of sat fat.

      Reply
    22. Amy

      November 30, 2012 at 9:42 am

      These look amazing - I can't wait to try! Quick question: your nutritional info shows all 5 grams of fat per serving to come from saturated fat. Is that a typo? Thanks!

      Amy

      Reply
    23. Andrea

      November 30, 2012 at 9:42 am

      that's it---dates and cashews added to the shopping list!

      Reply
    24. Gara

      November 30, 2012 at 12:47 pm

      These look so good! I might gift them to my office in little celophane gift bags for the holidays!

      Reply
    25. Bridget

      November 29, 2012 at 5:39 pm

      Dates? hmmm...never bought dates, but I am going to COSTCO tomorrow. & they have the best prices on nuts, so I may have to try these.

      Reply
    26. Jody - Fit at 55

      November 29, 2012 at 2:24 pm

      I am afraid I would eat them all! 🙂 Such cute pics!!!!!!!!!!

      Reply

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