Whole food ingredients, date sweetened, healthy fats and proteins, taste reminiscent of a Snickers bar. No gluten, no dairy, no refined sugars, no nuts. Perfect for that time of day when energy begins to slump and the urge for something caffeine-y and/or sugar-y starts to kick in. I call it the 4pm hour.
¾ cup dates (about 6 large), – pitted and soaked
¼ cup sunflower butter (almond or peanut butter also works)
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons date soaking water
1½ cups sunflower seeds,( or 1 cup roasted unsalted almonds) finely chopped
2 Tablespoons ground flax seeds
¼ cup raisins or dried cranberries, roughly chopped
Shredded coconut for rolling (optional)
Place pitted dates in a bowl and cover with warm water. Soak until soft, about 15 minutes. Remove dates, reserving the soaking liquid, and chop them up by hand or in a food processor until a soft paste forms. Place date mixture in a bowl and stir in nut butter, vanilla, salt, and 2 to 3 teaspoons of the reserved soaking liquid. Mix until well combined.
While dates are soaking chop sunflower seeds (or nuts) until they are about the size of a grain of rice. Place them in another bowl. Add ground flax and stir to combine. Add date mixture to the chopped nuts and mix well. Fold in raisins.
Make balls by rolling about 1 teaspoon of the mixture with your hands. They are ready to eat right away or if you like them firmer, place balls on a cookie sheet and chill in the refrigerator for about a half hour.
Makes about 28
Cost per 2 truffle serving: 35 cents
