Coconut Date Rolls

I’ve never been a fan of dates until I tried one of these rolls. A few months ago, my coworker introduced me to the Whole Foods coconut date roll and I was hooked. I immediately liked dates! Who would have thought?! Two days ago, I had a MAD craving for them and immediately drove to Whole Foods to pick some up. I must have spent 30 minutes looking for them in the bulk aisle & produce section. WHERE THE EFF WERE THEY?!! I stared at the shelves for a long time, hoping that they would magically appear. Nope. They didn’t!  So I went home and obsessed about these rolls and decided to throw in the towel and make my own. I took another trip to Whole Foods and picked up the ingredients, whipped some up and and they turned out pretty awesome! The nuts weren’t in the original roll I tried, but they make a fantastic addition.  I’ve eaten like 5 today and Cooper has had two!  They are all natural and pretty guilt free (all the fat is good fat). It makes me feel good to know that something this good is not only simple, but free of heavy processing and unnatural sugars. It makes this momma happy.

Let’s get started! It’s the simplest little recipe!

Gather your ingredients. Dates, almonds & coconut flakes.

coconut dates almonds

Put them in a blender. Whir up! It takes a few minutes. Be patient. I wasn’t at first.

whir it up!

Then you have a paste! It comes together nicely. Go ahead and pinch it together.

mixed

Kinda sticky huh? Form small balls of the coconut date nut mixture in your hand.

shaping into balls

Roll it in your coconut. The coconut is key. If you don’t roll it in some, they are too sticky.

roll in coconut

I flattened the balls so that they would stack better in my container.

ready for nut topping

Place a slivered almond on top to make it pretty! Take a taste. Do you like it?

nut topping

Now put them in a container!  I reused the date container! Recycle!

my own package!

They are great when kept in the fridge too! Nice and cool and they firm up a bit!

Coconut Date Rolls

  • 1 lb. pitted dates
  • 1 cup slivered almonds, roasted
  • 1 cup unsweetened dried coconut flakes (reserve some for rolling)

Blend the dates, almonds & coconut in a food processor until a paste is formed. Roll heaping tablespoonfuls of the paste in the dried coconut and form into 1-2 inch balls. Top with a slivered almond! Makes about 25 little rolls.

***If you find that the mixture is not coming together as you’d like and seems too dry, add the smallest splash of water and then continue to whir it up in the food processor!***

  • ella

    this sounds wonderful. i bought some dates the other day on a whim and realized they were weird on their own and i had no idea what to do with them. these looks great!

  • Kylie

    How weird! I know EXACTLY what coconut date rolls you’re talking about. We sell them at the grocery store I work at and I bought them for the first time last night! How ironic is that! They are SUUUPER delicious. I can’t believe I didn’t discover them sooner. I wonder if they are the same brand–Morro Bros. or something like that? They come in a flat with like 16-18 rolls. Anyway, if you are ever in Santa Cruz, stop by Shopper’s Corner because we have them available there for about $4.59! I’m sure yours are just as great though.

    • Tracy

      oooh! i don’t know what the brand was…but maybe that’s them! we are sharing the same wave lengths, girl!! I hope to get to Santa Cruz some time this summer!

  • Katrina

    I love dates, and I love coconut! These look fantastic!

  • Julie (Bananas for Bourbon)

    I looooove dates! They are so sweet and sticky and tasty! These look so easy and delicious, I can’t wait to try them!

  • Miss Scarlett

    These will also be wonderful if you roll them in good quality cocoa powder.

  • Rebecca

    I love dates!! I am definitely making rawalicious desert! Thanks <3

  • Marci

    I can’t wait to make these for my Dad!! My grandmother used to make date-nut squares all the time, and I like to homemake him a memory from time to time. This will be a nice updated twist to that with the coconut and pretty shape. Thanks Tracy!!!!

  • Hannah J

    I am totally trying this recipe! It seems so quick and easy- and only 3 ingredients! Wonderful!

  • Janet

    I love dates! These look really tasty – but I’d probably eat the whole batch!!

  • David

    We make date rolls similar to yours all the time – they are one of my favorite snacks. You probably know it already but you can vary these in a zillion different ways. Sometimes we add chili other times we add mint. Sometimes we add coffee and cacao powder and other times rose hip powder. You can also change the almonds for hazelnuts or walnuts. So easy, and so incredibly good.
    I love your step-by-step pictures – they make your recipes so easy to follow!
    Here is one link to the recipe where we added chili: http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/chili-choco-sweets

  • Tracie

    I bought those rolsl the other day! My husband has been taking them to work for a snack and they are soooo expensive – not any more! Thanks for your recipe, I’ll make my own 🙂

  • Helen

    trader joe’s was sampling dates yesterday as i shopped and i just had to buy a package as it reminds me of my childhood in the socal desert. was trying to think of how to use them and did a search on your site! i found this recipe and the one for the larabars, which i’d love to try as well. i just need to get some lemon extract. these turned out sooo good, i couldn’t eat just one 🙂

  • Joanne

    Thanks, I just made them.

    Mine were not so sticky, probably needed more dates. But they are still sooo good. It’s hard to eat the whole batch because even a sweet freak (like me) will get a quick fix after a few. At least that’s my take.

    Even if the whole batch is eaten I still think it is way better than a whole bag of chips or store bought cookies.

    Thanks,
    Joanne

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  • Lindsay

    I’d prefer a nut-free version. Do you just purée the dates by themselves and proceed as directed?

    • Tracy

      I would puree them on their own. You’ll need to add more coconut or else it’s going to end up like paste.

  • Rachael Kunzler

    Thank you for this recipe! The pictures are great and I love the almond on top idea. =)

    -Rachael

  • Melissa

    Place a whole almond on top and dip into a rich, dark chocolate.
    Pure Almond Joy 🙂

    • Tracy

      Oh geeeez. I like the way you think.

      • melissa

        Im going to try coconut flour next, Ill let you know how the consistancy turns out. Awesome recipe, my whole family is loving this, Thanks for sharing Tracy!

  • Laura

    Looked like a kid friendly recipe to me. I suggested that my 11 year old granddaughter, Delaney, make a batch. She did and she is so pleased with the results. Super easy, good and healthy. She is taking them to school to share with her dance team.

  • k

    The date nut rolls are in the produce section on the bottom in a box. I will make these. We love them too and have driven from nampa to boise twice to just get them at the health food store.

  • Sharon

    I had bought these also at Whole Foods and loved them! Thought there had to be a way to make them. Thank you for your recipe. So happy I can make a healthy treat myself!!

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  • Millie

    Literally everything I love in one morsel – and totally money saving!

  • A simple man

    The simpler the better. I buy sweet and moist, medjool dates, cut them in half, remove the pit, then put one or two large pecans in each half … it’s God’s pecan pie. I’ve added coconut and it’s okay, but it complicates it. Incidentally, I have these as a fruit and protein in my food plan and lost over 100 lbs more than 6 years ago. It definitely satisfies the sweet tooth without additives or sweeteners.

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  • Caitlyn Marcum

    Hey,
    I wanted to let you know that I shared this recipe with my readers. I love date rolls. Normally I buy them from whole foods or Sprouts, but I used your recipe to make them last week. Delicious! Thanks for the recipe and if you would like to check out the link here it is: http://candocait.com/?p=929

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  • Yuri

    These look so good! Trying them tonight!

  • Jayne | Tenacious Tinkering

    Oh wow… I never thought of using dates this way. I have a box of dates sitting in my fridge for a couple months. Better get using!

  • Tracy | Pale Yellow

    Always looking for easy, make ahead snacks to curb the post-work, pre-dinner cravings! These look great, I can’t wait to mix up a batch!

  • Linda

    Just made a batch and they’re so yummy! I ended up flattening the mixture (with wax paper and roller) and cutting them up into small squares (produced about 50). Great snack for the entire family :). Thank you for the recipe!

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  • Audrey Galey

    Thanks for the recipe- so good! Has anyone tried substituting anything for the coconut flakes? My husband doesn’t like coconut and looking for ideas to change it up.

  • Sarah

    I love making these, and figured I’d add the nutritional facts!

    Makes 25 Servings

    Per serving:
    Calories: 77
    Total Fat: 3.6g
    Saturated Fat: 0.2g
    Cholesterol: 0mg
    Sodium: 0.8mg
    Carbohydrates: 15.2g
    Fiber: 2.2g
    Sugar 11.7g
    Protein: 1.1g

    Hope this helps 🙂

  • Kellie

    Chia seeds make a good addition … Or substitution.

  • Ama

    Hi! Just came across your recipe and looking forward to trying this as I have lots of dates. Can I divide the recipe into half, and how many dates in a pound approximately?

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