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.
Put them in a blender. Whir up! It takes a few minutes. Be patient. I wasn't at first.
Then you have a paste! It comes together nicely. Go ahead and pinch it together.
Kinda sticky huh? Form small balls of the coconut date nut mixture in your hand.
Roll it in your coconut. The coconut is key. If you don't roll it in some, they are too sticky.
I flattened the balls so that they would stack better in my container.
Place a slivered almond on top to make it pretty! Take a taste. Do you like it?
Now put them in a container! I reused the date container! Recycle!
They are great when kept in the fridge too! Nice and cool and they firm up a bit!
Coconut Date Rolls
Print This Recipe- 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!***
20 Responses to “Coconut Date Rolls” Leave a reply ›
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!
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.
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!
I love dates, and I love coconut! These look fantastic!
they are! hope you try them!
I looooove dates! They are so sweet and sticky and tasty! These look so easy and delicious, I can't wait to try them!
my favs!
you inspired me!! thank you for the push to make them! xo
These will also be wonderful if you roll them in good quality cocoa powder.
I love dates!! I am definitely making rawalicious desert! Thanks <3
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!!!!
I am totally trying this recipe! It seems so quick and easy- and only 3 ingredients! Wonderful!
I love dates! These look really tasty - but I'd probably eat the whole batch!!
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
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 :-)
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 :)
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
I love how it gives you that sweet fix you need!