The recipe and post today is by Lisa Cain, Ph.D. She writes about healthy snacks on Snack-Girl.com. Lisa is a published author, mother of two, and avid snacker.

How do you get your family involved in the GIVING part of the holidays? There are many great things you can do such as donating time to the less fortunate or sending treats to the troops. Another great activity is to make the gifts you will give to all the important friends and family that surround you.

How about making them a treat that will be both delicious and healthy? Try making No-Bake Brownie Balls. Wrap them in some lovely tissue paper, and include the recipe. (Make sure they read the recipe AFTER they taste them.)

The recipe for No-Bake Brownie Balls does not include eggs, butter, or processed sugar but they taste like they do. Why? I think it is the combination of the dates and almonds (sugary and buttery).

These have been a HUGE hit on Snack Girl and I am positive your friends, family, and coworkers will love them.

There are a couple great reasons to give No-Bake Brownie Balls as a special holiday treat. They:

1. Include chocolate.
2. Take almost no time to make.
3. Are super healthy and yummy.

And, your gift is original, homemade, and filled with love

Kids love making these as well and are a fun addition to the regular holiday cookie route. They will love rolling them in their hands and not having to wait for them to come out of the oven.

To make these brownie balls vegan, use maple syrup or agave syrup.

Yield: 15

Healthy No-Bake Brownie Balls

Finished no-bake brownie balls served in mini muffin cups

Ingredients

  • 15 pitted dates
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (plus extra for dusting)
  • 1 cup roasted almonds (no salt added)
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • confectioner’s sugar (optional)

Instructions

    1. Add almonds to food processor and pulse until ground.
    2. Add dates, cocoa powder, honey, and water.
    3. Mix until it just forms a sticky mass.
    4. Wash hands and attempt to make a ball with the dough (it may need more water to get to the perfect consistency).
    5. Put a tablespoon of cocoa or confectioner’s sugar on a plate.
    6. Roll balls in your hand and then roll in sugar or cocoa (or both).

Notes

For one ball:  73 calories, 3.7 g fat, 10.8 g carbohydrates, 2.2 g protein, 2.6 g fiber

(My daughter loved making these. She refused to make them into proper balls but shaped them into dogs and cats.)

Katie Dillon is the managing editor of La Jolla Mom. She helps readers plan San Diego vacations through her hotel expertise (that stems from living in a Four Seasons hotel) and local connections. Readers have access to exclusive discounts on theme park tickets (like Disneyland and San Diego Zoo) and perks at luxury hotels worldwide through her. She also shares insider tips for visiting major cities worldwide, like Hong Kong, London, Paris, and Shanghai, that her family has either lived in or visits regularly (or both).

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4 Comments

  1. Pingback: Quick Healthy Snacks | Healthy Eating | Free Tips and Information
  2. I know this is an old post, but I have a question. Do you think this could be made without the almonds, and still be good? Would the measurements need to be tweaked.

    1. I would definitely think they’d be moist without the almonds so possibly less water? I’m not sure, as I’ve never tried it that way! I do still think they’d be good though.