Dates are becoming increasingly popular and are now the responsible substitute for sweeteners. Our culi-Anne got to work with Yogi & Yousef's sustainable dates and turned them into healthy sweets with original and healthy decoration.
Healthy date balls as the perfect snack
These date balls are the perfect snack at school or work. Watch out! They are addictively delicious, so make sure you have a nice supply. My kids love snacking on them. Do you get unexpected visitors? Then you always have a festive treat with your coffee. These homemade date chocolates are even great as tasty gifts.
Making natural and sustainable sweets from dates
Healthy sweets can very well be made by yourself. For example, make a whole batch of homemade sweets on Sundays for the whole week. This time I got to work with the most delicious dates from Yogi & Yousef. A young Dutch company offering fresh dates. Responsibly picked in Saudi Arabia and packaged in the Netherlands. Their dates are treated naturally without post-treatment with gases and additives. They use plant-based plastics for their packaging, pay local pickers a fair wage and ensure safe working conditions. So this healthy candy made from dates is also sustainable.
Snack a little more responsibly with these date balls that look super festive.
Responsible decorating of healthy sweets
These days, when you want to decorate your homemade sweets, you don't have to resort to sugary disco speckles or the famous silver sugar pearls. You decorate this healthy candy made of dates with a colourful decoration of dried fruit. I rolled these little balls of dates through Okaeforkids' organic raspberry powder. This fruit powder is made of pure organic fruit and comes in four flavours. With the finishing touch of dried organic flowers, these sweets are a feast for the eyes. You will also find the dried flowers in the webshop of Okaeforkids. Besides a digital shop, Okaeforkids has also opened a brick-and-mortar shop in Arnhem. This is the first shop in the Netherlands with a wonderful range of responsible organic food for children. Highly recommended to visit when you are in the area !
These date balls are not only zálig. It is also a picture to behold because of the raspberry powder and florets.
Making candy from dates with food processor
To make these healthy sweets, I use my food processor. Besides my blender, this appliance is impossible to imagine my kitchen without. It easily makes ice cream from my frozen bananas. I grind nuts and oatmeal into flour with it. The appliance grates carrots like crazy and slices/kneads the dates and other ingredients into a coherent whole. You can even use it to shave ice cubes for in your drink during the hot summers. This device makes for a daily party while baking and cooking.
Recipe: healthy sweets made from dates
Kitchenware
- food processor
Ingredients
- 20 Yogi & Yousef dates
- 100 gr pecans
- 1 fluorescent cinnamon
- 1/2 fluorescent cardamom powder
- 1/2 fluorescent ginger powder
- sea salt as desired
- 100 gr dark vegan chocolate in pieces
- handful of walnut pieces
Topping:
- 50 gr molten chocolate
- dried pieces of flowers from Vanissa
- raspberry powder from Okae for Kids
Instructions
- Blend the pitted dates, pecans, spices and salt in the food processor until blended.
- Add the chunks of chocolate and walnuts and mix in for a while, so that it is coarsely incorporated into your dough.
- Roll balls of the dough between your hands.
- Put a little raspberry powder on a plate with a raised rim.
- Roll the balls one by one through the fruit powder and place them on a large plate.
- Drizzle the melted chocolate on top and decorate with the pieces of dried flowers.
- Put the plate in the fridge for half an hour before eating.
Notes
- Keep covered for several days in the fridge.
- You can very well replace the pecans with unprocessed cashews.
- I scrape off the decoration and melted chocolate left on the plate and keep it in a container for in my vegan yoghurt or other dessert.
Find more vegan sweets here
- Something festive: lemon poppy seed cake.
- Something for while binging: popcorn with vegan honey and hot pepper.
- Something for birthday kids: healthy and sustainable school treats.
Photo credits: Anne van Twillert.
