Peanut Butter Cookie Date Balls

These little unassuming bites might be my absolute favorite recipe I’ve ever posted. And that’s saying a lot considering there are 240+ recipes on the pages of Wholefully. There are so many things I love about these little bites. I love that they are only three ingredientsโ€”dates, peanuts and salt. I love that they are sweet and salty. I love that they are packable and transportable. I love that they come together in about 6.3 minutes. I love that they are packed with healthy fats, protein and fiber. Oh, and I love that they are stupidly delicious.


Like, they are so delicious that I couldn’t stop dipping my hand into the cookie date bite jar. To me, these suckers taste exactly like a peanut butter cookie. Except without any added sugar or the hassle of baking. There are the perfect snack for a little late-afternoon pick-me-up. They also have just the right amount of carbs, fat, protein and calories to be a good pre-workout snack.

It’s still fascinates me that some of theย simplestย recipes are the most amazing. It’s amazing what simple, high-quality ingredients can do when pulled together. Yum!

Peanut Butter Cookie Date Bites

Peanut Butter Cookie Date Bites

Yield: 12 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

It's still fascinates me that some of theย simplestย recipes are the most amazing. It's amazing what simple, high-quality ingredients can do when pulled together.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup pitted Medjool dates (about 10 dates)
  • 1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts
  • Pinch of Kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Add dates to the basin of a food processor. Pulse until dates form a paste. Add in peanuts and salt. Pulse until peanuts are chopped finely.
  2. Using damp hands, form mixture into 1" balls. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 88Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 12mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 2gSugar: 13gProtein: 2g

At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.

 

What’s your favorite simple recipe?

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37 Comments

  1. I’ve been reading your blog for a few months, but haven’t commented until now; I just had to let you know how amazing these are. So simple, and nearly the perfect sweet snack. I am not a date fan (they creep me out) but I just made these and am having a hard time not eating ALL of them. I know LaraBar makes a similar version, but these taste different and in my opinion – better.

    Great recipe!
    Great blog!

    Keep up the awesome work, I appreciate it.

  2. I make something similar to these, Rosemary Gladstar’s Zoom Balls. They’re tahini/pb/honey based and a medium for tons of beneficial herbs! I always add some cinnamon, cayenne, maca, astragalus, spirulina, bee pollen…etc. and some cocoa powder, they always end up tasting like chocolate ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. I’m sure you were doing it to control salt intake, but is there another reason why you didn’t use salted peanuts? Is it too salty if you don’t or does it perhaps not work right? And I know I can get them at trader joe’s or whole foods, but do regular markets or stores like Meijer carry those dates?

    1. I’ve never tried it with salted peanuts, but I definitely think it’d be too salty. And yes! Regular stores carry unsalted peanuts. I get them at both Kroger and Meijer right next to the salted ones in the snack section. ๐Ÿ™‚

  4. Which nuts do you think could substitute? I actually have the dates, but I’ve got only walnuts, sliced almonds, roasted sunflower seeds, and a handful of pecans ๐Ÿ™ Maybe I could use one of these and add a dollop of natural peanut butter? I am super excited to make these!! I actually grab a date before heading out to work every morning. They’re almost like candy all by themselves ๐Ÿ™‚

    1. I figure you could substitute any of those and it would work. Of course, it will drastically change the taste (since these are very peanutty).

  5. Hi Cassie! Poor college student here. ๐Ÿ™‚ I don’t know if my wallet and lack of kitchen space would allow for a food processor, not to mention the food I eat normally doesn’t require one. I did shell out the money recently for a pretty nice blender though, for protein smoothies (godsend for quick breakfasts in the midst of half-marathon training and school). Could I potentially use a blender to make this recipe? It looks fantastic!

    1. Hmmmmmmmm. I’m not quite sure a blender can handle the dates. They are so sticky and goopy that I’m afraid if I tell you to try it, you might just blow your blender motor. Maybe you could chop them super fine and then mush ’em with something in a zip top bag? Then mix them together with finely chopped peanuts?

      1. what about a coffee grinder? I don’t have a food processor but we do have a coffee grinder for grinding whole coffee beans. It might even give it a nice mocha flavor!

        1. Hmmm, the dates get SO sticky that I’m worried it might gunk up the grinder and burn out your motor. And that would be sad. ๐Ÿ™

    2. I just made these with my blender and they worked great! I added a few more dates to peanut ratio just to give them extra stick because my blender wouldn’t get them as mushy as a food processor, but that worked!

  6. I used a mix of nuts and rolled in powdered sugar to make Sugar Plums at Christmas last year. They went over well. I think I may add a little bourbon this year…

    1. I made Sugar Plums last year, too! I even think the recipe is on the blog somewhere. We gave them out in our cookie trays. ๐Ÿ™‚

  7. These deserve no less than 1,670 comments.

    They’re so simple and so friggin’ amazing and delicious. I’m surprised I HAVEN’T taken a minute to sit and eat all of them. I must have some serious self control going on these days. Actually, I HAVE to with those Coffee Crisp sitting in the drawer.

  8. Yum! I have been on a date ball kick the last few weeks…they are the perfect snack! I made your zucchini lasagna last night, HUGE hit, and these are next on my list! Thanks for sharing such yummy recipes! ๐Ÿ™‚

      1. What is the recommend serving size to eat as a snack? For me I will eat the entire batch, LOL, so I’m wondering what a healthy serving looks like?