No-Bake Hazelnut Date Balls with Cocoa
Raw hazelnut and medjool date truffles dusted with cocoa powder, requiring just toasting and food processing. No baking needed. A naturally sweet, nutrient-dense confection with nutty depth and chocolate notes, ready in minutes. Store chilled.
Ingredients
- 2 cup hazelnut meal, toastedalmond meal1:1nuts
similar texture and fat content
- 12 medjool dates, seeds removed
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
Instructions
- 1
Toast hazelnut meal in batches in a warm frying pan, stirring constantly to prevent burning, until just golden (about one minute).
- 2
Combine toasted hazelnut meal, pitted dates, and cocoa in a food processor.
- 3
Process at full speed until mixture combines, 60-90 seconds or longer as needed.
- 4
Add coconut oil and process for a further 10 seconds.
- 5
Roll mixture into bite-sized balls by hand.
- 6
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Tips
Toast hazelnut meal in batches to ensure even golden color and prevent burning.
Food processor blending may take longer than 60-90 seconds if dates are very dense; continue until fully combined.
Chill balls in fridge before rolling if mixture is too soft to handle.
Good to Know
Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Prepare and refrigerate up to 5 days in advance. Roll into balls the day of serving for best texture.
Serve chilled. Dust with additional cocoa powder or crushed hazelnuts before serving if desired.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip the toasting step to avoid raw, bland hazelnut flavor.
Do not over-process after adding coconut oil to avoid oily, separated mixture.
Do not roll balls when mixture is warm to avoid them falling apart.