Healthy Date Balls

J-Lynn's Note:

This is very similar to already-posted recipes, but with healthier ingredients. I experimented with my favorite no-bake cookie recipe and was delighted to find that there's almost no difference in taste!! I can't keep my hands off these! By the way, the dates I use are whole pitted dates, that I "dice" with a scissors. I'm not sure if the pre-chopped, flour coated version would work.

• Total Time: 30 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 12

Yield: 4.0 dozen

• ½ cup brown rice syrup
• ½ cup butter
• 1 pinch salt
• 8 ounces dates , chopped
• 3 cups brown Rice Krispies
• 1 cup unsweetened dried shredded coconut

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine syrup, butter, salt, and dates.
2. Heat to boiling; boil and stir constantly for five minutes.
3. Remove from heat; gently stir in cereal.
4. Immediately (you need to work it while warm) begin to roll into 1 1/2 inch balls; butter your hands to prevent sticking.
5. Roll each ball in coconut and cool on wax paper.

Reviews

[UmmBinat]

4 1/2 stars addicting. DD (toddler) liked them too but DH did not as he doesn't like that cereal. Id describe them as having a good cooked date flavour and crunch. I used a bit less honey in replacement of the rice syrup as I didn't have any. That worked fine. I replaced the butter with mainly canola oil to be dairy free. I'm sure butter would taste even better. I used sea salt for the salt and fresh Iranian dates, which are way softer than what you usually buy in a grocery store. They worked well. For the brown Rice Krispies I used a gluten-free, corn-free version from my local health food store. I had to use sweetend shredded dry coconut as it was what I had on hand. These look and taste like something to have at Christmas time. I would make these again.