After Passover I had quite a few dates and almonds that really needed to be used up, and I remembered the chocolate almond date balls recipe from years past. I made this as a dessert for husband and myself when there were no guests for shabbat, and he just loved the balls, as they can pass as sugar laden not so great for you something or other! A big phew as I really don't want to bake things that I personally don't want to eat! That said, I realized that truly one does not need so much sugar (even natural from dried fruit) and that the balls could be enhanced by adding other things. So I started adding quick oats and some coconut, with good results, and then a lightbulb moment happened a few weeks ago.....what about adding quinoa? So I gave it a try, and kept adding more and more quinoa, until I was able to really reduce the proportions of dates and nuts, so that it is also a whole grain treat!
The great thing about these chocolate quinoa date balls is that you can experiment with adding all kinds of things, and making a variety of coatings as well, such as chopped pistachios, cocoa powder, something colorful for a special occasion, got it? And, these would also be great to make when on the road, or renting a summer cottage, especially for folks like us who might rent a place where the oven isn't usable for kashrus reasons, so no-bake is the answer! Honestly I just made these last night with no appliances whatsoever, so you can too! Enjoy, and maybe now is the time to start thinking about training your family's taste buds to go for the healthier choices? ( Or at the least maybe just keep them for yourself to pull out when everyone else is eating the junk?)
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