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    Home » Recipes » Desserts & Sweets » Cardamom & Tahini Energy Date Balls

    Cardamom & Tahini Energy Date Balls

    5 from 2 votes
    April 22, 2020 (last updated October 1, 2022) by Amina Al-Saigh

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Okay so we've all come across the average date truffle or energy date balls. But a lot of them are just a mouthful of dates. These Cardamom & Tahini Energy Date Balls are certainly not! The cardamom and tahini work so well to balance the dates, the toasted sesame on the outside is magical, and you also get some crunch in the middle from some chopped almonds. So delicious and they're really easy to make.

    Once you use up all your dates in this recipe, you have to try my Date-less Energy Balls next! And if you love cardamom as much as I do, be sure to try my Cardamom Shortbread Cookies.

    Date Truffles on a platter on top of a gold tray

    I came up with this recipe when I was about 8 months pregnant with my daughter. Everyone told me I had to eat a lot of dates to make my labor easier, and I did. But a girl is going to get bored eating date after date, even if I do like them in general. I had to jazz them up a little bit. Enter these cardamom & tahini energy date balls!

    I knew that tahini is a classic pairing with dates. Back home, we actually eat tahini and date molasses for breakfast with pita bread - it's so good! And my favorite spice to add to desserts is definitely cardamom. But after making them, they looked like they were missing something. Which was the toasted sesame seeds.

    Toasting sesame seeds really takes their nuttiness to another level! I would highly recommend you don't skip this step. You're going to get addicted - I've warned you.

    Date Truffles on a platter on top of a gold tray

    How to make date balls recipe in under 10 minutes

    • You start by pulsing your almonds in a food processor to achieve a chopped consistency. You want to retain the coarse texture so you can add some crunch!
    • You then pulse the pitted dates along with the cardamom and tahini in the food processor until a dough forms. It should only take a few minutes. If the dough is too dry to form into balls, add a few tablespoons of water to help it along.
    • Transfer the dough to a bowl, add in the chopped almonds, and shape into medium sized balls.
    • Toast your sesame seeds in a pan on low heat until they're lightly golden.
    • Roll the date balls in the sesame seeds and enjoy!
    • I store them in an airtight container and in the fridge. They will keep well for at least 1 week.

    If you tried these recipes, please consider leaving a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page - I'd love to hear from you! You can also hop on over to Instagram and say hello!

    For more easy desserts, check out:

    • Healthy Banana Bread
    • 3 Ingredient Toffee Squares
    • Easy Nutella Cookies
    • No Bake Lazy Cake
    • Gluten Free Double Almond Cookies

    Cardamom & Tahini Energy Date Balls

    These no-bake cardamom and tahini energy date balls are perfectly balanced and so easy to make. Have them for an energizing breakfast or as a sweet treat! 
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: cardamom, Date balls, Date truffles, Dates, tahini
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Servings: 15 balls
    Author: Amina Al-Saigh

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups pitted dates
    • ½ cup whole raw almonds
    • ½ cup tahini paste
    • 2.5 tsp cardamom powder
    • ¼ cup sesame seeds
    • ¼ pistachio powder optional

    Instructions

    • Start by chopping the whole almonds in a food processor by pulsing them a few times. You want a coarse chopped consistency to give a crunch in the mixture, therefore don't process them too much.
    • Remove the almonds and set aside.
    • Add all the dates, tahini and cardamom in the food processor and pulse until a dough forms. If required, you can add a few tbsp of water to help the dough form. 
    • Transfer the dough into a bowl and add the chopped almonds. Mix well.
    • Form into even sized balls using your hands.
    • Toast the sesame seeds in a pan over low heat, stirring continuously for a few minutes until lightly golden.
    • Roll the balls in the toasted sesame seeds.
    • You can also roll in the pistachio powder for a variation (optional).

    Notes

    • The toasted sesame seeds give this recipe a great dimension - if you have them on hand don't skip this step.
    • You can also roll these balls in other toppings such as coconut, chopped nuts, or cacao powder.
    • Store the date balls in an airtight container and in the fridge. They will keep well for at least a week.
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @HungryPaprikas or tag #HungryPaprikas!
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      Comments

    1. Linda McPhee says

      April 05, 2022 at 9:23 pm

      Hi Amina

      Are you using medjool or dried dates? I love that you have used cardamon and toasted sesame seeds in this recipe.

      Thanks, Linda

      Reply
      • Amina Al-Saigh says

        April 18, 2022 at 7:03 am

        Hi Linda! I typically use medjool dates as those are my favourite. But I believe any type will work 🙂

        Reply
    2. koko says

      January 05, 2021 at 3:43 am

      Made this when I was nursing and they were so great for lactation! Dates are known to increase mother's milk, and I was fed up from eating them plain. This recipe was perfect, I was gobbling them up one after the other and my milk was definitely coming in fast. Thank you Amina, you make my marriage and motherhood so great!

      Reply
    3. Vera says

      June 24, 2020 at 11:30 am

      Cardamom changes everything, it's so amazing and I found that it has a lot of health benefits, so I'm definitely eating 2 energy balls everyday :)))

      Reply
      • Amina says

        August 13, 2020 at 5:49 am

        You're so right - Cardamom is SO delicious! Thanks so much for dropping by! 🙂

        Reply
    4. liz says

      April 27, 2020 at 9:36 pm

      5 stars
      I made these for my family, as well as for myself (for suhoor) , and oh wooowww soo delicious! rich, healthy, and i love the crunch from the toasted sesame seeds. I am a chocolate girl, but I could easily give up chocolate for these . I used crushed pecans for the outside of some and yummm! i would suggest adding a toasted almond in the middle of the truffles;) will keep making!

      Reply
      • Amina says

        April 30, 2020 at 10:08 pm

        What a great tip - I'll try that next time! And wow... give up chocolate huh? That's amazing, so glad you enjoyed them.

        Reply
    5. Naseeha says

      April 26, 2020 at 9:30 pm

      5 stars
      Loved making this with my 3 year old! And a perfect energy booster for a breastfeeding mum

      Reply
      • Amina says

        April 30, 2020 at 10:08 pm

        I'm also breastfeeding and that's exactly why I made them! So glad your son enjoyed making them too. Thanks for the review 🙂

        Reply
    6. Alla Shennib says

      April 25, 2020 at 11:59 pm

      Amazing and tasty date truffles! Taste was on point ????????♥️

      Reply
      • Amina says

        April 30, 2020 at 10:07 pm

        Fantastic to hear! Thanks for your review 🙂

        Reply

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    ABOUT ME

    Hi friend! I'm Amina, a wife and busy mother of two. And I know you're super busy too. I'm here to help you figure out dinner for your family with my easy, quick, and Middle Eastern inspired recipes. Hope you enjoy your stay - and please - have a look around and get in touch!

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