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! They're quite addictive actually. 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 with only 5 ingredients, they're really easy to make.
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.
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 cardmom 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.
Be sure to leave me a review if you try this date balls recipe! I'd love to hear your feedback.
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
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.
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!
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 :)))
You're so right - Cardamom is SO delicious! Thanks so much for dropping by! 🙂
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!
What a great tip - I'll try that next time! And wow... give up chocolate huh? That's amazing, so glad you enjoyed them.
Loved making this with my 3 year old! And a perfect energy booster for a breastfeeding mum
I'm also breastfeeding and that's exactly why I made them! So glad your son enjoyed making them too. Thanks for the review 🙂
Amazing and tasty date truffles! Taste was on point ????????♥️
Fantastic to hear! Thanks for your review 🙂