I’d like to thank, from the bottom of my heart, everyone who has sent well wishes to my grandpa (and my family) since his major surgery several weeks ago. Grandpa’s doctors are amazed at how he’s going post-surgery, but the reality is that he’s 91 and the recovery process is going to take some time. Subsequently, my grandma and mother are still spending hours at the hospital each day, and my father is becoming such a chauffeur par excellence that I may have to procure him a proper driving hat one of these days. As for me?
Well, I’m still doing whatever I can, wherever I can, to help out.
Giving hugs, singing, calling on the phone to talk at length about the minutiae of my own life (which is helpful because it’s, erm, a distraction? Yes, that makes sense), cooking and, of course, making sweet treats.
My mum recently mentioned to me that grandma has spoken of craving sweets, but that she doesn’t have the time nor energy to bake amidst taking care of herself, the house, the garden, the cantankerous washing machine, and grandpa.
Anyone who knows me (or has seen my recipe page) knows that sweets are my forte (or at the very least are my favourite things to make in the kitchen).
As a result, any mention of someone I love desiring dessert is nothing less than a call to arms for me. If I had a cape, it would be made of maple syrup, nuts, chocolate, and fairy-floss, and it would float lightly in the air behind me without getting my hair sticky. (It would be a Magic Cape.)
A few weeks ago, I made my grandma a batch of my raw vegan brownies with icing of pure amazingness, using agave instead of honey (she’s allergic). To all you non-believers: if an 82 year old woman who used to feed her children junket can fall head over heels for my raw vegan brownies, so can you. So. Can. You. (BFF.)
Yesterday, however, I whipped up something simpler yet no less delicious than the brownies. Drawing on both my grandmother’s tastes (loves dates, loves coconut) and her allergies (no raisins, no hazelnuts [her allergies towards beef, ham, tomatoes, cheese, and wheat didn’t matter here]), I made these gorgeous and tasty Date Coconut Cashew Dessert-slash-Energy Treats.
My grandma’s first words upon trying these energy treats were “Mmmm” , “They taste a bit like sweetened condensed milk!”, and “Delicious”.
I hope you like them too.
Raw Vegan Date Coconut Cashew Energy Treats
Makes about 20, depending on size
I’m submitting these to Ricki’s Wellness Weekend and Amy’s Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays!
- 1/2 cup cashews
- 1/2 cup almonds
- 1 cup fresh dates (I was unable to find Medjool dates so used Deglet Nour dates, which are a bit less moist. You may need to add a few more dates if using Deglet Nours.)
- 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch salt
- extra desiccated coconut, to roll
- Place the cashews and almonds in a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped. Add in the dates and process until the mixture is well blended and starting to clump together. (It may look quite dry, but what I do is grab a bit of the mixture between my fingers and see if it presses together cohesively. If it does, we’re golden.)
- Add the 1/2 cup of coconut, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt, and process to combine.
- Pour about a 1/4 cup of extra desiccated coconut into a bowl. Roll the mixture into about 20 small balls, then coat each one in coconut. Puuuuurty.
- Deliver to your loved ones. (Taste-testing one or two first. You know, just to be sure everything’s on the up and up.)
{ 67 comments… read them below or add one }
Mmm I should really make these sorts of things to take to work.
I hope all goes well for your family
Thanks Emma! And yes, these are loverly for work
nomnomnomn I could see myself eating too many of these!
No such thing as “too many”!
Gorgeous
And I love that your grandma associated condensed milk with raw vegan balls – I think that’s something so perfectly grandparent-ish!
I am sure your family appreciated these, and are very grateful for the specific nature of your magic cape. I, for one, am very grateful for the link back to your raw vegan brownies.
The funny thing is she wouldn’t have had sweetened condensed milk in over twenty years, because of her allergies! She’s clever like that though
I love my magic cape. The only one I’d swap it for is Harry Potter’s Invisiblity Cloak.
mmmm… I love little date balls like this so more-ish and healthy too (so eating half the batch doesn’t make me feel tooooooo bad!)
And eating the whole batch makes me feel wonderful!
This is just the recipe I need because I bought some divine Medjool dates at Costco!
I’m surprised your grandma has so many allergies, as they really aren’t common among people of her age group.
I’m sure she enjoyed your delicious personality even more than these delicious treats.
*hyperventilates* There are Medjool dates at Costco?! My friend Jenni just came back from there with dried cherries, which made my mind whirl with all the fruit-nut-ball possibilities. MUST. GO.
Grandma’s many alleriges (those I mentioned don’t even cover the half of it) were only diagnosed in the past few decades, so she spent a lot of her life in discomfort, sadly! I wonder if many people were like that, or if allergies truly have skyrocketed lately? I’m inclined to think the latter.
I love your raw treats Hannah and I’m not surprised she loved them as did I and everyone that tried the brownies!
Thank you Lorraine
Those raw brownies do rather kick ass… 
Oh for goodness sake, Hannah. The woman is 82 – GIVE HER SOME PROPER BAKING.
Hahaha. I haven’t even read the rest of your post yet but I had to get that out.
BAHAHAHA! Oh, I do love you.
Okay, now I’ve finished reading. I repeat my first comment.
But actually, dear Agnes, because of my grandma’s allergies/intolerances to not only dairy and wheat but other sweets-related ingredients like honey, apples, raisins, mango, excessive sugar, chocolate, most of the time she received not-fabulous creations from people trying to help. So my non-baking is LEGITIMATELY AWESOME.
I am glad you have such special skills that can be called on in time of need!
Your grandparents sound like sweeties – no wonder your grandpa is hanging in there! I have been sold on these by your grandmother saying they are like condensed milk – nothing could endear them to me more!
How wonderful! But Johanna, REMEMBER: you need proper fresh dates like Medjool or Deglet Nour, not the packet ones! Or else no tasty sweetened condensed milk flavours…
So sweet of you to keep them stocked with sweet treats! They do look really yummy, as do those brownies!
The brownies are killer. True story.
They sound delicious and look pretty. Cashews are excellent.
They are indeed! Much better than stinky walnuts.
(That said, the brownies with walnuts are magnificent.)
Times like this I wish someone would gift me a food processor. These look excellent!
What, you mean you’re not prepared to spend four hours chopping these finely by hand?
You take beautiful pictures too Hannah!! : DD And I love how these balls looks. Mmmmm I guess I CAN like coconut more than I thought I did!! Anything coconutty is delicious to moi
And I’m so so happy to hear all this news about your family!! Tell your grampa I said HI hehehe
Oh Ellie, I truly appreciate that, but my rates of good photos to bad photos are about 1 to 3289741846126423. Stupid lack of light in my house! (These were taken at my parents’ place
)
I will certainly tell my grandpa you said hi! I bet he’ll be happy, albeit confused
Your recipes are amazing! You should have an all-balls cookbook (heh, heh)
And that your brownies could impress a lady who’s served up junket is impressive, but not surprising
What would you say if I told you I was considering an All-Balls E-Book complete with inspirational faux-poetry?
Also… you’re so lovely to me
Poor granny is allergic to so many things! Glad you can create something super yummy for her.
*laughs* That’s not even the half of it, Bryan! And mum’s the same. We have fun times fo’ shiz when we go out to dinner
Dates and cashews and coconut, oh my! These sound great!
Plus they come with courage, a heart, and red shoes!
What, no brains?
Darnit, I knew I was forgetting one, but I couldn’t be bothered spending the extra thirty seconds to figure it out. At least it makes sense, with this explanation in mind, that the one I forgot was “brains”.
Oh these look delicious! How long do they last, I suspect they would make a much healthier desk drawer snack than the current mini mars bars and apricot delight.
I reckon they’d last a goodly long while! 1-2 weeks? Though don’t quote me on that! All I know is that dates and nuts and coconut last for ages, particularly when stored in the fridge, so surely these would too?
P.S. I recommend melting mini mars bars a little in the microwave
Oh that is a terrible thing to put in my head! Now I have a whole packet of mini mars bars next to me and a microwave about 2m away. You are the inspirer of delicious but naughty treats (particularly in the office!)
Je ne regrette rien
From extensive trials and errors, I can say that mars bars and snickers become more awesome in the microwave (particularly if you find the balance between deeply caramelised caramel and so-hard-it-sticks-to-the-plate-caramel), but crunchies and picnics don’t work so well (darn styrofoam wafers).
I found that the same theory also applies to the deep fryer!
Which reminds me… I must get onto trialling my AirFryer with candy
i love dates and nuts together! fabulous treat
and seriously, i love your written expressions of your thoughts:
“If I had a cape, it would be made of maple syrup, nuts, chocolate, and fairy-floss, and it would float lightly in the air behind me without getting my hair sticky.”
This just makes me happy. hehe.
Aw, shucks! I’m so happy that my words made you happy! Yay mutual happiness!
P.S. Don’t you dare try to steal my cape.
Do all Australians have as many allergies as your family? Is there something in the water Down Under? Or in the kangaroo meat you’re all mowing down, perhaps? I have neva eva heard of any one allergic to raisins (and therefore, grapes?), crazy! And what a pity to not have been diagnosed for so many years, that’s sad and painful to hear (and to experience, I’m sure).
Are these the balls I was told to wait for and look out for, or did I miss those? Cuz I love dates, think coconut is okay, detest cashews, and could see myself making these… but only if they came from a poetically-based ballsy book per your mention above.
Is junket fish? That’s a random shot in the dark at something I’ve never heard of. Continued wishes of best luck to your family. Lastly, if your dad got a driving hat, would it be cooler than the one with corks?
No, no. My mum and grandma are just super special.
And they aren’t life-threatening allergies, just discomfort-creating allergies. Yes, grapes! Although I believe it’s predominantly red grapes, which is why mum drinks white wine not but red. I think Grandma has to be careful with all wine though. If only someone would make cranberry wine…
Hmm, I can’t remember which balls I was referring to, but I do know I have another recipe up my sleeve that is Possibly My Current Favourite. That one uses pecans, not cashews… I’ll have to get started on that e-book then!
Holy moly, junket is most certainly not fish! *Giggles hysterically at the thought of my mother being served a bowl of fish during periods of illness* It’s like a milk pudding.
What if it was a chauffeur’s hat with corks?
I just shared a bottle of cranberry wine with my family that I bought at the winery down the road from me! It was a dry wine, but I’ve had sweeter cranberry wines before as well. Hoooooo-yeahhhhh!
Thanks for setting me straight on junket;)
What the WHAT?! Cranberry wine is real? I thought I just made that up! Is it made with just cranberries, or a mix of grapes and cranberries? Because if it’s the latter, that probably won’t be any better, sadly… But I personally want to try!
Yep the YEP! For sure it’s real. I have a bad habit of visiting fruit wineries…. you name it, they make it, I savor it. My favorite combination has been strawberry rhubarb, but cranberry – and cranberry blueberry as well – is also delicious. Pear is good too. I’ve even tried a pumpkin, but I thought that was a bit too strange for me, who doesn’t like pumpkin in any form (except jack o’ lantern).
It would depend on the winery, but I think a lot of fruit-based wineries don’t make any grape-based wines. At least the ones I’ve visited…
This world of ours is a magical, magical place. I’d heard that pumpkin beer exists in America, but pumpkin wine?! Strawberry rhubarb wine? Oh, that would be enough to pull me back over the brink from teetotalling, for sure!
I wants America to be in.
Sending you and your family lots of love. Your grandpa sounds like a real trouper. How sweet to make these for his sweet cravings
surely this goodness will help him recover! oh, & go the milkshakes/smoothies too – great for recovery 
Heidi xo
Ooops, these were actually for my grandma’s sweet cravings! I’ve been asking if I can make anything for grandpa to eat, but so far it hasn’t panned out
I’ll definitely be making some rich chocolate mousses and the like once he’s out of hospital, though!
doh! my bad. your grandma sounds so sweet! I’m sure she appreciated these. You’re such a gem
Actually, Heidi, I think this just means we’re more in sync than we realised – I’ve been hoping and asking to cook for grandpa for weeks!
*sigh*
I need to make these little cashew-almond balls.
Yes. Yes you do.
Serious amazingness! These look incredible. Send me some…stat! No you took too long already
Yep, they’re all gone by now
I love every ingredient in these beautiful bites… must try them! And those brownies are amazing. I’m open to raw + vegan but my man is skeptical. Maybe I’ll make them and just not tell him… til after
Definitely don’t tell him about the avocado at first
I honestly haven’t had anyone try these (when made properly, with medjool dates) who hasn’t been blown away by the deliciousness, so I reckon your man could be brought around 
They truly are delicious and I’m still rationing myself to two a day – moderation in all things except my love for and appreciation of your acts of love, Hannah. (You take after your mother.) By the way you wouldn’t be able to wear that cape if you got one – it would get in the way of your angel wings.
Oh, Grandma! I feel all teary reading this. Love you lots and lots, and I’ll see you Sunday morning
P.S. Make sure you tell me when your stash runs out, and I’ll think of something new for you! What other dried fruits can you have? I know raisins and mangoes are out…
Yum yum yum! What a perfect gift these would make. I don’t “get” people who don’t like coconut…
Thank heavens I’ve come around to it, then! Otherwise I’d be terrified of losing you.
Good wishes to your grandparents. I hope your grandpa continues to make good progress.
I have just made these treats – plus the addition of a Tbsp of hemp protein powder – and they are sublime. I totally get your grandma’s reference to condensed milk. They are sweet, caramelly, and a snap to make.
These will definitely have a place in my lunch box. Thanks for your sharing your inspiration with us lesser mortals.
Dear Kate,
(it’s still illegal here in Australia). And I’m off the firm belief that my readers are by far the greater, or greatest, mortals 
I hope you find other inspiration here too!
Thank you so very much for commenting! I’m absolutely thrilled that you made and liked these treats, although I’ve had to stem my envy at your offhand mention and use of hemp
I made these tonight but forgot the salt and they were still amazing! I love how quick and easy these are to prepare.
Yay!! I’m so delighted you liked them! And the salt definitely isn’t make-or-break, it just kind of accentuates the flavours a little bit.
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