These little gems are surprisingly filling and give you that mid-morning sweet treat without the guilt! They did not last very long and even the kids had a couple (if they knew they were made of dates they may not have!). Dates are very good for you and are a good source of energy – they are also full of fibre and antioxidants. They have a low glycemic index so will not cause a sugar spike but help to regulate blood sugar levels – so a couple of these will do the trick at break time 🙂

Ingredients
1 cup nuts of your choice (I used a mixture of walnuts and pecans)
1 cup of porridge oats (must be rolled oats not instant!)
2 x tbsps cacao powder (I used 100% cocoa powder)
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup of Medjool dates 
2 tbsp warm water

Optional
roll in desiccated coconut 

Method
Get your food processor out and put in the nuts, oats, cocoa powder and salt and mix until the nuts are like breadcrumbs (don’t over mix – as soon as they have broken down,  turn off the motor).
Now de-stone the dates and chuck into the mixture with the some of the water. Blitz until you have a thick and sticky mixture, this should only take a few seconds. You should be able to roll a ball out of the mixture. Add a little more water if the mixture is too dry.
Now, line a flat baking sheet with greaseproof paper and roll the mixture into balls and line up on the baking sheet. Refrigerate for a couple of hours and then they are ready – I kept mine in an airtight container (not sure how long they would last as they disappeared within a day!)
If you want to coat in desiccated coconut, roll in the coconut before refrigerating.