Sometimes the best recipes happen by accident. This is certainly one of them!
I had leftover melted chocolate from another recipe, so I did what any logical person would do: I smeared some almond butter on a date, dunked it, and rolled it in shredded coconut. The rest is history!
Let us show you how easy this recipe is!
Made with just 5-ingredients and ready in just 15 minutes, these satisfying, delicious treats are a must-try.
First, the chocolate and coconut oil are melted in the microwave or on the stovetop. The result is a smooth and creamy mixture perfect for dipping.
The dates are then pitted, creating a perfect slot for smearing a teaspoon of almond butter. Swoon!
Press the sides of the date together so the almond butter doesn’t fall out, and these little gems are ready for dipping!
The almond-butter-filled dates are then dipped in the melted chocolate mixture and rolled in shredded coconut. The result: Chocolate Snowballs. Festive much?
You can let the chocolate set if you’d like. But if you’re anything like us, these delicious snowballs won’t make it that far!
We hope you LOVE these treats as much as we do! They’re:
Salty-sweet
Simple
Chocolatey
Nutty
& Irresistible
If you’re into dates, be sure to check out our Tahini Stuffed Dates, Boozy Pecan Pie Bars, Pumpkin Caramels, Healthy Fig Newtons, and 5-Minute Raw-Nola.
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
5-Ingredient Almond Butter Dark Chocolate Snowballs
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped vegan dark chocolate (we like Trader Joe’s 72% dark chocolate)
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1 ¼ cups finely shredded unsweetened coconut
- 16 Medjool dates (as moist and fresh as possible)
- 8 tsp salted natural almond butter (or sub peanut or sunflower seed butter)
Instructions
- Add dark chocolate and coconut oil to a small mixing bowl and melt in 30 second increments in the microwave (or over a double boiler on the stovetop). Stir until creamy and smooth. Set aside. Set a fork nearby for dipping dates.
- Pour shredded coconut in a small mixing bowl and set aside. Set a fork nearby for tossing the dates.
- Carefully remove pits from dates, leaving a hollow center in the middle where you’ll place the almond butter. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet for easy cleanup.
- Smear 1/2 tsp almond butter in the center of each date, being careful not to overload it, or it will run out the sides when you’re rolling them — not the worst, just a little messy.
- Next, smash the ends in toward each other and use the palms of your hands to roll the date into a ball shape. Some of the almond butter may squish out, but that’s okay! It’s getting dunked in chocolate soon anyway.
- Place dates one at a time in the chocolate bowl and flip around until coated. Then lift up with a fork and tap off excess.
- Add directly to the shredded coconut and use the fork to toss it around until coated. Shake off excess and return to baking sheet. Repeat until all dates are coated.
- Enjoy immediately — yay! — or wait until chocolate is fully set. Store in a sealed container for 3-4 days. They will last in the refrigerator up to 1 week, or in the freezer up to 1 month! Let thaw/come to room temperature before enjoying, or the date can be a little tough.
Cheryl says
I made these today, but stuffed 2 whole almonds in each date. Covered with no-sugar dark chocolate and then rolled in coconut. Can’t wait to enjoy them!
Amazing! Thank you for sharing, Cheryl! Enjoy! xo
Rebecca says
These are so delicious!!? I have to limit myself to one per day. On the first few I accidentally filled them a bit too much with peanut butter, so make sure to only had 1/2 tsp for a regular sized date. Would definitely recommend.
Brooke says
I made these “snowballs” for the first time this week. My seven year old loved them and insisted they be placed in his lunch all week. We had to make a second batch just to make it through the end of the week. Thanks for such a yummy, healthy, sweet treat!
Emily says
I just made these for a party tomorrow and not only were they super fast to put together, they taste and look so good!!! I could not find fresh dates at my grocery store so I went with pitted and dried/semi-dried (? they’re not bone dry but they sure aren’t fresh) ones. Using these, it was a huge mess getting the date and almond butter into a ball form, but as you say, it’s going right into the chocolate anyway, and all that really got messy was my hands as I worked over some parchment paper. I will add for others that I made about 30 balls and only used just over half the chocolate, so you might not need a full cup chopped (although I’m now eating the excess by dunking graham crackers into it, so no harm no foul). The amount of coconut is definitely correct. Thank you for this recipe!
Hi Emily, We’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe. It sounds like you used the right kind of dates! Thanks so much for sharing your experience!
Mickala says
These are awesome! I’ve made them a couple times but the second time I added a raw almond to the center as well for crunch and Himalayan sea salt on top onstead of coconut. So good!
Great idea! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Mickala!
Carol Edwards says
Yummy!!! I froze them and pulled them out when I got a major sweet attack. I didn’t bother rolling into balls and I microwaved the chocolate because my microwave has a melt function. Perfect holiday treat!
We’re so glad you enjoy them, Carol! Thanks for sharing!
Sarah says
These are delicious. I put my almond butter in a plastic bag and cut off a small corner to “pipe“ it into the dates, as my almond butter was pretty drippy. That step was the “hardest” part, the rest came together quickly and was easy! Make them!
We’re so glad you enjoyed these, Sarah! Thanks for sharing!
Cassie Thuvan Tran says
It would be so hard for me to NOT reach for more than one of these chocolate snowballs! I need to try this with Lakanto chocolate and raw almond butter too. Those have been some of my staples at home!
Lori o’Connor says
So good!!! (Even better when you store thrm in the fridge!)
Great idea! We’re so glad you enjoyed them! xo
Farhaana says
Can you put it in the food processor and then roll it in coconut? Or would it be too wet?
And could you use unsweetened chocolate and add maple syrup…. or use cocoa powder instead?
You could make your own chocolate using this if you want – or sweetening unsweetened with maple should be fine.
Not sure about putting these in the food processor – it would turn them into mush.
Jennilee says
Ahhh….these are delicious! I did them slightly differently (I didn’t roll the date into a ball and I didn’t roll in coconut because I didn’t have any on hand.) No matter, they still turned into a fabulous treat! Thanks, Dana!
Thanks for sharing, Jennilee!
Madison says
Oh my goodness these are delicious. And so simple! Will definitely make them again!
Trish says
Dana can you try to come up with another sweetener besides Dates? They are your go to for majority of your dessert recipes. When I see this ingredient I skip the recipe. Before I started a FODMAP/KETO diet I didn’t realize dates are Very high in sugar and spike glucose levels. Sure you’re up for the challenge. Tks.
Ah, totally get it. I eat dates as a treat. For these, however, they’re SO central to the recipe I can’t offer a substitution. The closest date-free option would be these energy bites!
Chris says
Try it with hazelnut butter too! It’s so good.
Love this tip!
Colleen Goidel says
What about substituting finely chopped almonds for the coconut? Not a fan of coconut.
Totally! I’d suggest toasted chopped almonds for more flavor.