It is no secret that I have been having tons of fun with my food processor making energy bars and chocolately treats. I had some leftover dates in the fridge, so I was excited to try out some new RAW recipes. I started off simple making Chocolate Covered Katie’s famous Fudge Babies, but instead of cocoa powder, I subbed in this tasty superfood.
I also used a walnut/cashew mix for the nuts.
Wow, these guys made quite a mess in my kitchen.
But it was totally worth it. I must admit, I wasn’t sure if this dough would come together. I checked it out after a few minutes in the food processor, and it was still really crumbly. I considered adding in some agave, but instead scraped the sides down and turned the processor back on. A few minutes later, I had what I was looking for. A thick, rich, sticky dough.
That I could roll into dessert bites.
You’ll notice that these balls are super shiny. I’m not sure what happened there. It may be because I kept them in the food processor too long.
But not to worry, I don’t think it impacted their taste. I placed the balls immediately in the freezer, and I look forward to snacking on them throughout the week.
Even after this recipe, I had a few dates left. I was feeling adventurous and thinking about the amazing Gingersnap Larabar I had last weekend when I spotted this recipe on Katie’s site. I know that I am not creative enough to make these adorable little gingerbread people, but I can roll a mean energy bite. I decided to throw in a little pumpkin too.
Sadly, things just didn’t blend together like I would have hoped, but with all of the incredible spices, it tasted sooo good. I tried adding a few sticky additions to help pull this into a dough, but no such luck. I couldn’t abandon it completely. Not because I don’t like failure (it happens quite a bit in the kitchen) but because it tasted like the kind of bar you want to be eating. I was about to dig out a pan when I spotted this adorable pumpkin.
With nothing to lose, I threw the mixture into the fridge. Who knows? I could end up with the perfect pumpkin shaped power bar!
No such luck! Just a pile of good tasting mush!
I’ll keep working on this recipe and get back to you! Feel free to link me any other fun energy bite recipes too!
I also wanted to follow up after this morning’s Home Workout. I had so much energy all day and was seriously in the best mood. I think this was a good lesson about how 15 minutes of exercise in the morning is worth getting up a few minutes early. And, my pecs are definitely sore from the burpees and pushups. Hooray! Speaking of hooray, I have just a few hours left of work before Thanksgiving. Can you tell that I am psyched?! Hip, hip hooray!
Fudge Babies
1 c walnuts (120 grams)
1 and 1/3 cups pitted dates (220 grams)
1 tsp vanilla extract
optional: 1/8 plus 1/16 tsp salt
3-4 tablespoons cocoa powder (I used 3 T Cacao)
Blend all the ingredients, using a food processor. Be patient and wait for everything to start sticking together. Roll into little balls. (Use plastic wrap if you wish, or smush it all together in a plastic bag so it’ll stay together better.) Or, if you want true brownies, shape the dough into bars! You can also use this as a pie crust.
That is interesting that they fudge babies turned out shiny. Kinda fun though! 🙂 Great idea that this could be used as a pie crust. Perfect for a peanut butter type pie . . . yum.
I know…right! What an awesome idea for a crust!
These both look so good, and I love the pumpkin shaped mush!! As long as it tastes good, who caressss what it looks like!
Agreed!
Ive seen that cacao powder in the store and have been curious to try it. Your notes look food and kitchen experiments are always so fun
Thanks!
It’s definitely good stress relief to play in the kitchen! The cacao is interesting. I use it in smoothies sometimes but you need to add some sweetener, like a banana.
I actually have all the ingredients for these, so I’m gonna see how the Vitamix works! Thanks for the recipe!
You will love them! Coconut is another great addition. So jealous of that vitamix!
And, I’m jealous of your food processor 🙂
Ooo… coconut would be a delicious addition!
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