Ginger No-Bake Date Balls

I’m headed out-of-town this weekend to the sunny beaches of Florida! It’s a quick trip, but it’ll be such a relief to get out of the frozen tundra of the Midwest.

When we booked this trip, the first thing I thought of was the warm weather, then my mind quickly shifted to food, specifically travel snacks. I promise I’ll move past the snacks and make you some real food again soon.

I’ve brought along my favorite travel snack for this trip, just the thing to keep me from getting hangry, date balls! Ok, get your second grade giggles out. I really don’t have a better name for them. I was going to call them bites but, what you see is what you get here and, well, they are balls. They may be juvenile, but they’re really good!

I always travel with ginger candies of some sort to calm my stomach so I’ve packed these little balls with lots of crystalized ginger. The spicy ginger is mellowed out with some almond butter and gluten-free oats for a seriously satisfying snack that you can easily travel with. I store them in the fridge to keep them fresh and to hold their shape, but tucked in a sealed container in your backpack, they’ll be fine for a day or two. Be a good fellow traveler, pack snacks and don’t get hangry.

Ginger No-Bake Date Balls

Print Recipe

Spicy ginger and almonds make these gluten free oat and date balls flavorful and delicious.

• Author: Kristen Olson
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield: 16 Servings 1x
• Category: Snack

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1/2 cup pitted dates, packed
• 1/4 cup finely chopped candied ginger
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 cup gluten free rolled oats
• 1/3 cup almond meal
• 1/4 cup almond butter
• 2 tablespoons brown rice syrup

Instructions

1. Line baking sheet with cooking parchment paper. In food processor, add dates, candied ginger and 1 tablespoon water; pulse in 1-second bursts, about 30 seconds or until finely chopped. Scrape as needed. Add oats, almond meal, almond butter and brown rice syrup; process until mixture comes together into a ball.
2. Lightly wet hands with water if necessary to prevent sticking; use hands to blend mixture. Using a tablespoon, measure out dough into 16 balls. Tightly shape balls, and place on lined baking sheet.
3. Refrigerate about 1 hour or until firm. Place in storage container. Store covered in refrigerator up to 1 week.

Notes

Be sure to use fresh, soft dates for this recipe. If not available, soak dates in 2 tablespoons boiling water 15 minutes to rehydrate.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 Serving
• Calories: 71
• Sugar: 5g
• Sodium: 1mg
• Fat: 4g
• Saturated Fat: 0g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 9g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 2g
• Cholesterol: 0mg

What’s your favorite travel snack?

Here are a few other travel snacks that you might like….
15 Homemade Travel Snacks from The Kitchn
Spicy Popcorn from Bourbon and Honey