If you like a simple and easy recipe that can provide you with a snack but also an excellent breakfast, afternoon, post-workout, or after-dinner treat, you might be wondering if ever a recipe exists and how you can accommodate it into your busy schedule.
You might also be looking for something that is vegan, dairy, and gluten-free, but you don’t want something that’s too bland and instead gives you some freedom and creativity in how you make these balls so that you can eat the results almost immediately after.
But you also want that flavor, even a nice balance with the consistency, and you can store away and eat at another time, perhaps you want something that is going to take you less than half an hour.
In this article, we’ll show you all you need to make these delicious lemon coconut balls that have a pleasant aroma and give you some zest at the same time.
Read on to discover what is possible by following these easy-to-follow instructions in your kitchen.
Directions For lemon And Coconut Cashew Balls
What You’ll Need
- 9-10 dates or ½ a cup of pitted dates
- 1 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup of raw cashews
- 2 teaspoons of chia seeds
- Juice of ½ large lemon, and some zest of 1 large lemon if desired
- ½ – 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, use a pure extract for flavor
Instructions
Step 1
Start off by using your cashews and shredded coconut into a blender or food processor, and pules these until it has blended together and resembles a course meal.
Then you can add your dates, chia seeds, lemon, and vanilla extract into the blender, then pulse until all is combined.
Step 2
While doing this, ensure that you don’t over-process your ingredients, as you should still have some texture and not be completely smooth.
Your mixture should allow you to form it into several bite-sized pieces, and once you’re happy with the amount, you can transfer it to a large plate or container.
Step 3
You can serve these immediately, or you can store them in the refrigerator for a few hours to get an even better texture.
If you decide to freeze a batch, and the great thing is that they taste just as good this way and even add more texture to them when you go to take a bite.
Don’t Like The Sound Of This Recipe?
If this recipe doesn’t sound like you at all, that’s fine, as not everyone is going to like this date, coconut, cashew, and lemon blend, and some may want substitutes or may want to make a few minor alterations to get a bite-sized snack that is going to be energizing yet easy to make.
Below we give you some tips as to how you might want to mix things up a bit and maybe could make your meal preparations a lot easier for you or your family.
If You’re Not A Fan Of Dates
If you don’t like the rich and caramel-like taste that it brings to this recipe, you can always use alternatives such as vanilla or unflavored soy-based protein powder, or quick oats to form the basis of your recipe.
You can use maple syrup, coconut sugar, and even brown rice sugar to give you that sweet and rich flavor that you would get otherwise by the dates, and most of these you can find in the vegan or specialty foods section of your local grocery store.
You could go further by adding sun-maid raisins, dried fruits, and figs, and you can try many extracts such as coconut, almond, peppermint, maple, and orange, so you have many options in this area.
If you’re wondering how you can make them sweeter, you’ll find if you use protein powder, especially flavored, to be already sweet to a capacity, and that’s why we’ve used lemon zest in this recipe, which is the skin of the lemon.
If you find the lemon juice to hit that sweet spot already, you could skip out on the zest altogether, or you could add others such as from oranges or citron for an exciting mix, and you can make the rind shavings as thick or small as you like.
This could, in turn, add some consistency to this recipe, but you want to be careful not to add too much, as you risk overpowering the taste or making the texture unpleasant to taste.
Pairing It With Other Meals And Beverages
These don’t have to be reserved as a power snack on the go and can work as a dessert and paired with mains such as Mediterranean quinoa wraps, Thai vegetable stir fries, bean salads, and even a lentil or carrot and coriander soup if you’re not full after these mains.
As long as you pair these with savory or light foods with a nice blend of vegetables and a few carbohydrate foods, you should find these items work well as a nice treat.
You can find that any kind of tea or coffee works wonders with these bite-sized wonders, as these work just as well after your breakfast, and you’ll find the flavors give you a certain energy that can help you kickstart your day.
The Bottom Line
We know that feeling when a craving hits during the day, and it can be challenging to push them away, especially when those sweet cravings hit and can cause your diet to go off track, but it doesn’t have to be this way.
With this recipe above, you can have something that you can have at any time of the day and are even better in the spring, as you’ll find the zest and aroma to be fitting of the season.
Since my sister introduced me to vegan cooking four years ago, I have discovered so many delicious alternatives to the traditional meaty meals I used to eat.
Today I enjoy trying and making my own vegan-friendly alternatives. If my sister can do it, then so can I (and you can, too). It is easier than you may think, promise!
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