Do you ever get snack-y? You want it to be satisfying, but you don’t want to be full of regret 10 minutes later, as your eyes lock in on the crumbled remains of tortilla chips left at the bottom of the bag. You know, the ones you purchased on a whim at Target last night and thought, “I’m an adult who can keep chips in her house. These should last a week, or the next time I have company!”
This is why we can’t have snacks. Which is why I like these maple walnut balls.
Stay with me on this one – you won’t scarf these down in one sitting because they’re filling in a different way. It’s a satisfying fullness from the walnuts and oats, plus the dates and maple syrup pack a natural sweetness. And go for real maple syrup or honey on this. Using fake syrup isn’t a dealbreaker, but it will defeat the purpose of creating a healthy-ish snack.
Hey, did you see me get on my high horse just now? Because I’m about to get thrown off – I rolled these bad boys in cinnamon sugar. I couldn’t help myself, and I don’t regret it one bit.
You can roll them in any topping you’d like – coconut shavings, chocolate, crushed up almonds, salt – or just leave them plain.
May all your snacks be filling and regret-free.
Maple Walnut Balls
Ingredients
2 cups raw walnuts
1½ cups rolled oats
⅓ cup pitted packed Medjool dates
5-6 tbsp real maple syrup
Optional for topping: cinnamon sugar (1/4 cup sugar, 1 tbsp cinnamon combined)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare and baking sheet with parchment paper.
Spread walnuts in a single layer on the baking sheet and toast for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown. Watch carefully so they don’t burn.
In a food processor or high speed blender, grind the rolled oats to a flour.
Add toasted walnuts, dates, and maple syrup and process until the mixture clumps together into a large sticky ball.
Scoop dough out (with a cookie scoop or clean hands) and roll into balls.
Serve plain or coat in the topping of your choice.
Enjoy and store leftovers in the fridge.
Test Kitchen Notes
The original recipe calls for 3-4 tbsp maple syrup, but I found the mixture wasn’t sticking enough. I added just a bit more (5-6 tbsp) to get the consistency I liked. You may want to start with a smaller amount and go from there.