Looking for a holiday treat to snack on that’s not cookies? Here it is: a whole food-based sweet that is full of fiber, healthy fats and flavor. The variety of nuts in this recipe provide an array of heart-healthy polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat. Roasting the nuts will bring out their warm toasty taste, and with the natural caramel-like flavor of dates and a hint of cardamom, these treats are sure to satisfy a sweet tooth while providing your body with rich nutrition. You can also roll the “dough” into balls, and coat in a blend of cocoa powder and cinnamon for a more truffle-like treat. —Dana Mealing, RDN, LDN, community nutrition educator, Tevis Center for Wellness
Ingredients:
¼ cup almonds, chopped
¼ cup cashews, chopped
2 Tablespoon pistachios, chopped
2 Tablespoon walnuts, chopped
2 Tablespoon sesame seeds
2 cups pitted dates, about 30, roughly chopped
½ Tablespoon coconut oil
¼ cup raisins
½ teaspoon cardamom powder
Combine all of the chopped nuts in a pan and dry roast for 30 seconds on medium heat until lightly toasted. Add sesame seeds and roast for another few seconds. Remove nuts to a bowl and set aside.
In the same pan, add coconut oil and chopped dates. Cook on low heat for 2 minutes until soft; keep mixing with a spatula. Add raisins, roasted nuts and cardamom powder to dates and cook for another minute. Remove from heat.
Let the mixture get cool enough to handle. Then mix further with hands (if needed).
Transfer the dates mixture on cling wrap and roll it into a log. Keep the log in the fridge and cut slices of date as required. Serve cold. Makes 15 servings.
Nutrition Facts:
Serving size: 2 slices
Calories: 94
Fat: 3.8g
Sat. Fat: 0.8g
Carbs: 15.7g
Fiber: 1.9g
Protein: 1.4g
Sodium: 5.1mg
Recipe adapted from https://recipe52.com/dates-roll-recipe/#recipe
