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These chocolate chip treats are so yummy that I call them bliss balls. They are so delicious that it’s nearly impossible to stop at one and even difficult to stop at two. I suggest you make a double batch to enjoy throughout the week. They store well, so they are ideal for lunch box treats, quick snacks, potlucks, and picnics.

By Darshana Thacker Wendel,

Ingredients

  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 12 dates, pitted (½ cup)
  • ¼ cup slivered almonds
  • ¼ cup grain-sweetened chocolate chips
  • 16 dried cherries (1 ounce)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ¾ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Combine the oats, dates, almonds, chocolate chips, cherries, vanilla, and salt in a food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped and the mixture starts to bind. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water if needed, to help bind.
  • For each bliss ball, scoop 1 tablespoon of the mixture, gently roll it into a ball, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Be careful not to compact the balls.
  • Bake for 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to let cool.

Comments (14)

(5 from 9 votes)

Recipe Rating

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Leah Stolar

Thank you for all the comments! I love to use the FOK recipe app but have to remind myself to check online for comments. I baked them for 10 minutes, which was perfect. And reduced the salt to 1/2 tsp. Next time I’ll only use 1/4 tsp.

Tim

Haven't made these yet but look great! I'm assuming these are gluten free....yes?

Beryl

Yielded 20 Bliss Balls using my 1TBL scooper. In addition to skipping the oven completely, I used 1/4 c cocoa powder since I had it on hand. I used 1/4 c water to bind. I was short on a couple ingredients, so I just added in a packet of instant oatmeal along with the rolled, sliced almonds to go with the slivered, and a single fresh cherry to go with the dried since it's all pulsed together anyway. I'd like to try this again with all fresh cherries. Thanks to everyone who posted reviews bc it helped me in making these! I'm so pleased that I have a dessert to take to parties!

Christine

Yes, you definitely need to add some water to this recipe and I shortened the baking time to 12 minutes. I also added unprocessed cocoa powder and will plan to use that instead of the chocolate chips next time because I only have regular chips in the house.

chloe

my actual favorite treat! can get a bit pricey from the dates, so sadly, I must ration them. Seriously amazing.

Robyn

Dry as others noted. I added water and shortened baking time, along with not rack cooling. First round, following recipe exactly (except adding water) turned just a bit too crunchy. Love that it isn’t sticky, however, I’m seeking the balance.

Barbara Ann Shinehouse

I made these today using dried apricots since I did not have dried cherries, baking for about 13-14 minutes, and they came out well. Ate one hot out if the oven. Might add a but more water next time. I will make these again.

Monica Sieg

Wondering if you could use date paste to “hold it together “ if so what quantity? Also wondering if they must be baked. I did 12 minutes and should have stopped at 10-11.

Barbara

Couldn't these be eaten uncooked? There are no ingredients that require cooking....

Carmen

I wondered the same thing…

Denise A Diener

We always eat them uncooked! They are my daughters favorite. After processing for a while I add a little water while the food processor is still running.

Niki

Very tasty! I don't like super sweet so I doubled the recipe and used only half the amount of dates. Definitely added some water. I did find that the cooking time was too long. About 14 minutes is all I needed.

Judy

Yummy recipe, thank you Darshana! I doubled the recipe and added 1/4 water plus about 2 TBSP, otherwise they turn out too dry.

Judy

This is my "go to" recipe for treats. It is easy and quick; and I like them a lot! For doubled recipes I use almost 1/2 cup of water. I like to have these cookies be somewhat moist rather than dry.

About the Author

Headshot of Darshana Thacker

About the Author

Darshana Thacker Wendel

Darshana Thacker Wendel is a whole-food, plant-based chef and former culinary projects manager for Forks Over Knives. A graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute, she is the author of Forks Over Knives: Flavor! She created the recipes for Forks Over Knives Family and was a lead recipe contributor to the New York Times bestseller The Forks Over Knives Plan. Her recipes have been published in The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook, Forks Over Knives—The Cookbook, Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health, and LA Yoga magazine online. Visit DarshanasKitchen.com and follow her on Instagram for more.
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