Appetizers Collection

Salted Coconut-Caramel Energy Balls

A blend of dates, sunflower seed butter, salt and vanilla make these bites surprisingly reminiscent of salted caramel--both in taste and texture. Unlike our ultra-easy mix-and-match basic energy ball recipe, you'll need a blender to make a paste for the base of these balls, but the extra effort is oh-so-worth it for the sweet and satisfying result.

Ingredients

• 4 dozen pitted dates (about 3 cups)
• ¾ cup creamy sunflower seed butter
• 6 tablespoons warm water
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups rolled oats (see Tip)
• 6 tablespoons coarsely chopped toasted pecans
• ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Directions

1. Combine dates, sunflower seed butter, water, salt and vanilla in a blender. Blend until mostly smooth with a few small bits. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add oats and pecans; stir well.

2. Place coconut in a small bowl. Scoop a tablespoon of the date mixture and roll it into a ball. (Dampen your hands to prevent sticking.) Roll the ball in the coconut to coat. Repeat with the remaining mixture.