While some of the currently popular raw food intrigues me I remain generally skeptical. This is called Daily Unadventures in Cooking after all. However, I was very interested in the Raw Donut Holes from Ani Phyo that popped up on Foods that Fit. I am a total sucker for anything covered in coconut.
The idea here is that you use dates and dried pineapple as a base and mix it with vanilla, coconut and raw almonds. Since I am a big fan of larabars which are also date and nut based it seemed worth attempting.
Her video made it look very easy, and it is pretty easy but I was unable to find dried pineapple already chopped so that took about 5 minutes, plus my dates weren’t really mooshy enough so I had to chop them up with scissors then moosh more which took a while. Lastly I only had large flake coconut so they didn’t turn out as pretty as Ani’s recipe, the darn coconut didn’t want to stick! So I just threw it in the mix and went for extra coconut-y balls!
Bottom line? Freaking delicious! This is a healthy recipe from the perspective of ingredients just don’t eat a dozen, they are calorically similar to a donut hole…
The other interesting thing I discovered in my foray into raw foods was nut-soaking. Sounds dirty right? No, seriously apparently soaking raw nuts makes them easier to digest?! Of course I wanted to make them in the same day so I soaked my almonds in cold water for about 4 hours then laid them out to dry. Hopefully not missing all the benefit, from what I gather from the net 12 hours is the recommended time.
I guess up next would be home sprouting? Yeah… seriously I am not ready for that I don’t think.
Don’t forget to enter my giveaway to win a Kitchen Aid Gourmet Pasta Kit!
(makes 20-25 holes)
1C raw almonds. (Soaked, drained and allowed to air dry.)
1C pitted dates
1C dried pineapple, chopped
1 vanilla bean
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons shredded coconut
Pulse almonds in a food processor until a chunky meal is created, set aside. In a mixing bowl combine pineapple and dates and use your fingers to combine into a paste. Be prepared to be sticky! Scrape the vanilla seeds out of the vanilla bean and add along with the salt, almonds and 3 tablespoons of the coconut. Continue mixing. Roll into donut hole sized balls (about 1″) and roll in remaining coconut. Ingest and enjoy!
You might also like:
Raw Banana Ice Cream
Raspberry Tartlets with Zabaglione
Chocolate Lavender Cake
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Those are so cool! I shamefully ate a obscene amount of “real” donut holes yesterday…..wish the little cardboard box had been full of these instead.
YUM!!!! I love the donut hole creation of these! I've been making homemade raw Lara-type bars but will have to try these! Thanks!
Sara – they are both delicious, and high calorie but at least these do have some nutrition.
Jennifer – I love Lara bars too. Let me know if you try!!
Soaking them does make them easier to digest. I am totally make these! I love raw bars and treats and finally bought some dates to make them!
these are delicious!!! i wonder if i could make donuts with this stuff….