No Bake Coconut Balls (Matcha + Chocolate)
Today we are making something for all the coconut lovers out there – no bake Coconut Balls, with matcha and chocolate! Alright, so matcha lattes have become the new go-to drink for hipsters, wanna-be hipsters, and now the general public. Meaning me. I’ve been coming down twice a day from my spot at the table upstairs where I now comfortably work from home, turning on the stove, and boiling some oat milk to make a sweet matcha latte. OH BOY. Is matcha one of my favorite things in life?! To be honest, I didn’t even KNOW what it was until I started ordering a matcha frappuccino at Starbucks because it was the trendy thing to do (many years ago)!
What is Matcha?
One day I asked myself – what am I actually drinking? Why the heck does this taste so good? I couldn’t make the connection that matcha was green and tasted like it did because it was crushed GREEN TEA LEAVES. Literally, just the green tea bags that I would put into water and drink – except now it was in the form of a powder, with sugar added into the drink, and it tasted fantastic. Lo and behold, I quickly went and bought some matcha of my own, and haven’t looked at Starbucks since.
So I don’t know about you, but being both a matcha AND a chocolate lover, I decided to combine these with basic ingredients into a raw, vegan, no bake recipe for delicious coconut balls! Super soft and sweet Medjool dates, bitter matcha powder and cacao, then coconuts, almonds and pecans to bind the dry with the wet ingredients makes for a great recipe to eat as a breakfast on-the-go, a quick and healthy snack, an easy dessert recipe that’s also nutritious or an after-dinner dessert for your sweet tooth!
Make a double batch of these and store the rest in an airtight container for a couple of months in the freezer. This makes it much easier when you want more but might not have time to get another set of ingredients, versus buying ingredients in bulk and making it in advance.
Why You’ll Love These No Bake Coconut Balls with Matcha & Chocolate
Double the Flavor: Make these easy coconut balls with a few simple ingredients for a matcha exterior and chocolate inside, or flip them inside out with a cacao exterior and a matcha filling. I made some of both flavors and they turned out amazing! You can also fill the inside of these bites with a little surprise to bite into, such as a roasted almond or hazelnut center.
Energizing Matcha: Matcha powder is a great option for caffeine instead of coffee! The caffeine in matcha is one sixth that of coffee, providing a “calm alertness” versus the spike and crash in energy that coffee does. It is has more antioxidants than coffee along with other health benefits, as it’s all pure green tea powder.
Substitutions
Shredded Coconut: I do not recommend any substitute here, as the coconut flavor is key to this delicious recipe. You can use either sweetened or unsweetened coconut, depending on your preference. If using sweetened coconut, it won’t be refined sugar-free. You can find this in the baking aisle of most grocery stores.
Almonds: Use raw almonds – not roasted or salted. You can substitute these for more pecans. Alternatively, use walnuts, macadamia nuts, brazil nuts, almond flour or almond meal instead.
Pecans: Use raw pecans – not roasted or salted. You can substitute this with more raw almonds. Or use the other substitutions mentioned above for the almonds.
Dates: Use soft, caramel-like, pitted Medjool dates. If they aren’t super soft, soak them in boiling water for 30 minutes or in room temperature water overnight.
Cacao Powder: Cacao powder is the raw, unprocessed form of cocoa powder (which is the common, bitter chocolate powder used for baking). You can use cocoa instead of cacao.
Cacao Nibs: These are similar to “raw” chocolate chips, made from the cacao bean. You can use regular vegan milk chocolate, semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips instead.
This won’t be refined sugar-free then, unless you find a vegan chocolate brand using natural sugar. You can omit them if desired. Find these at health food stores or online if not at your local grocery store.
Matcha Powder: There is no substitution for this. Matcha powder has its own unique taste.
Vanilla Extract: This can be omitted, but vanilla adds a great flavor to this easy recipe. You can also use freshly scraped vanilla from the bean.
No Bake Coconut Balls Recipe Notes
- Add in a toasted hazelnut, a few chocolate chips or a piece of dried fruit (dried apricot, dried blueberry) into the center before rolling it into the ball, for a surprise in the middle!
- Drizzle melted chocolate (or even vegan white chocolate chips!) over top of these bites before sprinkling some crushed nuts on top for an elevated energy bite with a decadent chocolate coating!
- Make sure to use a high-speed blender or food processor. If the blade is not sharp enough, there will be nuts and dates chunks left over in the dough.
- To make coconut truffles, drizzle chocolate all over the exterior of the balls, then sprinkle desiccated coconut over them for a winter treat for the holiday season (like coconut candy balls!)
- To make it easier to shape the balls, oil your hands with a little coconut oil (specifically refined oil, the one that doesn’t smell like coconuts), just enough so that the dough doesn’t stick to your hands. You can also use a little cookie scoop to shape small balls of coconut.
More Healthy Recipes You’ll Love
If you make these No Bake Coconut Balls, leave a comment and star rating! Don’t forget to tag your photos @peanut_palate on Instagram. Enjoy!
No Bake Coconut Balls (Matcha + Chocolate)
Equipment
- Food Processor or Blender
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Dough
- ⅓ cup shredded coconut
- ⅓ cup raw almonds
- ⅓ cup raw pecans
- 1 cup Mejool dates
- 2 tbsp cacao powder
- 2 tbsp cacao nibs optional
- Pinch salt
For the Matcha Dough
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- ⅓ cup raw almonds
- 1 cup Mejool dates
- 1 tbsp matcha powder
- ⅛ tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Blend together all ingredients for the matcha dough. Once it is fully mixed with no chunks of dates/nuts inside, scrape it out of the blender and set aside in a bowl.
- Repeat the same thing with the chocolate dough ingredients.
- Once both doughs are done, choose the core filling – either matcha or chocolate. Take the flavor you want for the inside, and shape the dough into balls. Then pat the second flavor around the first to make a larger ball. You can make half of them with a chocolate core and half matcha core, if desired.
- Enjoy! Store at room temperature.
Notes
-
Storage
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days, in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, or in an airtight container in the freezer for up to two months.
