date donut holes

juicy medjool dates and unsweetened shredded coconut are two ingredients you will almost always find in bulk in my kitchen but a traditional donut? not so much. i do have fond childhood memories of the sweet deep fried cakes as an occasional sunday morning specialty and an iced crawler was my absolute favorite. it was a surefire way to get me to drink a glass of milk. the iced crawler doesn’t have the curb appeal a sprinkled, fluffy frosted or custard filled sweet cake might but the texture and taste were always spot on.

this healthy recipe consists of two ingredients. yep, only two ingredients and a few food processing pulses. date donut holes are a non-fried, raw vegan, wheat and gluten free alternative to traditional donut holes that will take 15-20 minutes from start to finish and that includes clean up! pump up your favorite jams, roll up your sleeves and get ready to unbake your donut loving heart out.

and by the way, who knew there was a national donut day?! in my opinion, every single day could be healthy donut donut day!

date donut holes

2 cups medjool dates, pitted

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

place both ingredients in the food processor and process until well mixed. the mixture will get gooey and begin to form little clusters. at this point it can easily be rolled into balls. this recipe will make 18-20 donut holes depending on the size you roll and how many you eat along the way. i prefer to use about 1 tablespoon per donut hole. these can be eaten immediately, chilled for a short while in the refrigerator and occasionally i leave mine on the counter uncovered overnight to dry out just a touch. assuming some are still remaining i store them in an airtight container.

ps-i love dunking these in any of my nut and seed milk recipes such as: instant almond butter milk, winterized walnut milk or plain walnut milk, superfood frenzy hemp milk, sweet and creamy almond milk or instant chocolate almond milk. they also make a great brunch add-in with fruit smoothie bowls, fresh fruit kabobs and carrot ginger muffins.