I have arrived at the end of my sugar-free month. For these 31 days, it was my goal not to eat any refined sugar – and for someone hopelessly in love with all things sweet, this was no small feat. I am very proud of my accomplishment actually, and in the fact that I really didn’t cheat too much. In what handful of instances that I did bend my rule, I found that it was directly related to being with friends or family. They were all social situations that would have made me feel rigid and stodgy for not participating – the important ritual of dessert was reason enough to break the sugar fast on those few occasions.
Giving up sweets cold-turkey was hardest during the first several days. I didn’t realize how many times a day I craved something sweet, particularly after lunch and dinner. Fortunately there are many naturally sweet things and a few little tricks I used especially at first, to curb my longing for sugar. The simplest of these were plain, unadulterated clementines or Cara Cara oranges. Only slightly more elaborate are some of my favorite healthful snacks: date-based vegan truffles, or date balls as I call them.
Around my house, we most often refer to these as “those little balls,” and if I make a version that contains cocoa powder, my picky son will request one by that name after every meal. I first learned of the concept of this snack about 2 years ago and since have tried many incarnations. Once you get a feel for the ingredients, they are endlessly adaptable and just sweet enough to satisfy even the most nagging sweet tooth.
This chocolate and coconut version I made using the proportions of walnuts and dates given by Chocolate Covered Katie. This was the first source I read for what she termed Fudge Babies, and to her basic recipe I like to add ¼ c. of unsweetened coconut (found in bulk at Outpost). The best thing about eating these is that they are satisfying for those craving chocolate, and though they are not low in calories, they are dense with nutrition. So don’t eat the whole batch in one sitting, but rather eat one slowly when you just need something sweet.
After experimenting with chocolate date balls, I graduated to the many inspired versions in the first ebook I have ever purchased. Healthy Snacks to Go is written by Katie Kimball of Kitchen Stewardship. It’s a booklet of wholesome snacks, and she lists 14 versions of Power Bars or “Reverse Engineered Larabars”. For a fraction of the cost of purchased power bars and a similarly small time investment, I felt Katie’s take on date balls were a little more grown-up and so satisfying. Spicy gingersnap, tropical sunflower seed and pineapple, some of these flavors are geared more to my adult palate than my rather picky child’s. But I don’t mind that at all since that means I get to keep them all for myself. You may not be lucky enough to find that the case at your house!
(I am not a spokesperson for the Kitchen Stewardship website, but if you do think you’d like to purchase the ebook, don’t wait. An update is coming out shortly and will be free to existing purchasers. The new version will contain more recipes and a variety of gluten free snacks as well, but will cost more than the original version currently listed.)
This is a proportional recipe, and the amounts listed will make about a dozen 1 inch sized balls. To make larger batches, double or triple the recipe, just be sure your machine can handle the amount. (Speaking of machines, a food processor is best for making these – but you may have luck using the smaller amounts in a blender if you’re careful.)
Gingersnap Date Balls (used with permission from Healthy Snacks to Go by Katie Kimball)
1/3 c. whole almonds
1/4 c. pecans
3/4 c. dates
1/2 t. ginger (more to taste if you like them spicy-hot like me)
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. cloves
pinch of kosher salt, optional
Basically just grind everything in the food processor. You may have to let it run for several minutes until the blade begins to warm up the dates – it makes them want to stick together. If your dates are exceptionally dry, you may have to add a touch of moisture to help them stick. A teaspoon or two of coconut oil will do the trick.
You can press them into a bar shape, or form them into small, 1 inch sized balls as I did. I use a small cookie scoop to make sure they are uniform in size. I also like to layer them on a plate and refrigerate them for a couple of hours until they “harden”. Then, I transfer them to a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid, where they will keep several weeks under refrigeration.
PB&J date balls.
I would go so far as to say that these little balls single-handedly got me through a month without sugar. At the beginning of the month, I made a double batch of peanut butter and jelly balls from the same e-book. They were a delicious use of some dehydrated cherries I had on hand from last summer, and tasted uncannily of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I ate one a day, and now only 3 remain, little reminders that I will be able to continue on a drastically reduced sugar consumption. Give these little date balls a try, and you may be able to reduce your sugar intake as well!
