Homemade Lara "Balls"

I needed a change to my current mix of breakfast and snack meals, and finally found some inspirations thanks to April, at Kid Tested Firefighter Approved.  She had a recipe for homemade Lara bars.  I made the pecan pie bars, adapted them slightly, and turned them into miniature bite size balls, perfect for my little one.

They are quick and easy to make, and the best part is, they're made from whole foods.  Nya ate 5 balls this morning!

Here's what you need:

1/2 cup pitted whole dates (I like medjool)
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup pecans
1/4 tsp pure vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Here's what you do:

1.  Blend dates in food processor or high speed blender until paste forms.  Remove and set date paste in bowl.

2.  Add pecans and almonds to food processor, and blend until a coarse meal forms.  You want it to be a little chunky with no large pieces. 

3.  Add to bowl with date paste.

4.  Add cinnamon and vanilla.  Stir until everything is well combined.

5.  Roll into bite size balls and refrigerate. (I made 40 balls)

* If you are not comfortable with your baby having anything with this much texture, process all ingredients in a high speed blender such as a Vitamix until completely smooth.  Then go to step 5.

Nutrition Info per Ball:

Calories: 28

Fat: 1.8 g

Saturated Fat: 0.15 g

Protein: 0.5 g

Carbohydrates: 2.7 g

Fiber: 0.6 g

Sugar: 2 g

Sodium: 0 mg

 

Here are additional flavor combinations from Kid Tested Firefighter Approved.  Or get creative and make your own.  This is a fun activity to do with your toddler!

Enjoy!

 

UPDATE: My little one has been chowing down on the Pecan Pie Lara balls, so I wanted to create another flavor combo using Hazelnuts.  I came up with a recipe that I absolutely love, and so does my daughter: Chocolate Hazelnut. 

 

Here's what you need:

 

1/2 cup cashews

1/2 cup hazelnuts

1/4 cup cacao nibs

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 cup pitted dates

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

 

Here's what you do:

 

1. Blend dates in food processor or high speed blender until paste forms.  Remove and set date paste in bowl.

 

2.  Add cashews and hazelnuts to food processor, and blend until a coarse meal forms.  You want it to be a little chunky with no large pieces.  Then add cacao nibs and process further. (I like these in very tiny pieces because I still haven't adjusted to their bitter flavor.  Making sure they're small enough helps spread the flavor so you don't bite down into a bitter chunk!)

 

3.  Add to bowl with date paste. 

 

4.  Add unsweetened shredded coconut, cinnamon, and vanilla.Stir until everything is well combined and "wet".

 

5.  Roll into ball size and refrigerate.  (I made 80 balls)

 

Nutrition Info per Ball:

Calories: 31

Fat: 2.6 g

Saturated Fat: 1.3 g (due to coconut)

Protein: 0.7 g

Carbohydrates: 2 g

Fiber: 0.9 g

Sugar: 0.8 g

Sodium: 0.6 mg

 



To find more whole food, plant based recipes for your little one and connect with other loving parents, visit our Facebook page Loving Green at Loving Green FB.