Raw Ball Pops

These little creations were the result of my mother telling me that I should make my own Larabars.

I made something I like to call Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Bars (recipe to come soon!) which have NO sugar whatsoever and taste like cookie dough. Yummy. My mom requested something similar that used only dates, walnuts, and raisins, so I whipped these up. Pretty tasty! 

Although mine weren't raw, they are super easy to make raw, and I included how to do that in the recipe. 

You’ll need:
16 pitted Medjool dates
½ c. chopped raw walnuts
½ c. raisins

Directions:

1.      In a food processor, blend dates until they become a puree.

2.      Dump in walnuts and raisins; blend only briefly, until the mixture comes together. You want there to be large chunks of the nuts and raisins.

3.      Roll mixture into 16 small balls and set on a parchment lined cookie tray. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.

To make raw ball pops, you will also need:
1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips (NOTE: if you TRULY want these to be raw, melt raw cacao nibs over a bowl of warm water and use in place of chips)
16 4 in. lollipop sticks

Directions:

1.      Melt bag of chocolate chips in a small saucepan over medium heat.

2.      Take a small amount of chocolate and rub it in a circle around the lollipop stick, about ¼  of the way down the stick. This is just so the ball will not fall down on the stick or break off, so you only need a very tiny amount.

3.      Remove balls from fridge. Push one ball onto each lollipop stick. Using a spoon, cover each ball in melted chocolate, making sure the chocolate connects to where the chocolate was put on the stick earlier. This is so when the chocolate hardens, it will harden to the stick and prevent the ball from falling off.

4.      Place pops in an upright position and let harden. I would recommend pushing the sticks into Styrofoam to help the sticks stand upright.

5.      Enjoy!