Inside: Get a recipe for Healthy Chocolate Peppermint Bites made with walnuts and dates, coated in coconut and crushed candy canes. Fudgy and sweet!
Tis the season for holiday sweets. And I love ’em all.
But it’s nice to have other goodies on hand that are delicious and festive but actually give you energy instead of zapping it away.
These Chocolate Peppermint Bites are made with just a few wholesome ingredients, then rolled in a crunchy coating of coconut and candy canes.
Ingredients You Need
- Dates: Be sure to remove the pit inside first
- Walnuts: They’re pulverized in the food processor, so it doesn’t matter whether you choose chopped or halves.
- Cocoa Powder
- Milk: Use dairy or non-dairy milk.
- Peppermint Extract
- Coconut: Unsweetened (such as Bob’s Red Mill) works best in this recipe, but sweetened is fine too.
- Candy Canes: Crush these by placing them in a bag and using a rolling pin or meat tenderizer mallet to crush them into small pieces (not a powder).
How to Make Chocolate Peppermint Bites
Place dates, walnuts, and cocoa powder in a food processor. Process until blended.
Then drizzle in the peppermint extract and the milk. The dough will come together and form a dough. It should be sticky but not wet. If it’s too dry, add more milk, a teaspoon at a time, until it’s the right consistency. If it’s too wet, add a few additional walnuts.
Roll the dough into 14 balls (a cookie scoop like this one makes it easy, and they’re all uniform). Then roll each ball in a combination of coconut and crushed candy canes. I crushed my candy canes by placing them in a bag and pounding them with a meat tenderizer mallet. Crush them into small pieces, but not a powder.
Press on the coating with your fingers so it sticks. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Questions About Chocolate Peppermint Bites
What kind of coconut should I use?
Unsweetened works best here, so it doesn’t clump in the crushed candy cane. But either one works. If the coconut shreds are long, run them through the food processor first.
How do you store these Peppermint Bites?
Because they contain milk and aren’t cooked or baked, store these in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Eat within 5-7 days.
What’s the nutrition information on these Peppermint Bites?
Each Chocolate Peppermint Bite contains about 99 calories, 8 grams of sugar (mostly natural sugar from the dates), 2 grams of fiber, and 2 grams of protein.
Swaps & Substitutions You Can Make
- Skip the peppermint extract if you don’t have it. The mint flavor will still come through in the candy cane coating.
- Use non-dairy milk instead of dairy milk.
- Skip the candy canes and roll them in coconut only.
- Add the crushed candy cane to the dough in the food processor so they’re crunchy inside.
- Use raw almonds instead of walnuts (you may need more milk).
More Recipes for No-Bake Cookie Balls
Chocolate Peppermint Bites
Yield:
14
Prep Time:
10 minutes
Total Time:
10 minutes
These healthy Chocolate Peppermint Bites are rich, fudgy, and satisfying, with a crunchy, pepperminty coating.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut*
- 2 candy canes (crushed into small pieces)
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 cup dates, packed (pits removed)
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2 tablespoons milk (dairy or non-dairy)
Instructions
- Combine crushed candy canes and coconut on a small small plate and set aside.
- Place walnuts, dates, and cocoa powder in a food processor and process until finely chopped.
- While food processor is running, add peppermint extract. Then add milk, one tablespoon at a time, until the mixture comes together and forms a ball. It should be sticky but not wet.*
- Roll into one-inch balls and then roll in coconut and crushed candy canes to coat. Press coating on with your fingers so it sticks well.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
*You can use sweetened coconut as well, but it may clump a bit with the crushed candy canes. If your shreds of coconut are long, toss it in the food processor first.
*If the mixture is too dry to roll, add more milk (a teaspoon at a time) until you get the right consistency. If it’s too wet, add a few additional walnuts then process again.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 14
Serving Size: 1 bite
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 99Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 2mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 2gSugar: 8gProtein: 2g
Hi! I’m Sally, a registered dietitian and mom.
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