I’m not really someone who craves sweets, but last week, I got a craving that I just couldn’t shake. In particular, I was craving something coconut-y, but didn’t want to go to the effort of making macaroons or cookies. Ideally, it would be healthy and wouldn’t require turning on the oven. Thankfully, I had a big bag of shredded coconut on hand, and as I looked through my pantry (really just a measly drawer in my small kitchen), I found half a bag of dried apricots. Along with a lonely banana hanging out on the counter top, I had the beginnings of a sweet little tropical treat. And then this almost raw coconut + apricot oat balls were born!
I’m sorry for the lack of posts but I’ve been absolutely swamped with my brother and his friend visiting from Canada. We’ve been busy sight-seeing and attending various events, and there hasn’t been much time to cook, let alone blog. But they left today, so I should have more time from now on.
I started out using 1/2 cup of oats, but in the end, I found the mixture too runny to form into balls, so I ended up using 1 cup total and that did the trick. I added 3 tbsp of maple syrup to the mix, but you could probably get away without any additional sweetener as long as your apricots are nice and sweet. I added coconut oil to amplify the coconut flavor and to help the balls to harden in the fridge.
Ultimately, 3 of these babies totally hit the spot and quelled my sugar craving. They’re super yummy as-is, but as I’m typing this, I’m already thinking of upping the tropical factor next time by adding a bit of pineapple (dried? fresh? canned?) and/or macadamia nuts. Let me know if you try these and do let me know of any variations that you make!
Note — Almost Raw Coconut + Apricot Oat Balls
I thought that I would be able to label these as fully “raw”, but after a bit of online research, I’ve learned that most commercially-purchased oats are steamed as part of the processing process, so they can’t be considered raw (even if you don’t cook them). The same thing goes for quinoa flakes, which I think you could use instead of the oats in this recipe. Oh well, it’s still a quick and healthy treat!
Looking for more healthy sweets?
- Puffed Quinoa Peanut Butter Balls
- Healthy Breakfast Cookies
- Quinoa Granola with Coconut and Chia Seeds
- See all my vegan snack recipes
Almost Raw Coconut + Apricot Oat Balls
These healthy little guys are great as a snack or as a pre-workout treat! No bake. Vegan / low-carb / gluten-free.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 10 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 mins
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Snack, Dessert
- Cuisine: Vegan, Raw
Ingredients
- 1 cup oats (use gluten-free oats as required)
- 1/2 cup dried apricot
- 1/2 cup grated dry unsweetened coconut
- 1 ripe banana
- 3 tbsp maple syrup (or agave syrup)
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a food processor, add the oats, and pulse for 20 seconds in order to break the oats down slightly.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until fully combined.
- Roll into 12 balls and refrigerate for 1 hour. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Keywords: banana, breakfast, coconut, coconut oil, dessert balls, easy, gluten-free, kid-friendly, no-cook, nut-free, oat, one-pot, original, raw, soy-free, sugar-free, summer, vegan
