These macadamia nut balls are made with just 3 ingredients: dates, macadamia nuts and chocolate. They have a chewy caramel-like center surrounded by a dark chocolate shell. These macadamia balls are paleo, gluten free and vegan.
I think I've decided to make every version of nut and date balls that can exist! I've been loving my pistachio date balls, walnut date balls and almond date balls, so next on the list were these macadamia ones.
Each of these recipes is only 6 ingredients or less and they are so easy to make (which is probably a big reason I love desserts like this). For these macadamia date balls you only need 3 ingredients: macadamia nuts, dates and dark chocolate. Of course, you can mix in flavorings like cinnamon or vanilla, but they taste great without.
The filling for these macadamia balls is made in a food processor, rolled into balls and then dipped in dark chocolate. The filling has a chewy, caramel-like texture and flavor that compliments the dark chocolate coating.
Why You'll Love these Macadamia Date Balls
- just 3 ingredients - macadamia nuts, dates and chocolate
- paleo and vegan friendly - made with simple, wholesome ingredients that are gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free
- easy to make - simply blend the filling ingredients, roll the mixture into balls, chill and then dip in melted chocolate
Ingredients
The full recipe for these macadamia balls can be found in the recipe card below, but here's an overview of the ingredients you'll need:
- macadamia nuts - dry roasted and salted.
- dates - to sweeten the filling and give it a caramel-like texture.
- dark chocolate - I recommend a chocolate with a cocoa content between 60 - 85%. I used Pascha 85% dark chocolate chips.
How to Make Macadamia Nut Balls
The filling for these balls is made in a food processor, rolled into balls, chilled in the freezer and then dipped in melted chocolate. Here are the steps:
- Place macadamia nuts and pitted dates in your food processor.
- Blend, blend, blend until the mixture forms a cohesive dough.
- Roll the mixture into balls, each about 1 tablespoon in size. The mixture IS quite oily.
- Freeze for at least 30 minutes, then dip the balls in dark chocolate.
- You can drizzle any leftover chocolate over the balls and top with flaked salt or sprinkles or chopped nuts.
Tips and Tricks
- Use dry roasted and salted macadamia nuts - these will have more flavor and give the truffles a better taste.
- Chill the filling - this allows the filling to firm up, making the balls easier to dip in melted chocolate. This also helps the chocolate set faster, so it doesn't pool around the base of the balls when you set them on the parchment paper.
- Drizzle leftover chocolate over balls - I like to pour the extra chocolate in a small plastic baggie and cut a tiny hole in one end. Then drizzle the chocolate over the balls. It makes them look fancy without much effort.
Storage
Store leftover macadamia date balls in an airtight container or baggie in the fridge or freezer. They are best eaten within a month if stored in the fridge, or 3 months in the freezer.
FAQ
Yes, the filling is very oily because of the fat from the macadamia nuts. Don't worry, you won't notice the oil after you chill the balls in the freezer and then dip them in chocolate.
I recommend using dry roasted and salted nuts for this recipe. Dry roasting the nuts and salting them give the truffles more flavor. That being said, you can use raw or unsalted nuts if you prefer.
More Recipes You'll Love
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Macadamia Nut Balls (3 Ingredients)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 10 balls 1x
Description
3 ingredient macadamia nut balls with a chewy caramel-like filling and dark chocolate shell.
Ingredients
- 1 cup pitted Medjool dates (about 13 dates)
- ½ cup macadamia nuts (I recommend dry roasted and salted)
- ¾ cup dark chocolate chips (I used 85% dark)
Instructions
- Place macadamia nuts and pitted dates in your food processor.
- Blend, blend, blend until the mixture forms a cohesive dough.
- Roll the mixture into balls, each about 1 tablespoon in size. The mixture IS quite oily. Place the balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Freeze the balls for at least 30 minutes to harden.
- Place the dark chocolate in a small microwaveable bowl. Melt in the microwave at 20-30 second intervals (on high), stirring between.
- Grab the balls from the freezer and dip them, one at a time, into the melted chocolate. Place them back on the lined baking sheet to set.
- Drizzle any extra chocolate over the balls and top with flaked salt or sprinkles or chopped nuts.
Katie
Hope you all enjoy these macadamia balls as much as we do!