NO BAKE VANILLA CAKE BITES

If you have a sweet tooth, I think you will like this easy, tasty snack. The dates and vanilla pack a sweet punch which is better than sweetening desserts with processed sugar and honey. Vary the treat by rolling them in finely shredded coconut, cinnamon, cacao powder, or finely chopped nuts.

You can find the recipe at “Minimalist Baker”: No-Bake Vanilla Cake Bites.

"Almond flour" is sometimes called "almond meal." The flour can be either "blanched" where the brown outer skin is removed before grinding or "unblanched" in which the skin is left on. When a recipe does not mention which to use, it probably does not matter.

Dr. Greger and Dr. Fuhrman recommend eating a small handful of nuts every day (not those roasted in oil or covered with salt or sugar but eating plain nuts). Dr. McDougall and Dr. Esselstyn do not agree.

Dr. Fuhrman's blog supporting the benefits of nuts.

Dr. Greger's interesting 10 minute long video reporting research regarding nuts and obesity.

Dr. McDougall's brief video explaining why high fat foods like nuts should be for special occasions.

Brief video where Dr. Esselstyn explains why he does not want patients with heart disease to eat nuts.

What I did differently:

-Made only half the recipe which made 17 balls

-Used all almond flour, no coconut flour, because I didn't have coconut flour. My almond flour was "blanched."

-I didn't really "roll" the balls, rather gently squeezed the dough to form a ball.

-My unsweetened coconut flakes were a bit large so I pulsed them in my blender to make them smaller so would stick better to the outside.

Of note, a person posting comments on the recipe blog site said she used oat flour instead of almond flour and they came out fine (presumably she still used coconut flour). This would reduce the fat content though potentially change the texture.