Name: No Bake Cranberry Bliss Balls
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 cup walnuts; 1/2 cup pecans; 1 cup dates (pitted); 1/2 cup cranberries (dried unsweetened); 1/4 cup hot water ( to soften dates and cranberries); 1 tsp ginger (dried ground); 1 tsp cinnamon (dried ground); 1 tsp allspice (dried ground); 1/4 tsp salt; 1 tsp orange zest; 1/2 cup almond meal ((finely ground raw almonds))

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No Bake Cranberry Bliss Balls are a healthy grab and go snack filled with dates, nuts, cranberries and Holiday Spices. (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Sugar Free)

Have you ever wondered what a perfect bite of the Holiday tastes like? I think for each of us, the holiday has a unique memory. Maybe it is the taste of peppermint candy canes, spiked egg nog or grandmas' cinnamon rolls in the morning.

What Does the Holiday Taste Like?

We were sitting down with a snuggly cup of fragrant Christmas Tea Organic Black Tea from Fraser Tea. I closed my eyes and thought to myself this does tastes just like the perfect cup of Christmas. I can almost hear Santa and his sleigh landing on the roof. You can smell the essence of citrus, cinnamon and cranberries rising from my steamy cup of tea.

Why You Are Going To Love No Bake Cranberry Bliss Balls

You are going to love these No Bake Cranberry Bliss Balls as they are chewy, aromatic, taste just like the holiday. They take only 20 minutes to whip up. You gotta love that! These little No Bake Cranberry Bliss Balls are an easy healthy snack for on the go. Right now final exam time is in full swing and these make great treats for those "HANGRY" students. Hangry is partly hungry and angry at the same time. Gosh we can't have that! Feed those hungry students a few No Bake Cranberry Bliss Balls. We originally posted this recipe in December 2013 but wanted to let your eyes set on a new set of photos and updated recipe.

Granola is so last year...

No Bake Cranberry Bliss balls are made with pecans, walnuts, dates, dried cranberries, spices and orange zest that would make sugar plums dance in your head. These little holiday wonders are chewy, sweet and little bit tart, fragrant and full of wholesome goodness and Christmas spices. No Bake Holiday Bliss Balls are rolled in a little ground almonds that makes it look like fresh snow.

Healthy On the Go Snack

These little Cranberry spiced holiday balls are gluten-free, lactose free, egg free, vegan, and even can work in small portions on a paleo diet. We used no sugar added dried cranberries to keep is refined sugar free but feel free to use sweetened dried cranberries if you wish. In addition, no oven is required to make these little delicious bites. They are great as gifts and store easily in the freezer until you are ready to serve. You can even feel like you are being a little bit naughty but still be true to your diet as you give yourself a little treat this holiday season. If you like the idea of a quick no bake healthy treat, you are going to love our Chocolate Espresso Fig Balls.

Tools Required to make No Bake Cranberry Bliss Balls

We used a food processor to grind up the pecan and walnuts. (If you do not own a food processor you may be able to use a blender but a little more difficult or use a mortal and pestle for nuts and chop fruits with knife but it is a lot more work.) If you decide to put your nuts in the food processor, don't decide to help your kids with their homework or start on dinner until you remember to take your finger off the pulsed button. One step beyond ground and it becomes "nut butter". Now, we have some fantastic pecan butter that is actually quite lovely and have been using it to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. However, the consistency you are looking for here is a rough crumble.

No Bake Cranberry Bliss Balls Ingredients

A bit of fresh citrus zest adds a vibrant flavour to these little Holiday Balls. We used naturally sweet dried Medjool dates as a method for making these No Bake Cranberry Bliss Balls sweet without adding any unrefined sugar. You can use any dates you prefer but Medjool dates are really the best. They act as a binding agent to hold these no bake cookies together. Pre-soaking the dates in with a few teaspoons of hot water first works like a charm to make a soft date paste.

Have you Ever Baked with Green Banana Flour?

If you are looking for more gluten free and vegan cookies to enjoy this holiday season, be sure to try our Dark Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies and our Chewy Mandarin Orange Cookies. Both of these cookies are made with green banana flour. If you have not yet tried green banana flour for baking, you are in for treat. We love it.

Are You Ready for the Holidays?

If it makes you feel any better we have not even started. We have made a couple of batches of cookies and that is about it. We have just bought a 12 foot tree. Yes, 12 feet. Do you remember the line from National Lampoons Christmas Vacation? "Rusty this tree is not going into our yard, it is going in our living room." Oh my word, we are going to have to do lots of decking out to do. We need all of our tall friends to please come over and visit. We have lots of holiday treats and Fraser Tea to share if you can just put that Star up on the top of the tree.

Wishing Everyone a Super Holiday Season!

Go ahead and whip up a batch of No Bake Cranberry Bliss Balls this weekend and you can have something a little naughty and nice to keep you feeling satisfied over the holiday season without blowing your diet.