No Bake Cranberry Bliss Balls

Looking for an easy, healthy holiday snack? These No Bake Cranberry Bliss Balls are a delightful 15-minute treat packed with dates, nuts, cranberries, and festive spices. This cranberry snack is a perfect grab-and-go option that’s vegan, gluten-free, and sugar-free!

What Does the Holiday Taste Like?

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 eggnog or grandmas' Panettone French Toast in the morning.

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. This sip of tea was the inspiration for our little no bake teatime treats.

Healthy Snack on the Go

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 got to love that!

These little vegan energy 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.

Easy Cranberry Snack

With just a handful of ingredients, these bliss balls are so delightful you may feel like you have sugar plums dance in your head.

• pecans and walnuts
• pitted dates
• dried cranberries
• spices
• orange zest

These little holiday wonders are chewy, sweet, a 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.

No Oven

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 just like our Chocolate Espresso Fig Balls . 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. Give yourself a little treat this holiday season.

Tools Required

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, mortar and pestle and chop fruits with knife. However, it takes much longer.

If you decide to put your nuts in the food processor, don't over process them or you will end up with a nut butter like our pumpkin seed butter . The consistency of nuts you are looking for is a rough crumble.

Ingredients

Orange Zest - A bit of fresh citrus zest adds a vibrant flavor to these little Holiday Balls.

Dates - We used naturally sweet dried Medjool dates. 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.

Almond Meal (ground almonds) - to roll the balls in. This prevents them from sticking to each other or other cookies from around the world on the platter. Doesn't it look like snow?

Gluten-Free & Vegan Treats

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. Served along side a spot of tea or a cup of coffee are sure to please.

Matcha chocolate crispy truffles and mint Oreo balls add a little green to the holiday tray of goodies.

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.