A super-simple, adorably delicious, fantastically festive treat for the holidays, or any day!
For the printable recipe click here.
Easy treats for the holiday season
If you've been looking forward to your annual cookie exchange all year but can't find the time to whip up your best cookie recipe, just start some new Christmas traditions this year, and give all those Christmas cookies a confection to compete with.
These easy cherry coconut balls are a three-ingredient, no- bake recipe you can blitz up in a food processor in no time!
What if you don't have a food processor?
Usually I have some kind of workaround for those without a processor, but this is one recipe that really doesn't come together without one.
Keep your eyes on Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals everywhere small kitchen appliances are sold, and maybe you could get one for a steal!
3 Simple Cherry Coconut Christmas Balls ingredients
The cherries: You may have seen more complicated cherry-ball recipes that call for maraschino cherries or glace cherries, but for this simple recipe, we use dried cherries. I like tart Montmorency cherries the best. I do used dried cherries that are sweetened, as it can be pretty challenging to find unsweetened dried cherries. The main thing is to find a brand that has minimal added ingredients. Costco sells big bags of dried tart Montmorency cherries with cherries, sugar, and sunflower oil as the only ingredients, and those are perfect for this recipe.
The coconut: While this recipe does use sweetened dried cherries, we opt for unsweetened coconut. The Bob's Red Mill shredded unsweetened coconut is the perfect size of shred for the coating of these balls. If you want to use coconut flakes or thicker shreds, just process them a bit in the food processor before you begin the recipe so that they will be the right size, and don't forget to take out 2 ounces to reserve for the coating before you add the remaining ingredients!
The almond extract: Almond and cherry are surprisingly similar flavors that compliment and enhance each other. The almond extract in this recipe really amplifies the flavor in the cherry coconut balls, but if you would rather use vanilla extract, that is an option as well. Coconut extract is an option for coconut lovers, but it might over shadow the flavor of the cherries a bit more than the others.
A more healthful Christmas treat
While other cherry balls contain ingredients like graham crumbs, other cookie crumbs, confectioners' sugar, white chocolate, or melted butter, these simple, 3-ingredient cherry balls are naturally dairy free, gluten free, and vegan.
While the added sugar in the dried cherries still makes these a high-sugar treat, they are still a relatively healthful option compared to many options this time of year.
Chocolate variation
These balls are perfect just how they are, but if you love the combo of dark chocolate and cherries, it doesn't hurt to add a little chocolate!
For this variation, simply add 2 T mini chocolate chips to the mixture before processing. Just a head's up though, the addition of chocolate makes the rolling process a little messier. It's nothing an extra kitchen towel can't handle, but just enough to mention! The chocolate will also change the color of the mixture from red to dark reddish brown.
If you're curious if you can just add the mini chocolate chips in at the end after processing to keep the red color with whole chocolate chips spread throughout, the answer is not really. The cherry mixture sort of repels the chips so that they just fall out. Save yourself the frustration there.
We hope these easy cherry coconut Christmas balls will be your new holiday favorite!
Here's what you'll need:
5 oz unsweetened shredded coconut, divided
5 oz dried cherries
1/4 tsp almond extract
Here's what you'll do:
Set 14 mini muffin liners in a single layer inside a container or containers. Place 2 oz of the shredded coconut in a small bowl or dish.
Process 3 oz of the shredded coconut with the dried cherries and almond extract. It can be effective to alternate between steady processing and shorter pulses to help incorporate the ingredients more evenly. Pause to scrape around the sides and edges with a sturdy spatula if necessary. Continue to process till the mixture comes together in an almost dough-like mass.
Carefully remove the blade, and use a small cookie scoop to drop a mound of the cherry mixture into your hand. Use your hands to roll the mound into a smooth ball, then roll ball in the reserved shredded coconut and place it in one of the prepared muffin liners. Repeat with remaining cherry-coconut mixture. Easy!
The cherry coconut balls can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
For the printable recipe click here.
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