Let Them Eat Cake: Raw Carrot Cake Balls

Now before I start talking about this awesome recipe there is something we need to establish.  There is no replacement for cake.  You are not going to eat this and be like “wow I never want to eat cake again” cake is delicious, and it should be enjoyed, but on special occasions.  For all those other days where you want a sweet treat, you will want these raw carrot cake balls.  They give you all the good things about carrot cake, without all the bad.  This is a completely raw recipe therefore also gluten free and vegan.  It is easy and you can make it one day and supply yourself for the rest of the week.  I encourage you to eat cake every day, in the form of these cake balls 😉

Ingredients:

• 1 large carrot, finely diced or shredded
• 3/4 cup oats (I used steel cut because thats what I have)
• 1/2 cup cranberries (or raisins)
• 4 dried dates
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• The zest of 1/2 an orange + 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1/4 cup coconut + more for rolling
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 pinch salt
• food processor/blender

How to:

1. Begin by shredding your carrots.  I used a food processor, because I am lazy.
2. If you used your food processor for the carrots remove them and then add in your oats and pulse until they become powdery.  This doesn’t really happen with steel cut very much because they are already so tiny.
3. Then add in your cranberries and pulse again, to break them up.  Now add in your carrots, the spices, and vanilla.  Pulse again.
4. Add in your dates and slowly add in the water.
5. Add in the zest, juice, and coconut.  Continue to pulse until well incorporated.
6. Let mixture sit for 20 minutes to marinate the flavors.
7. I made half of the recipes with toasted coconut and the other half with non toasted just to compare flavors. And in my opinion, the toasted was better.
8. With wet hands roll about 1/2 a tablespoon to 1 tablespoon of batter into a ball and then roll in the coconut.
9. You can either enjoy then, freeze some for later, or pop them in the fridge.  My recipe made about 15 balls.