Sunbutter Juniors

Do you still have the dates from the Sunbutter Chia Pudding? Good! you can use them for this Sunbutter Juniors recipe. I don’t know why they’re called that, but I call them delicious. Perfect for on the go, and so easily customizable. You can put dried fruit, chocolate chips, nuts if you’re not nut-free, or like me and put crushed pretzels in them (I used gluten-free because I just like them better). You really can’t go wrong.

Ingredients

1 3⁄4 cup pitted dates

1⁄2 cup rolled oats (gluten free if needed)

1⁄3 cup sunflower seeds

1⁄4 cup Ry’s Sunbutter, whichever flavor is your fave (but the Cocoa gives it some umph)

3 tablespoons water

optional: 1/4 cup crushed gluten-free pretzels.

Instructions

Combine the dates, oats, sunflower seeds, and sunbutter in a food processor and process for 1 minute, until well combined. Continue to process and pour in 3 tablespoons of water through the top opening of the food processor and process for 30 seconds more until the mixture forms into a large sticky ball.

Using a tablespoon, scoop some of the energy ball mixture from the food processor and, with clean wet hands, shape the mixture into a golf-ball sized ball shape between your palms. Repeat with the remaining mixture, you’ll end up with 10-14 balls. If you’re adding the pretzels, just roll the ball into the crushed pretzel crumbs.

Pro tip: You don’t have to refrigerate these, but I like them chilled. It makes them seem dessert-y somehow.