These sweet, chewy, and delicious tigernut dessert bites make a lovely little treat or snack on the go. They are absolutely a breeze to throw together (literally ready within minutes), and they're a super handy alternative for those looking for something sweet, but made without nuts, grains, oils, coconut, and sweetened only with fruit. And it's all thanks to the lovely tigernuts that are the heart of these little dessert balls -- sliced tigernuts to be precise.
If you're unfamiliar with tigernuts (also known as tiger nuts), they are a type of tuber and are not a nut at all (hence suitable for those allergic to nuts). They have a slightly firm and chewy texture with a touch of natural sweetness to them. They come in several forms -- regular, peeled, and now I've discovered they come sliced as well, which got me all excited when I spotted a bag of them at the grocery store. I've used them as a munchy snack on their own, as a granola-like topping, and in these tasty little dessert bites, and they worked great for all these purposes.
In this recipe they act as a perfect nut (or oat) substitute, giving the dessert bites a good firm texture and a lovely flavor. It was a nice switch up to the typical nutty dessert bites I make, and it made me happy to think that these would be great for someone wanting raw treats and trying to avoid nuts or grains (as I often get recipe requests for more of that sort of stuff). Plus it's fun to say you're eating tigernuts somehow.. or maybe it's just me. I find the name adorable :)
Oh, and if you're looking for more tigernut recipes, you might enjoy this tigernut cheesecake recipe I shared a while back when I first experimented with tigernuts for a special recipe request. Enjoy!
P.S. If you can't find them at a local shop or health food store, can always order online (I've seen them on Amazon, Well.ca, etc.). This is the brand I used here.
Tigernut Dessert Bites
Chewy, sweet, and satisfying, these grain-free and nut-free tigernut dessert bites are a lovely sweet treat or a snack. This recipe vegan, gluten-free, and paleo.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 balls
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Bake
- Cuisine: Raw
Ingredients
- 1 cup sliced tigernuts
- 1 cup soft dates, pitted
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp salt
Instructions
- Process all ingredients in a food processor* into a fine sticky crumble (the mixture should begin to stick together as it breaks down).
- Scoop out approx. 2 tablespoon of the mixture and roll into a ball with your hands. Set on a plate, and repeat the process with the remaining mixture. Enjoy straight away or place in the fridge for an hour or two to firm up more if you prefer them firmer.
Notes
*I used the smaller bowl of my food processor as this isn't a large recipe. If your food processor bowl is very large, you might need to double or triple the recipe.
Keywords: Tigernut Dessert Bites (nut-free and grain-free)
HS says
these bites are very tasty. but i have a question: mine look kind of lumpy. that happens any time i go to make bliss balls in general. what's the secret to getting them to be rounded?
★★★★★
Audrey says
I'm so glad you enjoyed these!
And the trick to getting them round is to roll the balls in the center of your palms rather than trying to shape them into balls with your fingers. Hope that helps! :)
Haily says
These were really good and very simple to make. I've seen these sliced tiger nut things at the store in the gf aisle, but never knew what to do with them so glad this gave me an excuse to try them out. They're great in breakfast oats too. I've been using the leftovers as granola.
★★★★★
Audrey says
Hi Haily. I'm glad these worked for you! And guess what, I've been using them as a quick "granola" as well -- they're great for that.
Cassie Tran says
I have never worked with tigernut flour in a recipe before! It's so difficult for me to find in stores. I heard that there's so much you can use for it--breads, sweet pastries, pancakes, waffles, even cereal!! These tigernut dessert bites look so satisfying. Dates and any nut flour is the best pairing!
Audrey says
I know how you feel. For a long time I couldn't find it either, but now it's nearly everywhere -- so maybe it's a matter of time before it makes it to the stores where you are :) Fingers crossed!