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Gingerbread Balls 6

Gingerbread Balls

These delicious holiday spiced treats have no added sugar, they're plenty sweet thanks to the dates. Try this recipe with either cashews or almonds!
Recipe developed and reviewed by Jessica Prohn, MS, RD, CSR, LDN
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Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Low Phosphorus, Low Potassium, Low Protein, Low Sodium, Plant-Based
Diet Type: CKD, Dialysis, VLPD
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 157kcal
Author: Jessica Prohn, MS, RD, CSR, LDN

Ingredients

  • 1 cup pitted dates
  • 1 cup roasted cashews
  • 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves optional
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 ounces dark chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Roughly chop the pitted dates and add them to a high powered blender or food processor.  Blend until a rough paste forms.
  • Add in the roasted cashews, molasses, all the spices, and salt.  Pulse just until cashews are broken down into small pieces and everything is well combined- not too smooth so the oils do not separate.
  • Take out mixture and roll into 12 small balls.
  • Melt chocolate in a microwave and drizzle over the gingerbread balls.  Alternatively, you can dip the gingerbread balls into the chocolate.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy.
  • Note:  Feel free to use your favorite seeds or nuts in this recipe.  Cashews, pine nuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds are some higher iron nuts and seeds.

Notes

You may have heard that nuts, beans, and whole grains are not a great choice for a kidney-friendly diet because they are high in phosphorus.  Wondering why we include them in many of our recipes?  We include beans, nuts, and whole grains because only about 40% of phosphorus found in these plant foods are absorbed by humans. This makes them a good fit for most people's diets! If you have questions about adding these foods to your diet please reach out to your dietitian.

Nutrition

Calories: 157kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 61mg | Potassium: 233mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 3IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg
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