these red bean date balls (that taste like mochi filling!) are a delicious low-sugar, high-fibre snack that’ll keep you going throughout the week. once the beans are cooked, they come together in a snap and last about 5 days in the fridge.

Makes about 14-15 balls

Ingredients

1/3 cup (65 g) dried red adzuki beans
water
pinch of salt
1/2 cup (65 g) slivered almonds
16 pitted mejool dates (105 g)
2 tbsps. flax meal
black sesame seeds
sweetened coconut flakes

Instructions

Rinse red adzuki beans. Transfer into a medium-sized pot and fill with water, covering by about 2 inches. Add a pinch of salt.

Bring pot of beans to a boil and cook for 1 1/2 hours. You could also cook for 40 minutes in a pressure cooker or instant pot.

Strain beans and set aside to cool.

In a food processor, pulse slivered almonds until it becomes a fine meal. Add dates and flax meal and pulse until evenly incorporated with the almonds. Finally, add red adzuki beans and pulse until it becomes an even paste.

With a 1 1/2 tbsp. portion scoop, portion out 14 balls and lay out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. If you don’t have a portion scoop, use a heaping tablespoon per ball.

Combine a mixture of black sesame seeds and sweetened coconut flakes in a small baking dish. Dunk red bean date balls in sesame coconut mixture and roll between your palms to create evenly coated spheres.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes before eating. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for no more than 5 days.