These No-Bake Cake Bites are the easiest, instant vanilla cake in snack ball form made with just 2 ingredients–a quick healthy vegan and paleo treat!
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When it comes to coconut flour, it’s a love-hate relationship. Actually make that love-dislike–hate is a bit too strong for anything so innocently inanimate and edible.
I dislike when I have to be the bearer of bad news and tell someone that no, coconut flour cannot be subbed into [insert any FOF recipe name here] for the oat flour to make it paleo.
I dislike when it turns a potential recipe experiment into crumbles of a potential recipe experiment. Sad, dry, crumbles.
I dislike when I see it doing amazing, fluffy, grain-free things on Pinterest and then I try them myself and there is nothing amazing or fluffy about it. You temperamental trickster of a flour.
And for a while there I just plain and simply disliked the taste, but it’s grown on me.
On the other hand, I love when it can recreate my favorite Easter candy–adorable, no-bake, chocolate-squiggled style.
I love what it does to oatmeal when added just before it’s done cooking.
I love how little you have to use, so one bag lasts for a looooooong time.
I love that it’s grain-free and gluten-free and actually contains a considerable amount of fiber and protein compared to most flours.
And I especially love the unbelievable light baked texture it gives these cake bites when combined with just one other amazing ingredient!
Hence 2-ingredient No-Bake Cake Bites.
That other ingredient is date paste. Of course. With all the weirdo flours around here lately we need a little FOF predictability, don’t you think? It’s the sweet familiar yin to coconut flour’s dry crumbly yang. Also coconut flour absorbs a lot of moisture and date paste is half water, so it just works.
To make a dozen of these morsels requires one cup of date paste (which is pretty much an entire batch if you follow the amounts in my tutorial -> here) and between 1/2 and 3/4 cup coconut flour. The amount will vary slightly depending on how thick your date paste is, that’s why I recommend adding the flour slowly until you reach the ideal texture. Too little flour and it will be too moist/mushy to roll. Too much flour and it will be too crumbly to hold. It’s not as tricky as it sounds, just trust your no-bake cake bite intuition.
And when you nail the texture and roll them into balls and eat at least one immediately because nobody has time for that chilling nonsense, you will be amazed by how cake-reminiscent they are. They will become a little firmer after chilling, and last quite well in the fridge for 4 or 5 days without much change in moisture or texture.
Optional add-ins. Date paste and coconut flour are the only necessary ingredients, but there are a couple of optional additions for extra flavor. Vanilla because it’s the classic cake flavor. And salt because sweet things are better with salt, especially no-bake ones.
So that makes them fruit-sweetened 2-ingredient No-Bake Cake Bites.
Trust me, I too am super jazzed about how crazy easy and crazy yummy and crazy cute these little balls bites spheres-of-sweetness are. SUPER jazzed. But you know what might be my favorite part about using coconut flour in this recipe? Any guesses?
It’s the fact that a lil extra coconut flour smudged on the outside makes them glisten as if they are sugar-dusted. I did not plan that. But I love that.
It was actually a happy surprise I only noticed after staring at them through my viewfinder and taking a kajillion shots on bazillion different colored towels because I couldn’t quite figure out what color pairs perfectly with this shade of instant bite-sized cake. Still not sure, but I can tell you it is NOT yellow, tan, pink, off-white, or blue striped. Definitely not.
Using oat flour. Now since I know some of you probably fall more towards the dislike side of the coconut flour relationship, I tested these little balls-o-bliss with oat flour as well. I need to be honest with you though–they are not as good. Not even close. Sorry, but it’s the truth. Oat flour just doesn’t have the cake-texture magic that coconut flour does. But if you insist…
For the same amount of date paste, it takes a LOT more oat flour than coconut. More than double. Because it takes so much more flour, the texture is not as light and baked-like and they dry out much faster. While I don’t recommend this swap, it is possible.
So that brings us to grain-free (or not) fruit-sweetened 2-ingredient No-Bake Cake Bites. And tack the word vegan in there somewhere too if you like. You can see why I had to condense.
Last week it was banana flour, this week coconut flour, who knows what sort of funky new flour next week might bring. Actually I know. I know and I’m excited!
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These No-Bake Cake Bites are the easiest, instant vanilla cake in snack ball form made with just 2 ingredients–a quick healthy vegan and paleo treat!
Ingredients
- 1 cup date paste
- 2/3 cup coconut flour ((*see notes for oat flour option))
- Optional: pinch of salt
- Optional: 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine the date paste and optional vanilla and salt in a mixing bowl.
- Add the coconut flour 1/4 cup at a time, mixing in between until you have a thick rollable dough that holds together when squeezed. It will be between 1/2 and 3/4 cup.
- Roll into balls.
- Eat immediately or refrigerate for a firmer texture.
- Keep in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Notes
*For the oat flour version, replace the coconut flour with approximately 1 1/2 to 2 cups oat flour. The texture will not be as light and cake-like though.
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SOOOOO much love for this recipe right off the bat, because I think we should all agree cake reigns supreme in (my) dessert land! And you know we both share a mutual love for date paste, and I couldn’t agree more about coconut flour – so cakey and perfect when used right! Which you have obviously done here. So simple, but so poppable and dangerously delicious. I’d be through a whole batch WAY too fast. And I love the pretty shimmer!! Let’s just pretend you did plan that. 🙂 Hope you’ve had a happy Monday, and if not a few of these little bites would turn it around quickly!
I am trying, TRYING to become better friends with coconut flour. I’m still very curious to try your almond + coconut combo, because almond I love almond already, but coconut is still tricky for me much of the time. It does have that cake-y texture thing going on, and we are sort of in sync again today with the cake vibes it seems 🙂 Plus dates = amazing, duh! It was a busy but good monday, and of course plenty of snacks always help! Thanks Sara <3
Oh, Natalie! You know I could talk about this love-hate coconut flour business til the end of time! Lol. Also, you totally made me chuckle with this line, “With all the weirdo flours around here lately we need a little FOF predictability, don’t you think?” YES, we sooo need some FoF comfort and familiarity. How genius are you for making these out of just 2 ingredients?? I mean, there’s no fewer amount of ingredients in a recipe. Come on! You’re soooo right about that l/h coconut flour bag lasting so long… ah, the most difficult relationships can tend to last the longest, right? Haha. Okay, enough of that overthinking business. How about we swap some treats instead, starting with these cake bites? 🙂 P.S. Thank you for the shoutout! Love ya! xoxoxo
I was actually pondering that while writing this…hmmm 1 ingredient recipe would that be possible?? It wouldn’t really be a recipe then though it would just be like here take the is food and eat it? So I’m content with 2. Lol on the difficult -> long lasting relationships thing. So perhaps coconut flour and I will one day be 90 year old ladies sitting on the porch reminiscing about the good old no bake bite making days? I’m definitely up for a treat swap, and maybe throw in a coconut flour tip or two with the sweet stuff will ya? Love ya my dear❤️❤️
Coconut flour is actual dessicated flour plz reply
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Coconut flour is very very fine, normal desiccated coconut will not work the same.
Oh, coconut flour. My nemesis! Haha!! I seriously LOVE the stuff, but goodness…SO INSANELY tricky to work with!!!! I laughed out loud because just a few days ago I attempted a coconut flour mug cake recipe I found on Pinterest and it was an epic fail. Maybe it was my oven? But I’ve literally failed at so many recipes using that stuff! OK. But these simple, little, no-bake bites look fail proof! They really do look like cake bites or donut holes and obviously adding vanilla is a must! And I love how coconut flour makes the perfect dusting – looks like sugar and makes everything look so pretty! Hehe!!! I think that gorgeous little plate pairs perfectly with these cake bites – makes them pop! My recipe list is growing, thanks to you! These look wonderful <3
Awww poor mug cake! When coconut flour is involved I always blame it over myself or my oven or the recipe haha? Love it when it works, hate it when it fails (a.k.a. 90% of the time). This recipe is SO ridiculously simple I think that’s the only reason it was actually successful. Start easy/fail-proof and slowly but surely add in more ingredients and actual baking time–that’s my plan. I know it can do amazing stuff, browsing paleo recipes on pinterest has convinced me of that, but it definitely takes some figuring out?
SO light and fluffy! love that you used coconut flour here! The only thing I would add is to dip them in chocolate and add sprinkles 🙂
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I think that sounds like a VERY good plan! Forget 2 ingredients, sprinkles are more important 😀
These are so cute!! I’m going to mimic what Mandy said above! Pretty much everything I’ve tried in the past to bake with coconut flour has been an epic fail and just nasty. Crumbly and dry. But I’ve used it successfully in one of my peanut butter frosting and another raw chocolate dessert, so for raw it works much easier, lol! What’s funny though is I literally just bought a bag of coconut flour last weekend because Sprouts had a good price for a large bag on one of those showcase stands. So I bought it with the determination to bake with it. Then when I got home I realized I still have a huge bag of coconut flour that a company had sent me so now I have tons of flour that I don’t really ever use, hahahaha! I get so many questions about using coconut flour from readers, so I need to figure it out. I know a little goes a very long way.
Ok, sorry I totally rambled there! I’m loving these little cake bites and you know me, I’m definitely throwing in vanilla and salt, that really drives home that cake flavor! Love how simple and adorable these are! Perfect party platter food for guests!!
Lol…hmm what is Sprouts trying to tell you?? That’s how I was with the banana flour–eventually it was just taking up too much space in the cabinet, forcing me to find a way to use it since I cannot feel okay about throwing away good ingredients. I get lots of coconut flour questions too, that’s partly why I want to experiment with it more. Although I don’t think it will ever really be a good sub, it works so differently than oat or wheat. I’ve definitely had most success with it raw, but I am determined to do some baking with it. I’ve actually seen it work pretty well for breading in savory recipes too. And you have so much now, plenty to try it alllllll ways?
Two of my FAVORITE ingredients in ONE recipe!? How can I not make these!? Totally doing this this week. I can only imagine how good they are!!!
Coconut flour hasn’t necessarily made it onto my fave list yet, but I’m coming around to it?
DANG! They look so delicious! And just 2 ingredients!!
Sometimes you just need cake stat!?
Oh Natalie, I wish you knew how much simpler my life is with 2-ingredient recipes that (1) my kids will eat, (2) are portable, and (3) resemble cake. What more could I ask for?! I have tried way too many coconut flour, xyz-free, vegan, paleo, etc. recipes that sadly turn out nothing like the picture or description. Thanks for keeping it simple and being my best go-to recipe blog pal 🙂
Aw I am so happy to hear it Becky, your comment put a big smile on my face! I am happy that these sorts of easy peasy snacks can make your life a little bit easier. Ha yes I have had so many coconut flour fails too, that’s why I kept these so simple–not even going to give that stuff a chance to mess me up again 😀 I hope you and your kids enjoy!
Oh my, these look beyond perfect ? And you probably know I feel much the same about coconut flour, hence it really only gets used in no-bake dessert bites and such ?.
Yes I think prefer it when coconut flour stays far away from the oven too 😀
OMG Natalie, are you serious?! 2 ingredients?! Thats not possible!! 😮 I will check out your video tomorrow, for now I will dream of these beautiful balls which look so delicious. PS: I have the same love/hate relationship with coconut flour 😀
I hope you had a good nights rest with lots of delicious snack dreams…or other fun dream topics? Yes, so easy right!? The only kinda coconut flour recipe I can pull off, but I’m okay with that!
I tried it with lemon zest instead of vanilla, and lemon juice in the date paste. It was really good! I bet a version with cocoa powder to make it chocolatey would be good, too!
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The lemony brightness sounds delicious, great idea!! I can’t wait to make a chocolatey variation too?
Love these bites!!! When it said two ingredients, i just knew it was coconut flour and dates!! I just made something with that combo but didn’t think to even stop at just that. These sound wonderful and so easy! Need to try them soon!
Ha I almost did the same thing!! I was dreaming up some sort of truffle with coatings and toppings and all that jazz but then was like WAIT. Stop. Post the basic 2 ingredient one first 😀 But now that that’s out of the way, bring on all the fun variations!!
Hey! Is there any other ingredient I can use other than coconut flour?
No other flour works quite the same as coconut flour unfortunately, it absorbs moisture and has a really unique cake-like texture. You can try it with oat flour or almond flour but you will have to add more flour (almost double when I tried it with oat) and they will be much more dense/heavy.
Hi Natalie, I made the lemon version of these that another commenter posted about above, and they are SO GOOD! And they were so easy! I think I’ll try adding lime juice and lime zest to my next batch and I have pretty good feeling they are going to taste like key lime pie 🙂 I think I’ll also try a mint chocolate and orange chocolate version…so many flavor possibilities. Thanks for creating this awesome recipe!
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I am so happy you liked them! So many fabulous flavor ideas, I especially like the sound of that chocolate mint one. I have every intention of posting more variations of these too, just haven’t gotten around to it yet. Happy experimenting and no-bake cake snacking 🙂
Thank you very much for this recipe! Very simple and tasty!
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I am so happy you liked them!! Homemade snacking doesn’t get much easier than these delicious little guys 🙂
Yes, true! And now I’m looking forward to try this recipe DATE-SWEETENED VEGAN RICE CRISPY TREATS, since it reminds me one sweet (with a lot of sugar and flour))) from my previous not-so-healthy times :))
Made these this afternoon and they are great!! Thanks!!
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I am so happy you like them Alexandria! Such a super simple little snack, right? I had almost forgotten about these, so thanks for reminding me 🙂