Coconut Date Rolls are an easy homemade sweet made with naturally sweet dates, desiccated coconut and cardamom powder. They come together in no time and are a perfect choice for festive treats and everyday snacking.
Love festive treats? Try my Moong Dal Ladoo, Coconut Ice, Akhrot Ka Halwa and Chena Murki.
Quick Look: Coconut Date Rolls Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 5 Minutes
- Total Time: 15 Minutes
- Servings: 10
- Difficulty: Easy, perfect for festive celebrations.
- Dietary info: Vegetarian, egg-free.
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What are Coconut Date Rolls?
Coconut date rolls are a simple Indian-style sweet made with dates, desiccated coconut, a little bit of ghee and a pinch of cardamom powder. This recipe is one of the easy and healthy Indian sweet recipes for those who are looking to avoid white sugar.
Dates are cooked in a little bit of ghee until soft and mixed with coconut and cardamom powder to make a sweet mixture. The cooked mixture is rolled into balls or oval rolls and coated with extra desiccated coconut.
These coconut rolls get their sweetness from dates, so there is no need to add extra sugar. They are super easy to prepare and require only a couple of ingredients. If you enjoy preparing easy dessert recipes, try my Chocolate Chip Coconut Ladoo, Custard Rasgulla, Custard Gulab Jamun, and Chocolate Peda.
Why you'll love this recipe:
- Made with just 4 everyday ingredients.
- This recipe doesn't require any refined sugar.
- Super easy to make and can be a great edible gift during Indian festivals such as Diwali or Rakhi.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Dates - Dates are the main ingredient in this recipe. They add natural sweetness and a soft texture to the coconut date rolls. Use fresh, good-quality, soft pitted dates for the best flavor and texture.
If you love adding dates to your desserts, you might also enjoy my Chestnut Chocolate Truffles, Eggless Dates Cake and Sugar Plums.
Desiccated Coconut - Desiccated coconut is dried, finely shredded coconut. It adds a wonderful coconut flavor to the date balls. Make sure you are using unsweetened desiccated coconut. Do not substitute it with fresh coconut, as it has a lot of moisture.
If you are looking for some easy Diwali sweets using desiccated coconut, try my Mango Coconut Ladoo, Paan Ladoo, and Biscoff Ladoo.
Ghee - Ghee is clarified butter commonly used in Indian cooking. It helps soften the dates while cooking and adds a rich buttery aroma. You can use a plant-based alternative like vegan butter or coconut oil if you prefer a vegan version.
Cardamom - A pinch of ground cardamom adds a sweet, aromatic flavor. You can skip it or substitute it with ground cinnamon, vanilla extract or ground nutmeg.
Variations
Mix some finely chopped and roasted almonds, cashews or pistachios for added crunch.
You can also replace some of the desiccated coconut with roasted peanut powder.
Add a small amount of unsweetened cocoa powder for a chocolate variation.
Add a few drops of vanilla extract instead of cardamom for a mild vanilla flavor.
You can also roll them in colorful sprinkles or chocolate sprinkles.
Tips & Notes:
- Use fresh and high-quality ingredients for the best results.
- Use soft and moist dates for the best texture and easy grinding.
- Use a heavy-bottomed wide pan to prevent burning.
- Cook the date paste over a low flame to prevent it from burning.
- If the dates are too soft, mash them with a fork instead of grinding.
- Add more desiccated coconut if you feel the date coconut mixture is sticky and hard to roll.
- Grease your hands while shaping the rolls if needed.
Serving Suggestions
Date coconut rolls can be served as a sweet treat after lunch or dinner. It can also be served along with a cup of hot tea or coffee.
They are also a wonderful choice for festive occasions and family gatherings.
They are a great addition to your Diwali sweet platter along with other Indian sweets like Rava Khoya Ladoo, Makkan Peda, Bread Kaja and Kesar Peda.
Storage Suggestions
Transfer the shaped date coconut rolls to an airtight container and store them at room temperature for a week. These store well in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. If you want to store them for longer, store in the freezer for 3 months.
More Dessert Recipes
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Coconut Date Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Chopped Dates
- ½ Cup Desiccated Coconut + ¼ cup extra for rolling
- 1 Teaspoon Ghee
- A Pinch of Cardamom Powder
Instructions
- Add the chopped dates to a blender and grind them to a smooth or slightly coarse paste. You can choose the texture depending on your preference.
- Heat the ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add the ground date paste and cook for about 5 minutes or until soft on a low flame.
- Add the ½ cup of desiccated coconut and cardamom powder to the cooked date mixture. Mix everything well until the coconut is evenly combined.
- Remove it from the heat and let it cool completely.
- Take small portions of the date mixture and shape them into round balls or oval rolls using your hands. Grease your hands if needed.
- Place the remaining ¼ cup of desiccated coconut on a plate and roll each shaped date coconut roll in the coconut until it is evenly coated.
Notes
- Use soft and moist dates for the best texture and easy grinding.
- Cook the date paste over a low flame to prevent it from burning.
- If the dates are too soft, mash them with a fork instead of grinding.
- Add more desiccated coconut if you feel the date coconut mixture is sticky and hard to roll.
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates only.
Saswati Hota says
That's a keeper recipe ..so simple yet tasty for sure.thanks.
Sowmia pragash says
What a healthy roll... Bookmarked it.. Lightened lamp in the background brings more charm to the pic..
Aliza says
Pls give me more dates recipes
Hari Chandana Ponnaluri says
Sure, will post more for you. Thank you! 🙂
Reena says
Date and coconut rolls stays fresh for how many days
Hari Chandana Ponnaluri says
Hi Reena, they will stay fresh for a day. finish them off as soon as you can. sorry for my late reply. Have a nice day. Thank you! 🙂