Take two of my favourite nuts, combine them with 4 other simple ingredients, and you can produce these simple pecan & hazelnut cups. They are one of the easiest healthiest snacks to have on hand when you need a quick pick-me-up.
They don’t need baking and are great for snacks on the go or for an easy packed lunch treat.
Nutritional Highlights
✔ Vitamin E and magnesium from almond butter and hazelnuts.
✔ Healthy monounsaturated fats from hazelnuts, pecans, and almond butter.
✔ Fibre and antioxidants from buckwheat flakes, dates and nuts.
✔ Natural sugars from Medjool dates and date syrup.
What ingredients are needed to make pecan & hazelnut cups?
- Hazelnuts
- Pecans
- Medjool dates
- Almond butter
- Buckwheat flakes
- Date syrup
Once blended you can roll the mixture into balls, but if you want to make it a little fancier then press down each piece into a cupcake tray or case and top each one with a pecan. Once refrigerated they will hold their shape beautifully, as they are a little bigger than an energy ball and not as big as a full energy bar.
Why use buckwheat flakes instead of oats?
I’ve used buckwheat flakes rather than oats for this recipe. They give a slightly nutty flavour to these cups.
Despite its name, buckwheat is gluten free and is a great option if you want a change from oats.
Buckwheat is a complete protein so nutritionally, it’s a great choice for treats like this.
You can easily sub in oats if you prefer.
Storage & shelf life
These cups can be stored for about a week in an airtight container in the fridge.
Alternatively, they can be frozen too.
Recipe Tips
- I like to toast my buckwheat flakes for 10 mins in the oven before using but this is optional. They are fine to eat raw, but if you would prefer a nuttier taste then toasting them adds to this flavour.
- If you don’t have buckwheat flakes you can easily sub for oats.
- I use large soft medjool for the recipe. If your dates are harder then try soaking in boiling water for 20 minutes and draining before using.
- I have used almond butter in this recipe but if you prefer another nut or seed butter, then please substitute with that.
- I have used pecans and hazelnuts but if you would rather substitute with other nuts then this recipe is very flexible.
Pecan & Hazelnut Cups
Ingredients
- 1½ cups medjool dates (200g)
- ½ cup almond or peanut butter (120g)
- 3 tbsp date syrup
- 1 cup hazelnuts (140g)
- 1 cup pecans (115g)
- 1 cup buckwheat flakes (100g)
- Pinch sea salt optional
Instructions
- Pit the dates and add to a food processor with the almond butter and date syrup. Blend until it forms a sticky ball. It should be really soft and sticky but if it doesn’t seem sticky enough then add 1-2 tbsp of water and blend again.
- Add the nuts and buckwheat and pulse to combine. You want the nuts to be broken down a bit but not fully crushed.
- Separate into 12 balls and press down into a cupcake tray or cases. Top each one with an extra pecan half. Refrigerate to harden (you can eat straight away but I think they are nicer a bit harder).
Notes
- If preferred, this recipe can also make 24 small energy balls.
- Store in the fridge to keep them nice and hard and they will last for about a week.
- I like to toast my buckwheat flakes for 10 mins in the oven before using but this is optional. They are fine to eat raw but if you would prefer a nuttier taste then toasting them adds to this flavour.
- If you don’t have buckwheat flakes you can easily sub for oats.
- I use large soft medjool for the recipe. If your dates are harder then try soaking in boiling water for 20 minutes and draining before using.
Excellent snack! 👌
Glad you like them! Thanks so much for letting me know.