Today’s post is from Amanda. I have no idea how I even found Amanda’s blog originally, but we both started blogging around the same time, I was in love with her photographs and we soon figured out that we pretty much had led parallel, mid 20s crises.

Nothing like bonding over food and life turmoil.

Amanda’s bringing you some delicious cookie dough balls today that just so happen to be Nutella inspired. How appropriate as I’m frolicking around Italy, right? She also refers to me as the queen of balls in this post. It’s probably weird to say I take that as a compliment but, I do.

On to the balls…

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These no-bake nutella cookie dough balls are a surprisingly healthy decadent treat.

Hi! I’m Amanda and I blog over at Pickles & Honey.

During the last two years, I quit my 9-5, moved from Boston to San Francisco and then back again, and left safe, but stagnant to pursue what I love – writing, specifically about healthy food, with a heavy emphasis on dessert!

Gina and I met through our blogs last fall, when I had just started mine and Gina was one of only a handful of readers. I clicked over to Vazet and it was love at first post – Gina’s recipes use a lot of my favorite flavor combinations and her personality really shines through in her honest, no-nonsense style of writing. I totally appreciate her sense of humor and sarcasm.

Seeing as how Gina is the queen of balls (sorry, I couldn’t resist!), I knew I needed to add to her ever-expanding ball recipe collection. I’ve been on a big nut butter kick recently – almond, walnut, cashew, good old-fashioned peanut butter – but it had been way too long since I made a batch of my Vegan Nutella.

Craving that classic combination of roasted hazelnuts and chocolate, I decided to use those flavors to create Nutella-inspired snack bites.

I made a couple of variations: one paleo-friendly, one with gluten-free oats, and both vegan.

The paleo version was good, but the oats took these from sticky chocolate-hazelnut-date balls to what can only be described as a mix between a rich, Nutella cookie dough and a dense, almost fudge-like brownie.

And yet, these little unassuming balls have zero processed sugar.

Medjool dates are kind of magical like that. Chocolate dates are also a great snack on their own for an even simpler snack.

Rolled in some finely chopped hazelnuts for a little crunch, I’ve been loving these as a pre-workout snack, a post-dinner dessert, and the other day, I even ate a couple for breakfast when I was on a never-ending conference call.

Just try to time it so that you’re not eating one moments before you have to present.

Talking with a Nutella ball stuck to the roof of your mouth can make for some really awkward client interactions.

Thank goodness for almond milk to wash it all down. Next time I make these, I’m going to try a double Nutella effect by dipping them in some homemade vegan nutella then rolling in the chopped hazelnuts. I’m salivating just thinking about it.