Move over girl scout cookies, these minty chocolate date bites are an energizing treat perfect before a workout or to get you through the 3pm slump.

About a month ago, Bry and I were hanging out in Boulder, CO with one of my best friends from home. As we were sitting outside, enjoying the freakishly warm February weather, an adorable girl scout pulling a wagon of cookies asked if we wanted to buy any. At first we declined, as we rarely have cash on us, but then Bry realized he had a $5 and the girl was too adorable to say no to. So he quickly took back his answer and asked the girl for a box of “grasshopper cookies.” My best friend, the girl scout, and I were all so confused. Apparently, there are two companies that girl scouts get their cookies from based on the geographical location of the troop, and each company has slightly different names for the cookies. So, while I grew up in Colorado with Thin Mints, in Connecticut where Bry grew up they called them Grasshopper Cookies.

After translating my husband’s east-coast request to the girl, we enjoyed the rest of our time in Boulder, happily munching away on the minty chocolate cookies.

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Now that it’s Saint Patrick’s Day week, with minty desserts all over the place, I’ve been craving a box of Thin Mints to get me through the week. But instead of trying to track down a girl scout (I’m not even sure if they’re still out selling cookies. . .), I decided to use some of the fresh mint I had bought for my healthier shamrock protein shakes in my go-to brownie-flavored date bites.

Made from 4 simple ingredients (5 if you count a pinch of salt), these date bites are naturally sweetened with healthy fats and a bit of protein making for a perfect grab-and-go snack. The key is to pulse the mint with the cashews to make sure it distributes evenly. You’ll also notice that I list cashew pieces instead of cashews. Either will work, but I’ve found that you can get a 5 lb bag of unsalted cashew pieces cheaper than a 5 lb bag of whole cashews.

For best texture, I store my date bites in the freezer, but if you like your bites softer you can keep them in the fridge. They also travel well in mini containers, but again will soften up throughout the day.

So here’s a toast to cookie-flavored healthy snacks!

Print Recipe

Thin Mint Date Bites

Move over girl scout cookies, these minty chocolate date bites are an energizing treat perfect before a workout or to get you through the 3pm slump.

Prep Time20 mins

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Chocolate mint date bites

Servings: 16 bites

Calories: 77kcal

Author: Kelli

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted cashew pieces
• Leaves from 1 sprig of fresh mint
• Pinch Salt
• 2.5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup medjool dates
• 1-2 tablespoons water

Instructions

• Place cashew pieces and mint in food processor. Pulse into very small pieces, resembling a coarse sand texture.
• Add in salt and cocoa powder. Pulse 2-3 times until mixed through.
• Add dates and 1 tablespoon of water to processor and pulse on high until combined, forming a sticky mixture. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides of the food processor periodically. If mixture isn’t sticking together well, add additional water, 1 tsp at a time until desired consistency is achieved.
• Roll mixture into 16 tablespoon-sized balls and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place in freezer for 15 minutes.
• Remove baking sheet from freezer and move bites to a covered container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Notes

Nutrition for 1 bite: 77 calories, 4 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 10 g carb, 1 g fiber, 7 g sugar, 2 g protein