These muesli treats were inspired by a recipe found here in the Netherlands. Many supermarkets here have displays full of free recipe cards to encourage shoppers to buy various ingredients. That’s how I came across these cute treats made with muesli while shopping.
I quickly read the card (written in Dutch, but I always understand when it comes to food!) and decided they were definitely light. Naturally, I didn’t even consider buying ready-made muesli since I know how to make it myself, nor the jam, as fruit compotes are no longer a mystery for me!
At home, I studied the ingredient proportions a bit and decided to prepare a very simple muesli base. The result was these vegan no-bake muesli treats, quick to prepare. I was very pleased with the result: sweet enough, not cloying as I feared, and the Dutchman, who initially turned up his nose at the idea, well… 5 minutes later I found him in the kitchen with the third treat in his mouth! In fact, I only ate two out of the six made. Now I’ll show you how I made them.
You can find some other light treats here:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 6 Pieces
- Cooking methods: No-Bake
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
It’s possible to replace dates with dried plums, see the FAQ.
- 2.1 oz dates (Medjoul type, about 8 pieces)
- 0.5 oz oat flakes (or buckwheat flakes)
- 0.35 oz hazelnut pieces (or whole hazelnuts)
- 0.9 oz raisins (or dried cranberries)
- 0.9 oz pumpkin seeds
- 1.4 oz homemade orange compote (or 1 tbsp light marmalade)
- Total points = 12 WW points
- Points per treat = 2 WW points
Tools
- Bowl
- Chopper
Steps
First, remove the pit from the dates and blend them to a paste in the chopper. Then, add the oat flakes, hazelnut pieces, raisins, and pumpkin seeds to the chopper cup and blend on high speed until everything is reduced to a paste. During this process, you will need to stop a couple of times to scrape down the sides of the cup. It will take a couple of minutes in total, and the mixture should be very firm and compact at the end.
Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions, then wet your hands and form them into balls, flatten them slightly, and create a cavity in the center, just like you would for the famous nutellotti cookies or even for the Piedmontese ovis mollis. Once you have 6 treats, just add a bit of light marmalade or Orange Compote into each cavity. Place the treats in the fridge for half an hour to firm up, but they are good right away!
And here are the no-bake muesli treats ready to be enjoyed. As I mentioned in the introduction, they didn’t last long at home, but the supermarket card stated they can also be made in advance.
This close-up shows that perhaps I went a bit overboard with the orange compote! But with the Weight Watchers points, I stayed within limits, and they were so good: the contrast of the bitter orange compote with the sweet base… mmmm delicious!
These muesli treats are thus ideal for a last-minute snack, as they don’t need baking, and are also great for those who completely avoid adding fats in desserts. A couple of treats are fine for a snack, for example, but they are also a cute treat for parties. Let me know if you made them and how you filled them…
Enjoy!
by Giovanna Buono
Storage
They don’t last long with me, I usually make them and we eat them, but you can definitely prepare them 2-3 days in advance, keep them in the fridge and then fill them at the moment. If you try to freeze them, let me know how it went!
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
I don’t like dates, how can I replace them?
Medjoul type dates are not like the candied ones you may have eaten before as they are more common in Italy, so I recommend trying them; they are not cloying at all. In any case, one of my readers used dried plums, and the treats turned out just as well, but in that case, redo the Weight Watchers points calculation.
I’m gluten intolerant, which flakes can I use?
You can use certified gluten-free oat flakes or buckwheat flakes.
