This recipe is excerpted from Diabetes Create Your Plate Meal Prep Cookbook by Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, FAND. Photographs by Alison Lima. Used with permission of Robert Rose Books. All rights reserved.

Bites or balls are easy to whip together, which makes them an ideal meal prep dish. They're perfect for making while another dish is cooking, especially since they do not require the use of the stove.

You'll Need

1 ⁄4 cup (60 mL) pitted dates
1 ⁄4 cup (60 mL) almond butter or walnut butter
1 ⁄2 cup (125 mL) gluten-free large flake (old-fashioned) rolled oats
1 ⁄3 cup (75 mL) raw or unsalted roasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, grated
1 Tbsp (15 mL) canola oil
1 Tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract
1 ⁄2 Tsp (2 mL) ground cinnamon
1 ⁄8 Tsp (0.5 mL) ground nutmeg
1 ⁄8 Tsp (0.5 mL) sea salt
1 ⁄4 cup (60 mL) raisins
2 Tbsp (30 mL) unsweetened coconut flakes

Pro Tip: If you prefer, swap the raisins for chopped dried apricot halves or dried tart cherries.

How to Make It

Grab your food processor.
Add the dates, nut butter, rolled oats, walnuts, carrots, oil, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt to a food processor and purée until the mixture reaches a smooth consistency. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl.
Add the raisins to the date mixture and fold to incorporate.
Spread the coconut flakes onto a large plate.
Using clean hands, form 2 tbsp (30 mL) of the mixture into a 11 ⁄2-inch (4 cm) ball and gently roll the top into the coconut mixture. Repeat for the remaining mixture, making a total of 12 balls.

TO STORE: In six small containers, add two bites. Cover the containers and refrigerate to allow the bites to set for at least 15 minutes before eating. Store the bites for up to 5 days the refrigerator.

TO SERVE: Enjoy cold.