Walnut, date, and cacao spirulina balls

Ingredients

• 200 g Medjool dates, pitted (or good-quality Turkish hurma)
• 100 g raw walnut halves
• 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
• 2 g spirulina powder (about 1 teaspoon)
• Pinch of fine sea salt
• Optional: 30 g desiccated coconut or additional cacao powder for rolling

Method

1. Pulse walnuts in a food processor to a rough crumb — not paste. Remove and set aside.
2. Process the dates until they form a sticky mass, about 30 seconds.
3. Add the walnut crumb, cacao, spirulina, and salt to the dates. Pulse together until combined — the mixture should hold when pressed. Add a teaspoon of water if too dry.
4. Roll into balls approximately 25 g each (about the size of a large olive). If the mix is sticky, wet your hands slightly.
5. Roll in coconut or extra cacao if desired. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Why this pairing works

Dark cacao's deep bitterness overwhelms spirulina's subtler bitter notes — the result tastes like a rich, slightly earthy chocolate date ball. Walnuts provide texture and omega-3 fatty acids. This is the recipe that converts most spirulina sceptics in the Turkish community. The no-heat method preserves full phycocyanin.

Variations

• Add a pinch of cinnamon and cardamom for a Turkish spice flavour.
• Substitute half the walnuts with pistachios for a different texture.
• Press a single walnut half into the top before rolling for a visual match to traditional cevizli hurma.