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Home » Christmas » No Bake Almond Date Apricot Sugar Plums

No Bake Almond Date Apricot Sugar Plums

November 13, 2016 , Updated June 11, 2018 Maria 16 Comments

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No matter what visions of sugar plums you might have dancing in your head  …I would like to suggest the following … a no-bake holiday treat made with dried fruits, nuts and fragrant spices. More specifically, how about a recipe for No Bake Almond Date Apricot Sugar Plums.

A tray of No Bake Almond Date Apricot Sugar Plums.

I’m guessing this is not the vision of sugar plums that you may have had …but I assure you, this one is worth exploring …and the best part -this recipe comes together in under 30 minutes.

It all starts with some roasted almonds. I don’t know about you, but we can easily go through that big bag of Costco almonds in one month. Homemade Almond Butter, Cocoa Dusted Almonds and of course the Almond Biscotti are just a few of the recipes that I make on a monthly basis. And with the holidays quickly approaching …well we usually consume a lot more almonds!

So, once you have coarsely chopped up the roasted almonds, it’s simply a matter of measuring and chopping up the other ingredients. In actual fact, I prefer to use my kitchen shears to “cut” the dates and the apricots before I place them in my food processor. In the past, I have tried using my knife to give them a quick chop but due to the nature of these wonderfully sticky foods, it’s a cleaner cut with the shears.

The mixture for the No Bake Almond Date Apricot Sugar Plums.

Place all of your ingredients in your food processor and pulse until your mixture forms a clump; transfer this fragrant mixture and with the use of the smallest scooper, it’s time to dish out some sugar plums.

The rolled Sugar Plums without the sugar.

With damp hands, roll each section into a 1 inch ball.

Rolling the sugar plums in the sugar.

Once this is complete, roll each individual ball in some coarse sugar. Feel free to make smaller or bigger balls. You can also roll these No Bake Almond Date Apricot Sugar Plums in icing sugar, desiccated coconut or for more decadence, chocolate. Today, I decided to use turbinado sugar.

Individual sugar plums are glittery.

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See how easy that was! When I am ready to serve them, I like to place these little glitter balls in festive truffle liners.

No Bake Almond Date Apricot Sugar Plums in a dish.

Origins of the recipe for No Bake Almond Date Apricot Sugar Plums:

I found the original recipe for these No Bake Almond Date Apricot Sugar Plums in a Canadian magazine called Homemakers. Unfortunately, this magazine is no longer in publication, but for the decade or so that I had my subscription, I picked up some wonderful recipes. After so many years, they are still appreciated by family and friends.

The original recipe did not include any spices. So I added a hint of cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg along with the zest of an orange.

I was initially drawn to this recipe for a couple of reasons:

1-It’s a no bake recipe (with the exception of the roasted almonds);

2-Offers a slightly healthier option when included in your cookie platter;

Sugar Plums placed bright red foil cups.

3-Can be made in less than half an hour;

4-These No Bake Almond Date Apricot Sugar Plums make fantastic hostess gifts;

5-As long as you keep the proportions of nuts and dried fruit constant, you can easily swap some of the ingredients. Dried cranberries, raisins, prunes, walnuts, etc …are all wonderful alternatives.

6-They can be made well ahead of the holiday rush and frozen. When putting your Holiday platter together, it’s just a question of removing them from the freezer and rolling them in some glittery sugar. How convenient is that!

My holiday cookie platter would not be complete without these chewy, fragrant No Bake Almond Date Apricot Sugar Plums. Enjoy!

Overhead view of the No Bake Almond Date Apricot Sugar Plums.

A tray of No Bake Almond Date Apricot Sugar Plums
5 from 1 vote
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No Bake Almond Date Apricot Sugar Plums

My holiday cookie platter would not be complete without these chewy, fragrant No Bake Almond Date Apricot Sugar Plums. Enjoy!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 24 servings
Calories 73 kcal
Author Maria Vannelli RD (shelovesbiscotti.com)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup almonds coarsely chopped and roasted (about 140 grams)
  • 1 cup dates chopped (about 140 grams)
  • 1 cup dried apricots chopped (about 140 grams)
  • 1½ teaspoon orange zest finely grated
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon ground
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice ground
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated
  • 1/4 cup turbinado sugar or more for rolling

Instructions

  1. In a food processor, combine the roasted almonds, dates, apricots, orange zest and spices.
  2. Cover and pulse until mixture is transformed into a paste.
  3. Roll mixture into a 1 inch diameter balls (about 1½ tablespoon).
  4. Roll balls in sugar.
  5. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 weeks or can be frozen (WITHOUT rolling in the sugar) for up to 3 months.

Recipe Notes

To roast almonds: Place almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet in a preheated oven at 300℉ for about 20 minutes. Move almonds around a few times while they are roasting.

Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used. 

*adapted from Homemakers Magazine

Nutrition Facts
No Bake Almond Date Apricot Sugar Plums
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 73 Calories from Fat 27
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 5%
Potassium 145mg 4%
Total Carbohydrates 11g 4%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars 9g
Protein 1g 2%
Vitamin A 3.9%
Vitamin C 0.3%
Calcium 2.1%
Iron 2.4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks for dropping by,

Ciao for now!

Maria 🙂

 

No Bake Almond Date Apricot Sugar Plums

 

Christmas, Desserts almond, homemade

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Comments

  1. Mary says

    November 13, 2016 at 07:49

    And it’s gluten free! ! Yay!! 🙂

    Reply
    • Maria says

      November 13, 2016 at 09:59

      Yes!!! Enjoy Mary! Thanks for dropping by ♥

      Reply
  2. Diane says

    November 13, 2016 at 16:25

    Quelle belle recette, j’ai hâte de la faire pour mes réceptions du Temps des Fêtes. Merci Maria pour le partage!

    Reply
    • Maria says

      November 13, 2016 at 21:15

      Toujours un plaisir Diane! Merci 🙂

      Reply
  3. Barbarito-Levitt Paula says

    November 14, 2016 at 21:02

    Absolutely every ingredient that I adore – gluten free and vegan as well. In one delicious bite you have brought your readers something quite special.

    Reply
    • Maria says

      November 14, 2016 at 21:47

      You are too kind …thanks so much Paula 🙂

      Reply
  4. Marie-Pierre Breton says

    November 16, 2016 at 05:32


    I’m all about almond for dessert! and plum or dates with it just is the perfect match! With a touch of yours (cinnamon) and nutmeg to make it a perfect contender for the desserts table this holiday season!

    Reply
    • Maria says

      November 16, 2016 at 05:47

      I am like you Marie-Pierre…I love using almonds! Appreciate your comment 🙂

      Reply
  5. Carrie says

    November 16, 2016 at 06:29

    A no-bake holiday treat for the cookie plate? That is genius!! Love how these glitter on the plate, I think that they will be a great addition to our cookie plates this year!

    Reply
    • Maria says

      November 16, 2016 at 07:07

      Thanks Carrie! Hope you like them! Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂

      Reply
  6. Mardi (eat. live. travel. write.) says

    November 16, 2016 at 06:36

    I have a number of similar recipes in my repertoire and I love them at holiday time because 1. they are so easy to make and 2. they are gluten free which is useful for when your guests can’t eat gluten – so many holiday dessert tables are full of things they can’t eat!

    Reply
    • Maria says

      November 16, 2016 at 07:09

      I totally agree! It’s so much fun to offer choices to guests during the holiday season. Appreciate your comment 🙂

      Reply
  7. Ayngelina Brogan says

    November 17, 2016 at 00:59

    I usually avoid making dessert because there are so many opportunities for it to go wrong but these look really easy to make!

    Reply
    • Maria says

      November 17, 2016 at 20:23

      Yes! They are really easy to make …and take no time at all. Appreciate your comment Ayngelina 🙂

      Reply
  8. Mary Frances Ellison says

    December 7, 2017 at 12:56

    Thanks for this recipe – I’ve been looking for it for ages! My mom made these back in the late 1970s/early 1980s and she certainly subscribed to Homemakers magazine (we were from Burlington, Ont); I have a childhood memory of the sugar coating having a pinkish hue … I suppose I could try to find a coloured sanding sugar!

    Happy Holidays

    Reply
    • Maria says

      December 7, 2017 at 13:06

      My pleasure Mary 🙂 I was very disappointed when Homemakers magazine closed up shop. A colored sanding sugar would definitely make it festive looking. Hope it brings back some fond memories. Best holiday wishes to you and yours! Thanks for dropping by 🙂

      Reply

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About Maria

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Hello and Welcome to She Loves Biscotti!
I'm Maria: dietitian and full time content creator. Join me as I share traditional Italian recipes from my youth, to modern twists on classics using fresh and seasonal ingredients.

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