Lemon Poppy Seed Bites
Nothing increases my appetite quite like shoveling manure all weekend long.
If you ever thought farming was romantic think again. Between the stinky manure, all of the dirt that has crept its way into our bed, and bodies that are too young to feel so old, romance goes right out the window. Did I forget to mention the crying? Yeah… I may have shed a few tears out there this weekend.
Thank god for little snacks like these lemon poppy seed bites to brighten even the toughest of days. I whipped up a batch Friday night knowing that these would come in handy this weekend. ย If you are a lemon poppy seed muffin kind of person these are the next best thing. ย We loved them so much that I actually made a second batch tonight.
I know you all are busy too and that the workweek can get overwhelming. I hope snacks like this will help get you through whatever you have to tackle. The best news is that they are ready in 10 minutes. Can’t beat that! I was inspired to make these when I saw a recipe for raw lemon bars on the lovely blog Coffee And Quinoa. I hope you enjoy these little bites as much as we do! Dig in.
Lemon Poppy Seed Bites
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 0 minutes Serves: 12 balls
- 1 cup raw walnuts
- 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut plus additional for rolling the balls
- 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup medjool dates, (about 10-12) pitted and roughly chopped
- 1-2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (start with less and add more if necessary)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Pinch of fine sea salt
Preparation
- In a food processor blend the walnuts, sunflower seeds and coconut to a coarse meal.
- Add dates, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract, pinch of salt and poppy seeds. Process until the mixture forms a rough dough that can easily hold together when pinched between your fingers.
- Taste test and add more lemon juice if necessary.
- Roll into small (1 to 1 1/2-inch) balls. Roll balls into additional coconut flakes.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes
* I cook with a taste and feel method. Use this recipe as a guide and adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary.
Love the lemon poppy seed idea! I haven’t thought about that flavor combo in years, but lately have seen it popping up all over the place again. These bites look like the perfect pick-me-up for a day on the farm…. or at my desk ๐ Sorry to hear your weekend was spent hucking manure around. I bet Henry loved it though!
These would definitely get me through long work afternoons. Great flavor combo! Hope your week proves to be better than the weekend!
Thank you! And yes, this flavor combo is delicious!
These lemon poppy seed bites sound like the perfect pick me up!
They really are the best afternoon treat!
These look delicious! I love that they’re flourless. Do you do all your cooking that way? Do you happen to know the calorie count on it? Just curious. And GOOD WORK OUT THERE! It’s all for the good.
Hi Sally,
I don’t count calories. We try to cook and eat whole unprocessed foods that come from the dirt. Thanks for your comment!
Ahaha, yes, I love this post. Dirty manure? These elegant lemon poppy seeds I’m sure were a redeeming outcome. Looks great!
Thank you!
Sounds like a not-so-fun weekend, for sure. I would cry, too. On the upside, these cookie bites look really tasty.
Sometimes tears are necessary when loads of manure and endless shoveling are happening!
Aw, shoveling poo can be romantic! Okay, no. No it can’t. But at least you look cute doing it?
I was drooling over these bites when I saw Erica’s post too. I love that you added poppy seeds!
Your weekend does sound very unromantic indeed! On the plus side though, at east you had these little balls to cheer you up – anything with lemon in it is a winner in my book ๐
We love lemon too! Such a fun and vibrant flavor!
I had already bookmarked Coffee & Quinoa’s lemon balls to try and I love your idea to make them lemon poppyseed! Can’t wait to try these!
Let me know how they turn out!
I had almost all the ingredients. (No poppy seeds, but that’s okay.) I had sunflower seed butter but no seeds. Go figure. Whipped it up in less than 10 and ate a heaping spoonful. The rest is in the fridge. I couldn’t be bothered with actually rolling them into balls. Ah, the sweet tooth is satisfied. It had been hounding me all day. THANK YOU!
So happy you enjoyed these!
Mmmmm I literally just bought poppy seeds for the first time so this is most definitely fate. I love snacking on these at work and all this fresh lemony coconut goodness is right up my alley! Pinned ๐
Hi Andrea, these look great any suggestions to replace the coconut, my husband can’t stand it? Thanks Karin
I would just leave it out! These would still be awesome.
Oooo definitely going to have to make these!! Oh, I am sorry about the tears! You look super cute and tough in your getup though ๐ I feel like you’d fit right in up here in Alaska. And Palmer is a big agricultural town, too!
Hahah! thank you!
These look like the perfect snack to recharge the body during a hard day’s work.
The only thing I’m shovelling is paperwork at the moment! These bites would be a perfect post-work, pre-workout snack though! Hope there are more smiles than tears this week.
Thank you Amy ๐
These are SO good! I’m a somewhat slow chopper so I usually allow for more time but this really was ready in 10 minutes.
These sound absolutely delicious! What a wonderful idea, I can’t wait to try them out!! ๐ (I’m also incredibly jealous that you can already be out prepping gardens and whatnot – the ground is still mostly snow covered and frozen where I live!)
Amazing! Just made my first batch about an hour ago. Now trying to exercise some self control and not eat them all at once!
Another great recipe! These do not disappoint. You’re my number one source for recipes, so glad I found this site!
these are okay, When i made them, they were too grainy good concept though
I’m sorry they didn’t work out for you. The consistency should not be grainy. We make these all the time and they are smooth. Did you process the ingredients long enough in your food processor so it formed a “dough?” I hope you give these another try since they are a family favorite and a cinch to whip up!
These are so good! Billy and I love them!! Thanks so much!
woohoo!!! so pumped!!!
I’m so excited to try these!
They would be a healthy “on the road” snack.
Hello there! I have been making these for the past year or two, I absolutly love them! They are a perfect brekfast on the go or afternoon snack! And they pair perfectly with coffee. I thought I should finally let you know how much I appreciate this recipe. And as a side note, whenever I am working in my father-in-laws garden I picture you in your garden like the pictures above, you are adorable, and I hope I look that adorable covered in dirt and in work clothes!
There doesn’t seem a lot of liquid in this to bind it? Just the lemon juice? Is that right?
That’s correct. The dates are the binding agent. I hope you enjoy these as much as we do.