1. Put oats and cashews into a food processor or high-speed blender, and blend until they are a coarse, flour-like texture. Some small bits of oats left is okay.

2. Add maple syrup, vanilla, and salt, and blend to combine, scraping down the sides as needed. Batter will still be a bit dry and crumbly.

3. Finally, add in dates and pulse several times, just to break down and incorporate the dates a bit. You should still see small pieces of dates in the dough.

4. Dump/scrape batter into a bowl, and stir to make sure all ingredients are incorporated. If dough is very dry, mix in extra maple syrup, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the dough sticks together. I rarely ever need to do this. Scoop dough into balls using a small ice cream scoop or a spoon, then roll between your palms to make a more rounded ball.

5. Store balls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Balls are best eaten when cold, as their texture is most like cookie dough when chilled.