Place sweet potato in steamer basket set in pot with at least 1 inch of water. Bring water to a boil and steam sweet potato until fork tender, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Alternatively, you can also boil the sweet potato until tender.

Place pecans, oats, and dates in food processor container and process until finely chopped. Add sweet potato, flaxseed, honey or maple syrup, orange zest, allspice, and salt to container and blend until mixture clumps together.

Using damp hands, form mixture into 1 inch balls. You should get about 16 balls.

Spread coconut out on plate. Roll balls in coconut and chill in refrigerator to help balls firm up. Keep chilled until ready to use.