Bliss Balls, Chocolate Balls, ‘Rum’ Balls, Tuffles; whatever you like to call them – they are delicious! There are approximately 4 million recipes online for different versions of these, and here’s why I like mine.
1. My recipe uses no dates. I don’t really have a problem with dates eaten in moderation, they are delicious and a natural fruit. They are however extremely sweet, and I find can often take over the flavour of raw desserts.
2. These balls are PACKED full of protein, good fats and nutrition from the nuts, seeds and tahini.
3. They are not overly sweet, and make use of the wonderful cinnamon, not only for flavour but to help with balancing blood sugar.
4. They are incredible easy to make, versatile, and use ingredients that you most likely have hanging around in your cupboard.
5. They are delicious and family friendly! If you need them for school lunches, just sub out the nuts with extra seeds.
So there you have it. Five great reasons to try out these balls. We have a birthday party coming up!!! (very exciting – any ideas welcome!) and so I fashioned them into ‘pops’ with the use of a fancy straw – kid appeal – very high – job done.
Raw Chocolate Ball Pops
½ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup hemp seeds (or quinoa flakes or pepitas)
¼ cup brazil nuts (or macadamias, cashews etc)
¼ cup tahini or almond butter (I used black tahini)
2 tbs chia or flax seeds
¼ cup coconut–desiccated, plus extra for rolling
2 ½ tbs raw cacao powder
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ cup of rice syrup or honey, or to taste
A pinch of sea salt
Up to a tbs water – depending on consistency
Blitz the nuts and seeds in a food processor or blender. Transfer to a bowl and add all other ingredients except the water. Combine well, and add a little water if needed – the consistency should be firm enough to hold together nicely. Roll into walnut-sized balls, and then roll in a little extra coconut. You can mix it up however you like, and stick in a fun straw to make ‘pops’, or roll in chia seeds, etc.
OTHER EXCITING OPTIONS:
Add some spirulina and peppermint oil and you have choc-mint balls (thanks for the idea Naturopop!)
Add a few goji berries, dried mulberries, blueberries or any other dried fruit you like.
Add a few drops of colour to the coconut that you roll it in at the end for colourful balls! I normally use beetroot juice for pink/red, spirulina in a tiny amount of water for green, turmeric for yellow, and blueberries for blue. There are also some lovely natural food colourings available, Hopper is one good brand that I know.
Press into a dish and use as a slice rather than balls if you prefer.
Enjoy! x
Ooh, I really love your version, they’re a nice change-up of ingredients. I like traveling with a sweet snack like this because they really pack a nutritional punch when I feel l need it even more than usual. I may add some maca in as well. I was wondering though, do these come out stickier or are they pretty much the same as other chocolate balls? Thanks for the fun recipe, I think I’ll make them for my trip to the US in a few weeks!
Hi Katie,
Thanks for you comment!
Yes, macs, great!
Yes – these are a slightly stickier version than many that are around, but you can adjust to your liking.
Have a wonderful trip to the US.
x
Hi Meg – I made these last night and they were really simple to put together. I like the creaminess from the cacao, tahini combo. And will try to grind the nuts a little more finely next time! Taking them with me on my flight in a few days…thanks for a great recipe!
Great Katie! Thanks for the feedback. x
I made these last night Meg, the best chocolate ball recipe I’ve come across! I was looking for one just the other week without dates because I find them too sweet, so this is perfect, thanks!
Aweseome Hayley! I feel the same about dates in things like this – so happy you loved them!! x
Hi There! These truffles are amazing! I refuse to call them balls because it makes me think of those particular male organs… I made these as Christmas gifts for friends and family and so far people are loving them. I want to share the variations I made to your recipe. First I used cashew as the nut and activated them two days prior before making truffles. That is, I soaked raw cashews overnight in water and sea salt, then dried in a low oven for 12 hours. I used hemp seeds; almond butter and flax seed meal instead of whole flax seeds because we cannot digest flax seeds due to their smooth exterior. I toasted the coconut and used it both inside and out. I also used more water than you call for because my mixture was a bit dry. Then I rolled balls in combo of toasted coconut and chopped chocolate chips to really hit that chocolate punch! They are delicious and I’ve been storing them at room temp inside a sealed plastic container. So far, after two days they taste great.
Fabulous!
These look great ! How do I keep them formed together ? Refrigerate it dehydrate ?
Thanks
Cassandra
Hi Cassandra, they should just stick together as is. Then keep them refrigerated once they are made, they should keep for a good few days.
Delish! What a nice change. I was a bit over the usual date/cacao combo – love these!
Hi Sally – me too! So glad you approve. x
So i just bought the 21 day cleanse and i’m starting tomorrow! i’m so excited to kick-start my body and hopefully shed a few lbs. I love your blog and these raw chocolate balls look fabulous! New follower here
http://www.handmadeintheheartland.com/
Hi Angela, thanks for the lovely comment – I hope you love the updated version of the cleanse – we’re so happy with it! x
Hi Meg…is the raw Cacao safe for little ones given how potent Cacao is? Will they still sleep?? Thanx
Hi Marnie, it just depends on the sensitivity. I find this amount absolutely fine, but I am also not giving it just before bed. You could replace with carob powder if you are concerned. x