Chocolate, Mint and Coconut Bliss Balls

Whether you want to hit that afternoon sweet craving  or need a quick energy boost pre-workout, these little balls have got you covered!

Like previous Bliss Ball recipes I have posted (see here, here and here... yes I'm apparently a fan!) these bad boys are packed with healthy fats and protein but are also quite calorie dense, so try not to eat the whole batch in one sitting! Everyone can use a willpower workout every now and then right?!

Any who, I whipped these up in a bit of a hurry today (hence why the photos were taken on my new phone...my bad) and they were balled up and chilling in the fridge in 5 minutes flat. It doesn't get much quicker than that folks. Plus they are gluten and dairy free so even those with delicate stomachs can have at it.       

 Enjoy!

 

Chocolate, Mint and Coconut Bliss Balls 

Ingredients:

1 cup pitted dated
1 cup raw nuts (I used a mix of cashews and walnuts)
1/4 cup dried coconut
1/4 cup cacao
1/4 cup oats
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves (loosely packed)
1 Tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Makes about 15 balls depending on the size



Throw everything in a food processor and blitz until well chopped. Roll into individual sized balls and eat as they are or refrigerate to firm up. 

That's it! So freakin simple! 

The Guilt Free Birthday!

A couple of weeks ago my sister and I met up with my dad in celebration of his 50...(something)th birthday and decided we would make him a cake and take it along with us. Somehow the 'we' turned into a  me ... still not sure how that happened!



Now a few years ago my dad underwent some sort of reawakening and became a bit of a gym junkie, (call it a midlife crisis if you will) and ever since has dropped a ton of weight through both his new found love affair with the gym and cleaning up his eating habits.

I knew if I went ahead and made a traditional birthday cake (with all the buttery, chocolaty, sugary deliciousness one would normally find in such a dessert) he wouldn't really want to eat it but would still smile and munch it down just so I didn't feel bad. Not quite the gift you want to give someone on their birthday! So instead I started scouring the net for some healthy recipes and believe me there are a TON out there! 

In the end I stumbled upon a recipe at www.rachaelmegan.com (which I think she had adapted from yet another site) which I decided to use, with a few adjustments! It is raw, vegan, gluten free and dairy free but absolutely delicious. You can also decorate it however you want, with fresh berries, nuts or even a dodgy piped message and some raw truffles (see the recipes for them here) like I did.

I will give you one warning. Even with my adjustments this cake is still incredibly rich and though I used a cake tin which resulted in the cake being quite shallow I could only handle one small slice at a time! Even die hard chocoholics out there will struggle, I think it took my dad about a week to finish the thing off...

 

 

Rich chocolaty goodness!

That said, you will love every mouth-watering bite so sit back, strap yourself in and brace for the cocoa impact!

The Dad Friendly Chocolate Cake

For the Base:

 

140g raw cashew nuts, finely ground

7 pitted dates

65g cacao powder

1 tsp vanilla extract (or the seeds of a vanilla pod)

For the Chocolate Filling:

 

60g good quality cocoa powder

2 tsp vanilla extract

125ml almond milk

250g lightly chopped cashews

5 pitted dates

100ml coconut oil, melted

200ml pure maple syrup**

** Note: You may not need to add all of the syrup depending on the brand of cocoa you use because some will be more bitter than others and will need more or less syrup to balance it out. Just taste the mix as you add the syrup a bit at a time and stop when you think its sweet enough




To make the base grease and line a 20cm x 10cm loaf tin (or a 20cm round cake tin). Blitz all the base ingredients in a food processor until well chopped and combined and then press into the bottom of the tin.

Pop the tin into the fridge while you make the filling.

To make the filling,  blend the cashews, maple syrup, almond milk and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Add the cacao powder and coconut oil and continue to blend until the whole mix in smooth.

Spread the chocolate filling over the base so that you have a smooth top (use a spatula to smooth the mixture and you can even tap the tin gently on the bench top to help get that perfect finish).

Refrigerate the cake overnight (or, if need be, for at least 6-7 hours) to set

Take the cake out of its tin and let it sit at room temperature for 30min before serving.

Slice that sucker up and enjoy!

    xo

Let the Rawsome Roll On!

So not 24 hours ago I posted a recipe for some Rawsome Bliss Balls and after receiving many positive comments I decided to keep the health ball rolling (see what I did there!).

As it so happens my sister is flying out for work tomorrow and was after some healthy snack ideas to take away with her. Cue an excited me! I raided my kitchen for whatever nuts and fruits I had lying around and upon spying my bottles of rose and orange-blossom water, decided we were taking a trip to the Middle East (or at least in that general flavour-inspired direction!).

Here are a couple of new flavour combinations I came up with which are both delicious but are also  raw, so all you Rawsome people rejoice!

Wow. These terrible puns are making even me want to punch myself...

Figgy-Orange Bliss Balls

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Pitted Dates
4 Dried Figs
1/2 cup Dried Apricots 
1/2 cup Pistachios 
1 tsp Orange-Blossom Water 

Method:

Blitz all the ingredients in a food processor until well chopped. Mould into small, walnut sized balls with your hands and refrigerate until firm. 



 

Apricot and Coconut Bliss Balls

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Dried Apricots 
1 cup Cashews
1/4 cup Dessicated Coconut, plus extra to roll in
1 tsp Rose Water
1/2 tsp Orange-Blossom Water 

Method:

Blitz all the ingredients in a food processor until well chopped. Mould into small, walnut sized balls with your hands, roll them in extra coconut

and refrigerate until firm. 

 

Rawsome Bliss Balls!

 Whilst a lot of the food I blog about tends to fall on the on the fatty side of the gastronomic equation, 99% of the time I actually follow a really healthy diet!

However, every now and then I do get a craving for something sweeter - and if I can satisfy that craving without adding unnecessary calories (and hours at the gym!) all the better.



So, if like me you're trying to watch your diet but during the day you still find your hand sliding into the biscuit barrel or hit 3pm and are craving a chocolate fix - this could be the solution for you!

     

A Rawsome Bliss Ball

The Rawsome Bliss Ball.

Made with 100% natural ingredients and with no added sugar or the preservatives you would find in most processed snack foods, these chocolate balls are a delicious snack you can munch on without the standard guilt trip!

They are packed with protein to keep your energy up and help you feel fuller for longer and can be whipped up in just minutes. As an added bonus they also fit the requirements for anyone following a 'Raw' diet (basically a diet consisting of foods which retain their nutrients and health benefits because they are all unprocessed and uncooked).

This is the basic recipe I use but you can feel free to add different combinations of nuts, seeds, berries or whatever your imagination can come up with!

So, here's what you need...

Ingredients

1 cup of dates, pitted
1 cup of raw nuts (hazelnuts, almonds, cashews etc.)
2 tbsp organic cacao powder 
1 tbsp pure maple or agave syrup* (optional - depending on how sweet you like your snacks!)


Simply put all ingredients in a food processor and blitz until totally chopped. Then use your hands to shape the mixture into walnut-sized balls and refrigerate until firm.

Before putting them in the fridge I also roll them in some extra cacao powder but you could decorate them however you want. I'm even thinking about dipping them in chocolate and giving them to friends at Christmas!    

Enjoy! xo