Recipe: Choc Chia Bliss Balls

Posted on 14 June, 2017

Bliss balls!

They’ve been a super popular ‘healthy’ snack for the past few years now. We often get asked to analyse bliss ball recipes and sometimes, they’re just as high in fat, sugar and energy as a Mars Bar! So, we thought we’d put together a combination of our own! Healthy Eating Hub style!

Do you ever get caught with the afternoon munchies or struggle with sugar cravings? Sometimes the best way to handle them is to just grab something sweet and eat it slowly and mindfully, enjoying every mouthful. It’s even better if your sweet morsel is created from whole foods and contains a good amount of protein and fibre as well. This means that it’ll not only provide you with a little bit of energy, but it’ll also help you feel full and satisfied and get you through to your next meal without feeling the need to overeat.

These Choc Chia Bliss Balls are sweetened with dried cranberries and besides the two teaspoons of coconut oil (which helps them set in the fridge) they’re made completely from whole foods. Raw cocoa, or cacao, is actually a pretty good source of protein, which helps these little bites of yumminess keep you feeling satisfied until dinner! Enjoy!

Choc Chia Bliss Balls

Ingredients (makes 18 balls)

• 100g cranberries
• 1/4 cup black chia seeds
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 30g shredded coconut (no added sugar)
• 1 cup macadamias, crushed
• 30g cacao powder
• 2 tsp. coconut oil

Method

• Combine the cranberries, chia seeds and boiling water into a bowl. Allow them to soak for 5-10 minutes.
• Place the coconut, crushed macadamias, cacao, coconut oil, vanilla essence and the cranberry and chia seed mix into a food processor. Blend on high until thoroughly combined. It will resemble brownie batter!
• Once the mixture has a sticky and moist texture to it, refrigerate for 30 mins. This allows the fat to settle and makes it easier to shape the bliss balls.
• Roll about 2 tsp worth of the mixture into balls (20g each), then lightly roll them in black chia seeds.
• Allow to sit in your fridge to set for about 20 minutes. Enjoy with a tea or coffee.

Recommend serve for a snack is two balls.

Nutritional info per 20g Bliss Ball

• Energy: 450kJ (108 Cal)
• Carbohydrate: 5g (4g sugars)
• Protein: 2g
• Fat: 9g (2g saturated)
• Fibre: 2g

For a downloadable version of this recipe, and for more healthy delicious recipes, visit the Healthy Eating Hub website.