I love these easy to make bites of deliciousness. All made with healthy ingredients that taste yummy so that you can enjoy these sweet treats guilt free!
Chocolate, Nut & Cranberry Energy Balls
Ingredients
These really are rough guidelines. I generally do it all by eye rather than measuring anything:
1 cup rolled oats
2 heaped tablespoons peanut butter
(or any nut butter)
1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
1 heaped dessert spoon cocoa powder
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup mixed nuts
¼ cup mixed seeds
½ teaspoon vanilla essence
Extra cocoa, flax seeds or coconut flakes to roll the balls in
Method
Mix all the ingredients together in large bowl (or a food processor if you want a smoother texture). If the mixture is too sticky add more oats, if it is too thick, add in a little more honey or peanut butter (even a drop of water) to loosen it.
Chill for 30 minutes to make the mixture easier to work with (this stage is optional).
Shape the mixture into your desired size of energy balls (mine were 2-3cm in diameter). Use a couple of spoons or an ice cream scoop for portion size and then get stuck in and roll them between your palms. This bit is messy so have some warm water and lots of soap at the ready to wash your hands! Alternatively, you could line a baking tin with grease proof paper, press the mixture evenly into it and then cut it into squares or bars once chilled and firm.
Finish by rolling the balls in some sort of dry topping to make them less sticky to pick up. I put a couple of balls at a time into an old cocoa tin with a few spoons of the topping in it and shake it about.
If you store the energy balls in an airtight container and keep them refrigerated they will last for up to a week.
You really can use anything you fancy for these energy balls (e.g. chestnuts, dates, figs, apricots - any dried fruits, desiccated coconut, hot chocolate, chocolate drops) so get creative.
The idea is that they are full of natural ingredients and taste great! Guilt free treats!