SHARE
Bliss Balls were one of the first vegan desserts I came to know and love. Ever since I discovered that dates and nuts could be combined to create such beautiful little things, I was hooked. I experimented with every flavour I could think of. I blended in all of my superfoods; maca, acai, cacao, hemp, chia, and so on. I dried different kinds of dried fruits like dates, apricots, figs and raisins. These little balls would keep be going through my Uni classes; I would always get funny looks and people asking me “What are those!? They look yummy…can I try one?”. I also love taking these Bliss Balls on plane or road trips. They are like little balls of energy and they are just so darn delicious. I really think there are endless possibilities when it comes to flavours, but this has always been my favourite (and other people’s favourites, too), because well…coconut. And chocolate. Together. Always a good idea.
Christine from Christine Pienaar Photography was awesome enough to photograph me while making these little goodies. Christine is one of the most talented photographers I know, and she has a Facebook page full of some serious wedding inspo to prove it.
As you can see, my food processor at home was super tiny! It still worked wonders. The one I have now, in Berlin is bigger and it works great too. The magic of these balls is that they will turn out different for everyone (but always delicious, of course) depending on the size and type of nuts you use, the kind of food processor you use and how you decide to flavour them!
I’m going to be honest. You can often find me eating the “dough” before these Chocolate Coconut Bliss Balls are even rolled into balls and popped into the freezer. The mixture is just so incredibly gooey and caramely and fan-freaking-tastic. Oh, and have I mentioned they are the perfect little gift? I love making a Chocolate Hazelnut version or a Lemon Coconut version for gifts, as those are usually the most popular flavours. But today, we will focus on what’s most important: Chocolate, of course. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed making them! X
- 1 cup almonds or cashews (or a mixture of both)
- 1 cup packed medjool dates (see notes)
- 2 tbsp raw cacao powder
- 1/4 cup desiccated unsweet coconut + another 1/4 cup for decoration
- 1 tsp maple syrup or almond butter
- A pinch of cinnamon and sea salt
- Optional: 1/4 cup of coconut oil if the mixture is not "runny" enough.
- Blend the nuts until they are ground into a flour-like substance.
- Add the dates. Blend until creamy or until the mixture forms into a ball.
- Add the raw cacao powder, coconut and maple syrup or almond butter, cinnamon and sea salt and pulse until creamy.
- Roll the mixture into small little balls.
- Roll the balls in the extra 1/4 cup coconut.
- Place the balls into a sealed tupperware in the freezer for 1 hour to set.
- Remove from freezer and set in fridge 1 hour before serving, or pack them straight from the freezer into your lunch box!
- Medjool dates are much creamier than small dried dates, so these are always the better option, in my opinion. However, medjool dates are often more expensive so regular dates will work just fine.
