Bliss Balls ( DF, GF, SF and Egg Free)

[Linda in BC]

Linda’s Bliss Balls
• 1 cup chopped dates
• 1 cup broken pecans (or walnuts, though pecans are better)
• Approx ½ c sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds
• 1 c dried fruit ( can use Raisins, dried cranberries, dried apricots, bits of mango, whatever you have on hand)
• ¼ cup flaked coconut ( optional)
• 2 T. Nut Butter ( I use almond)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 Tblsp lemon juice
Mix the dried nuts and fruit together in a large bowl. Put in blender in small batches and pulse until finely chopped. Pour chopped nuts and fruit into another bowl as you grind them. When all the fruit is chopped add almond butter, vanilla and lemon juice. Mix together thoroughly. Squeeze into tight 1 inch balls with your hands and chill as they are, or roll in melted chocolate and chill. Putting them onto a piece of waxed paper on a plate makes it easy to get them off.
Scrumpdillyiscous!

[MBombardier]

I started to respond to this once, but then my computer went on the fritz, life happened, etc., etc. Thanks for posting these recipes, Linda!!!

I have a question on this one: Did you chop the dates yourself, or have you found that the chopped dates in the store are okay?

These look YUMMY!!!

[Linda in BC]

Hi Marliss:

I have done both, used whole dates and cut then at least in half or smaller, and used the pre-chopped dates which I found out they sold only just last week. I cut the whole ones up for two reasons 1) I would not want to chop a pit up in my bliss balls! (that happened the first time I made them) and 2) the blender seems to prefer them a llittle smaller.
I meant to preface this recipe by saying this is the mixture I came up with by looking at about 5 or 6 different recipes and it's how I like them. But I 'm going to put recipes for all the other kinds of bliss balls down underneath this one. There are many.
Linda

[Linda in BC]

Chocolate Bliss Balls Heaven in a little ball ....
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup pitted dates, unsoaked
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract or 1/2 tsp vanilla paste
tiny pinch of sea salt
Extra cocoa or coconut for rolling
Process walnut and dates in a food processor until well combined. Add oil, cocoa powder, sea salt and vanilla. Roll into small balls, and coat in cocoa or coconut. Keep in fridge.

Chocolate (cacoa) and Cashew Bliss Ball:

1/2 to 1 cup of cashews blended until smooth ( or you can cheat and buy cashew butter)
2 tablespoons of agave nectar (a natural sweetener extracted from the Mexican agave plant) or swap for honey or rice syrup
1 tspn vanilla extract
4 – 8 dates (to your taste)
2 tablespoons organic cacoa
Optional: roll in coconut
Coconut and Almond Bliss ball:
1 cup of raw almonds
1/2 cup of sunflower kernels
A small handful of pitted dates
A small handful of sultanas
2 – 4 tablespoons of honey
Roll in desiccated coconut (what the heck, add some coconut into the bliss ball as well)

Sesame Bliss Balls:

I borrowed this recipe from Deepak Chopra’s newsletter. Deepak explains that the sesame bliss balls promote a healthy digestion and purify the body – mind.
1 cup toasted sesame seeds
½ cup golden raisins or regular raisins
2 teaspoons ground ginger powder
2 inches fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1½ teaspoons ground cardamon
2½ tablespoons ghee (clarified butter) (I use and prefer ghee most of the time for my cooking)
Tahini Bliss balls:
These are one of my favourites bliss balls with a rougher surface. The best part is no blender.
1 cup of rolled oats
1/2 cup of tahini
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
2 – 4 tablespoons of honey

The Orange Juice and Date Ones you will need:
8 dates
80g mixed nuts and seeds (approx. 1 tablespoon each (for example) of sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, brazil nuts and hazelnuts)
1 orange - juiced
2 heaped tablespoons bran or wheat germ
2 tablespoons oats
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
To coat / roll in - 1 heaped tablespoon desiccated coconut or 2 tablespoons chopped nuts
Method
• Pulse in a food processor the dates, seeds and nuts until roughly chopped but not too mushed
• Spoon in to a bowl and add all else
• With damp hands firmly mould in to plum sized balls
• Coat in the coconut or nuts
• Set for 10 minutes in the fridge or until needed
• For a variation toss the balls in toasted sesame seeds or coconut
It takes about an hour to make a batch of about 30 - 35 balls - keep some in the fridge and some in the freezer as extras.

More bliss balls
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup chopped dates
• 1 cup broken pecans (or walnuts, though pecans are better)
• 1 cup crushed granola (just crunch up in hands a bit)
• 1/2 cup soft honey-style sweetener
• 1/2 cup tofu milk powder
• 1/4 cup rasins
• 8 dried apricots, cut into small pieces
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 3 cups carob chips or chocolate (or just chunks melted down)
In a large bowl thoroughly mix together all ingredients except chocolate. Roll batter into small, tablespoon size, balls.
In a microwave or double boiler melt carob / chocolate.
Quickly dip / roll each ball in the melted carob / chocolate and place on waxed paper.
Set in fridge until hard. Store in fridge and / or freezer.

[MBombardier]

My youngest daughters and I made the first recipe of bliss balls today and they have been coated in melted chocolate and are hardening right now. We will take them to our friends for Thanksgiving tomorrow. We sampled the mixture before making it into little balls and it was good but it's late so we will wait until tomorrow to try the whole thing.

My oldest daughter is allergic to corn, and the family where we are going has a daughter who is lactose-intolerant. These will be a nice treat. Thanks again for posting these recipes!

[Linda in BC]

Marliss, I hope everyone enjoys them at your Thanksgiving dinner.. I am pretty sure they will. I think I am addicted!! I eat two every evening. It is just so nice to have something to eat after dinner that is absolutely delicious yet entirely safe and well... almost...good for you.

I am making some to give a Christmas presents!!!

Enjoy your dinner!

Linda

[MBombardier]

Well, we had used peanut butter instead of almond butter, so a friend could not try them, but my oldest daughter and the rest of us that tried them really liked them! I think that when we make them again we will use almond butter and double-coat with chocolate. We are going to try the others, too, and great minds think alike--make them for Christmas presents!

[Linda in BC]

Marliss, so glad you liked them! Like I said, I'm addicted!! I've actually realized that they have almost the same ingredients as Lara bars (if you leave off the chocolate), at considerably less cost ...
Linda

[MaggieRedwings]

HI Linda,

Thanks for posting this recipe - going to try it this weekend.

Love, Maggie