Description
Desserts shouldn’t make you feel guilty. They may be sweeter than the rest of your day’s meals, but hey! That’s why they call it dessert. What we don’t want, though, is a spike in sugar. Because that’s usually followed by a crash. My raw vegan balls are rich in flavour and experience. They’re also balanced nutritionally so you will feel a burst of energy and feel good feelings that will last you a long time, thanks to our friends protein and good fat. Whether you enjoy a ball as a dessert, weekend breakfast treat or a late afternoon snack, this dessert has got you covered in health, taste and energy.
Ingredients
2 cups almonds or walnuts, pre-soaked 8 hours
2 tbsp hemp seeds
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp raw cacao
1 tsp chia seeds
1-2 tbsp almond butter
2 tbsp goji berries, pre-soaked 10 minutes
2 tbsp black currants
2 tbsp maple syrup, pinch stevia or 1-2 tbsp xylitol sweetener
2 tbsp shredded coconut
¼ tsp ground cinnamon, vanilla, cardamom, fennel
pinch sea salt and cayenne
Instructions
Step 1
To a food processor, add rinsed and drained nuts or seeds, and mix until well chopped.
Step 2
Step 3
Transfer to bowl, and either place batch in fridge to bind for about 5-10 minutes, or begin rolling right away into balls. An alternative is to lay mixture onto a flat surface (container) and cut into squares. Garnish with shredded coconut or goji berries for a gourmet touch.
Tips and Techniques
- Swap the sweetener entirely with 1 ripe banana, or 1/2 ripe banana + 1/2 avocado for a whole food experience
- For a sugar-free or low sugar version, use green stevia or xylitol, a sugar alcohol
- This dessert tastes equally as good when made with seeds, like sunflower or pumpkin!
- For a stimulant-free version, use carob powder in place of cacao
Why I Love My Recipe
I appreciate sweets, but I really don’t like feeling low and simultaneously craving more after just a few bites. This is why I really stress macronutrient balance. That is, a healthy balance of good fat, protein and carbs. My raw truffles give me long-lasting energy and satisfy my sweet tooth. Because they’re so dense and full of protein and good fat, they makes you full quickly and keep you from wanting to eat more and more, which is what often happens when desserts are sugar-heavy.
Benefits
- Nuts and seeds are high in health-promoting fat and digestible protein
- Hemp seeds offer a perfect balance of essential fatty acids
- Pre-soaking nuts and seeds removes anti-nutrients and improves digestibility
- The powerful antioxidant raw cacao, otherwise known as the “bliss chemical” induces the production of certain neurotransmitters connected to positivity and happiness, and is also enriched with minerals, including magnesium and sulfur