Bliss balls are great - there's very good reason why they appear repeatedly on the news feeds of anyone who follows vegan or health food bloggers. They're an excellent way to stave off sugar cravings naturally and are great fun to make. But there are thousands of variations, and the recipes vary massively in difficulty / complexity... do we need to add nut butters, syrups, flavourings, or melted coconut oil?
So, I decided to try out lots of recipes in search of the easiest and quickest one. Because when you really crave something sweet, you want it quickly, before you have time to reach for any naughtier snacks. I have settled on this delicious chocolatey 3-ingredient version which takes just minutes to put together, and provides a good hit of protein, iron, and fibre - way better than grabbing a chocolate bar or a bag of sweets!
Vegan 3-Ingredient Chocolatey Fudgey Bliss Balls
Ingredients (makes 12 balls):
1 cup almonds
1 cup Medjool dates
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
Method:
Using a food processor or the chopping bowl attachment to a handheld blender, whizz up the almonds until they're the consistency of fine sand (don't use a high speed blender like a nutribullet for this as they're too powerful). Then add the dates, and continue to blitz until they're well mixed with the nuts. (If you can't find medjool dates, you can use the cheaper varieties found in the baking section of the supermarket - just add 1 Tbsp water as they're a little drier). Then add the cocoa and whiz until mixed through. Now grab about 1 Tbsp of the gritty mixture and squeeze in your hand to compress, then roll between your hands into a bite-size ball, and repeat to make 12 balls. Can be enjoyed straight away or they firm up to an even better texture when left in the fridge overnight, where they can be stored for up to 10 days.
Nutrition per ball:
Protein: 2.9g (Women: 5.8% / Men: 5.3%)
Iron: 0.7mg (Women: 4.7% / Men: 8.0%)
Calories: 104 (Women: 5.2% / Men: 4.2%)
Sugars: 8.8g (Women: 10.0% / Men: 7.3%)
Total Fats: 6.0g (Women: 8.6% / Men: 6.3%)
Saturated Fat: 0.5g (Women: 2.5% / Men: 1.7%)
Salt: >0.1g (Women: >1% / Men: >1%)
Fibre: 2.6g (Women: 8.7% / Men: 8.7%)
See the Nutrition Info page for more details on % of Dietary Reference Values for men and women.