This is a follow-up to the previous post regarding my intention to eat clean while on vacation. My "Great Up North" friend and host, Jan, just texted , asking for the "Energy Ball" recipe I shared on the trip. Thanks for the compliment Jan! This recipe is taken directly from The Conscious Cleanse book, however, I sometimes have difficulty following a basic recipe! I get in a hurry and don't measure accurately. Fortunately there is typically a remedy with these types of healthy snack foods. If the batter is runny I add oatmeal (too much almond/peanut butter), if too dry I might add a little honey or even just a few teaspoons of water or almond milk. In this case I added about 1/2 cup of organic rolled oats to improve the consistency of the almond butter balls.
Protein-Packed Almond Butter Balls (Yield:about 3 dozen)
2 cups medjool dates, pitted
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup raw almond butter
1/4 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut flakes (I did not use for this occasion)
1/4 cup hemp seeds
In a food processor fitted with an S blade, combine dates, sea salt, vanilla, and raw almond butter for 1-3 minutes until a smooth texture is reached. In a small bowl combine coco flakes and hemp seeds. Using your hands, roll almond-date mixture into about 36 (1 inch) balls. Roll balls in coconut and hemp seed mixture, and place in a container with a tight fitting lid. Store in the freezer or fridge, and enjoy chilled or frozen. (As I recall, I was low on almond butter so also added peanut butter in addition to the above mentioned oatmeal. I put the hemp seeds directly into the food processor as my kids argue if snacks appear too healthy! Don't be afraid to substitute raisins for dates or cashew butter for almond or peanut butter...add chocolate chips or flax-seed too. I always try to sneak in extra benefits)
In addition to the Almond Butter Balls, my saving grace to s'mores and ice-cream this weekend were my Raw Brownies. Again, they are not really "mine," but rather found on page 288 of The Conscious Cleanse book. The container was empty by Day 2 so I think others enjoyed them as well.
Raw Brownies (AKA Chocolate Balls)
1 cup raw walnuts
1 cup dates, pitted
1/4 cup raw cacao powder
In a high speed blender, combine raw walnuts and dates until smooth. Add raw cacao powder and blend again. Press mixture into an 8X8 baking dish lined with wax paper. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Variation: For more chocolaty decadence, add another 1/4 cup raw cacao powder. I find it is easier to roll every thing into balls so I took the liberty of changing the name to Raw Brownie Balls...we usually just call them chocolate balls in my family...makes Trey laugh. Enjoy!
2 cups medjool dates, pitted
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup raw almond butter
1/4 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut flakes (I did not use for this occasion)
1/4 cup hemp seeds
In a food processor fitted with an S blade, combine dates, sea salt, vanilla, and raw almond butter for 1-3 minutes until a smooth texture is reached. In a small bowl combine coco flakes and hemp seeds. Using your hands, roll almond-date mixture into about 36 (1 inch) balls. Roll balls in coconut and hemp seed mixture, and place in a container with a tight fitting lid. Store in the freezer or fridge, and enjoy chilled or frozen. (As I recall, I was low on almond butter so also added peanut butter in addition to the above mentioned oatmeal. I put the hemp seeds directly into the food processor as my kids argue if snacks appear too healthy! Don't be afraid to substitute raisins for dates or cashew butter for almond or peanut butter...add chocolate chips or flax-seed too. I always try to sneak in extra benefits)
In addition to the Almond Butter Balls, my saving grace to s'mores and ice-cream this weekend were my Raw Brownies. Again, they are not really "mine," but rather found on page 288 of The Conscious Cleanse book. The container was empty by Day 2 so I think others enjoyed them as well.
Raw Brownies (AKA Chocolate Balls)
1 cup raw walnuts
1 cup dates, pitted
1/4 cup raw cacao powder
In a high speed blender, combine raw walnuts and dates until smooth. Add raw cacao powder and blend again. Press mixture into an 8X8 baking dish lined with wax paper. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Variation: For more chocolaty decadence, add another 1/4 cup raw cacao powder. I find it is easier to roll every thing into balls so I took the liberty of changing the name to Raw Brownie Balls...we usually just call them chocolate balls in my family...makes Trey laugh. Enjoy!
http://consciouscleanse.com/decadent-raw-brownies
My book has seen better days but continues to be a daily resource. Thank you for reading!