Time for another recipe for our chocolate lovers, cos chocolate is hard to go without AND cacao is actually a healthy ingredient to have in our diet! Cacao is bursting with fiber and magnesium, a great boost of iron, a good source of potassium and protein, and even has a decent amount of calcium! So, yes, it’s good to find some great natural cacao powder and create some recipes to avoid all the cholesterol and sugar that usually accompany chocolate. Here we’re gonna get our sugars from dates, that will keep on adding on the fiber value of the recipe, and we will get our fats from avocados that will actually give us the good, healthy fats that will help fight against the bad fats. Avocado is also a source of Vitamins B and C, and we will also have oranges to add to the Vitamin C since winter is coming! Last but not least we will have some almonds which will keep boosting our fiber and protein in this recipe! So let’s find out how these little healthy, chocolate balls are made!
Ingredients
- Dates
- Orange
- Orange Blossom Water (optional)
- Milk Chocolate (Almond)
- Cacao Powder
- Almonds
- Oats
- Liquor (optional)
- Avocado
- Cinnamon
- Cloves
- Ginger
- Coconut
Method
Of course, pit the date if they’re not already pitted. Then place the dates, avocado, orange (add a little zest from the orange too, and leave a couple of the little orange seeds, they will help the balls solidify), a few drops of orange blossom water (very gut-friendly and gives an interesting taste), cacao powder, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, milk chocolate, and a little liquor if you want to kick the flavor further (we used Meed), in a pot and cook for a few minutes. Leave everything to simmer down until the milk reduces and the ingredients start to get soft and gooey.
Let the mixture cool down. In the meantime blend some almonds to create some almond flour. Blend the mixture and slowly add the almond flour, some of the coconut, and some oats until it starts to look a little like a dough. You can add some chopped almonds for extra texture. Refrigerate overnight then roll into small balls and cover in coconut. Your healthy, energy boost, chocolate balls are done!!!
Variations
These little snacks are ideal for a boost on the go, the dates and cacao are a perfect pick me up for any time of the day! Of course, you can create bars instead of balls or little squares if you don’t like the rolling. The coconut can also easily be replaced by some ground almonds or more cacao powder, however, I do suggest a little dry coating, the mixture should remain gooey otherwise. As for liquor, a chocolate, coffee, or almond one should blend in nicely, or maybe some rum or brandy if you want a stronger kick! Hope you give our little balls a chance, especially if you are a chocolate lover! We would like to hear your thoughts and experiences, or maybe you would like to share some pics on our social media while having a fun time rolling them with your family or friends!