These chocolate hazelnut bliss balls make the perfect sweet and healthy snack. Keep them in the fridge for when you need a little energy boost!
I love having easy snacks on hand for when my sweet tooth rears its head. It’s usually after a long day of work and I find myself searching the pantry and the fridge for an afternoon treat.
Having these on hand means I can grab something that’s going to hit my craving but also isn’t just going to be grabbing something unhealthy.
Buying packets of similar pre-made healthy snacks can be up to $8 per packet which is crazy once you realise just how easy they are to make at home (plus these taste so much better than the pre-made ones).
These come together so quickly while also being dairy free, gluten free and refined sugar free making them a great snack for all diets.
Key Ingredients
You’ll only need 4 simple ingredients to make these easy energy balls.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Dates – this is the base of our energy balls, sticking everything together and giving us that delicious sweet and chewy end result
- Hazelnuts – the second half of these energy balls, hazelnuts break down as they are processed with the oils helping to stick everything together and the nuts providing delicious flavour not to mention protein helping these energy balls keep you full for longer.
- Cacao powder – I like to use cacao powder in this recipe as it’s less sweet and less processed, however a good quality cocoa powder will work fine if you already have it on hand.
- Salt – brings out the flavour of the chocolate and balances the sweetness of the dates
Regular dates vs medjool dates
Medjool dates are fresh, found in the refrigerator section and are defined by their soft and sweet, caramel-like flavour. They are delicious as a snack but when looking to process them up to make energy balls, I can never justify the cost.
Regular dried dates, the ones you buy in the baking aisle and usually associate with sticky date pudding, are usually a lot harder in texture but when it comes to nutritional value and flavour are nearly identical. The main difference in my opinion is simply that price tag.
For me, to keep the costs down for these delicious sweet treats, I like to use the cheaper regular dates. The only thing I do differently is make sure to soak them in warm water for at least 10 minutes before processing which gives them back that soft and chewy texture which works perfectly for this recipe.
If you prefer medjool dates, you can certainly use them in place in this recipe, just skip the soaking step.
Step-By-Step Instructions
You will need a food processor for this recipe, but that’s about it!
If, like me, you are using regular dates, start by soaking them for 10 minutes in warm water before draining and adding them to the food processor.
Add in the hazelnuts, cacao powder and salt and process for around 5 minutes until everything is chopped up and crumbly.
The mixture should stick together when you squeeze it in your hands.
Start rolling together about a tablespoon of the mixture into balls. Repeat with all of the mixture. Set the balls aside in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes before enjoying.
These bliss balls are best kept in the fridge and will last up to two weeks in an airtight container.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More healthy snack recipes:
Healthy Caramel & Peanut Butter Balls
Easy No-Bake Lamington Bars
Healthy Berry Bites
No-Bake Peanut Butter Muesli Bars
Chocolate Hazelnut Bliss Balls
Ingredients
- 1 cup dates
- 1 cup hazelnuts
- 1 ½ tablespoon cacao powder
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Soak the dates in warm water for 10 minutes.
- Drain dates and add to a food processor with the hazelnuts, cacao powder and salt. Process for about 5 minutes until everything is chopped up and the mixture sticks when pressed together.
- Roll about a tablespoon of mixture into a ball and repeat until all of the mixture has been used. Place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes to chill.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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