Hazelnut crunch bliss balls
Blissful by name, blissful by nature
Servings
Around 20 balls
About this recipe
Hazelnuts have a more mellow, sweeter flavour once toasted, so it is worth toasting them in a dry frying pan for a couple of minutes, or roasting on a baking tray for 10 minutes, before using them in this recipe. Once the skins have blistered, rub the hazelnuts in a clean tea towel to remove the skins.
Ingredients
50g flaxseeds (linseeds)
1 tbsp coconut oil
100g raw unsalted almonds
100g toasted hazelnuts
90g pitted dates
2 tbsp agave or maple syrup
1 tbsp honey
30g raw cacao or cocoa powder
Instructions
Step 1
In a food processor, blitz the flaxseeds, coconut oil and almonds for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and blitz again for 30 seconds, then scrape down the bowl again.
Step 2
Add all the remaining ingredients and blend at a lower speed, for 10 seconds. The mixture should still retain some small chunks of nuts.
Step 3
Take dessert spoon sized amounts of the mixture and roll into balls in the palm of your hand. You can serve them plain, or roll them in coatings such as cacao powder, crushed nuts, desiccated coconut or sesame seeds, if you wish.
Step 4
Keep refrigerated for a minimum of 30 minutes before serving.
Chef’s tips
This recipe can easily be doubled and the balls last for up to 5 days in the fridge, or in the freezer for up to one month.
To save time, you can press the mixture firmly into a square cake tin or baking tray and simply cut into squares, instead of rolling into balls.
Nutrition
A source of protein, healthy fats and fibre, hazelnuts are often overlooked as a pantry staple. They contain good levels of magnesium and vitamin B6, which work together in hundreds of chemical reactions throughout the body.