With school thankfully being back again this year (yay!), my frantic mornings are filled with two dilemmas. One is packing a snack in my daughter’s lunchbox that is a) nut-free and b) actually gets eaten. The other is that I often don’t have time for a full-on breakfast but need the energy to tackle the drop-off and dealing with those first work emails. Enter my allergy-friendly hemp and coconut bliss balls – a nutritious and delicious breakfast or snack that is very versatile and can even be frozen for meal prep.
I used to make bliss balls with rolled oats and pea protein powder to replace nuts but at the moment my digestive system hat hit rock bottom sadly so I cannot even have oats or pea protein anymore. Enter hemp protein! I don’t care for it much in smoothies but it is superb in these bliss balls.
Most bliss ball recipes suggest to use Medjool dates and they are definitely superior in texture (much softer) but they are also very expensive. I find I can achieve the same result with just regular dried dates from the baking aisle. I soak them for a bit in hot water and then drain them well.
Ingredients
1 cup packed dried dates (approx. 210g), soak in hot water before using to soften them up
1 cup desiccated coconut (reserve some for rolling)
1 scant cup of hemp protein powder (can use other protein powder)
2 tbsp raw cacao
optional: spices like cinnamon, gingerbread spice
optional: vanilla or almond extract
Method
Blend the dates first into a date paste using a high powered blender.
Then add everything and blitz into a sticky dough. I should come away from the sides of the blending cup after some time. Add a few drops of water if it seems to crumbly.
Wet your hands a bit to form 20-24 balls and roll in reserved desiccated coconut. Store in the fridge or freeze for up to 3 months.
Enjoy! Nat xoxo
Nat's Ladle 