Raw Energy Balls

The inspiration for these balls comes from Nakd Barss, of which I’m a big fan. The best thing about these balls is their simplicity; they contain no added sugars, just dried fruit and nuts. So incredibly healthy. I experimented with ratios and found that almost equal parts of dried fruit to nuts works best. Here’s the basic recipe, which you can adapt using any of the suggestions below. I recommend using soft or ‘ready-to-eat’ dates or Medjool dates, which are easier to process. 

Photo credit: http://www.adrianlawrencephotography.com/

Makes 16 balls

300g (10oz) your favourite nuts

250g (9oz) soft ready-to-eat or Medjool dates (or a mixture of dates and raisins)

2 – 3 tablespoons water

½ – 1 tsp cinnamon

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse a few times just to break them up. Process for 30 seconds until the ingredients have broken down into crumb-sized pieces. Scrape the edges of the bowl and the blade if necessary. You may need to add a little extra water if the dates are quite hard.  Continue processing for another 1-2 minutes, until the ingredients clump together and form a ball.

Press into a thick square, roughly 18 cm x 18cm in size on a piece of cling film or baking parchment. Wrap and chill in the fridge for at least an hour (this is optional). Store in the fridge for several weeks or in the freezer for up to three months.

The dough can also be shaped into small balls. Refrigerate until firm, then wrap in cling film.

Try these combinations: Macadamia -cherry-almond, date-almond-cashew, date-raisin-pecan, date-walnut.

Try these extras: Desiccated coconut, chia seeds, chocolate chips, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, vanilla, crystalized ginger, ground nutmeg or lemon zest.