Bliss Balls TAKE TWO - Chocolate, Date and Chia.

• 1/2 cup of dried pitted dates - soaked in hot water for about half an hour to soften the up (discard water when soaked)


• 2-3 tablespoons of raw cacoa powder (see note below)


• 2 tablespoons black chia seeds


• 2-3 tablespoons almond meal


• 2 tablespoons agave syrup or honey


• Extra cacoa powder and/or coconut to roll balls in at end.

You will need a food processor.

My goodness these are rich! Hahaha. I just ate two and have had my fill of chocolate. At least I don't need to feel guilty.

Raw Cacoa... Are you thinking 'what the funk is that?' Basically because the beans are unroasted they retains more nutrients. Raw cacoa beans contain 10g of flavonal antioxidants per 100g, which is 4 times the amount of Goji berries. It is rich in Magnesium, Iron, Calcium and Potassium, just to name a few. So remember - chocolate is not 'bad', it only turns evil when you add sugar and dairy to it.

The measurements I have given above are just a guide. Add and subtract as you wish - the dates create 'the dough' as a base, the chocolate, seeds and almond meal are there to dry up the mix and the agave or honey is just used as the final 'glue' to bring it together.

Method - Chuck dates, minus soaking water, into food processor. Quickly pulse to break up. Add cacoa and other dry ingredients. Pulse till all mixed up. Slowly drizzle in honey or Agave Syrup/ Rice Syrup. Only add enough to make the mixture come together in a ball in processor bowl.

Take teaspoons of mix and roll, with wet hands. Then roll in either cacoa powder or coconut. Place in fridge when done to set.

• Agave syrup is a sweetener made from cactus. Honey or rice syrup works the same.


• I use Loving Earth brand Raw Cacoa Powder. It's available in health food shops.

Bliss Balls

Recipe for an awesome yummy snack. Perfect for that much needed natural sugar hit in the afternoon. They take five minutes to whip up - hardest part being the rolling of the balls at the end, which I actually found kind of relaxing.

I got this recipe from http://janellapurcell.com/

• 1 cup puffed millet (found in the health food aisle at Coles supermarket, and kind of look like Rice Bubbles. You can eat it in the morning like rice bubbles too!)


• 1/3 cup sesame seeds (I also chucked in some black Chia Seeds too)


• 1 cup dried fruit (sulphur free if you can manage) such as apricots, peaches, pear etc.


• 1/2 cup rice syrup or raw honey (again; Rice Syrup is in health food aisle)


• 1/2 cup tahini (which is a paste made from sesame seeds) extra 1 cup of either sesame seeds or coconut...

You will need a Food Processor.

Process all the dry ingredients in the bowl of food processor. Pulse until dried fruit is chopped up in to iddy biddy bits. Keep the motor running on a low speed and gradually add the tahini and the rice syrup. The mixture should slowly come together ; you don't want it too sticky or too dry, but just the right consistency to be able to roll them into balls. Turn off processor.

Put coconut or extra sesame seeds on a plate. Roll 1 tablespoon of mixture at a time into balls, using wet hands will stop it from sticking to your fingers. Put in the fridge for a bit once done just to firm them up.

Enjoy :)