I'm back at it again with more energy balls! Because, well, you can never have too many snack options and these ones were just WAY too good not to share.
I have never made energy balls with cashews before and I seriously could not get over the texture of these once they were all blended up. They are so creamy and seriously taste just like salted caramel.
One thing to note when you are making these is that they will be quite oily, this is just the natural (and healthy!) fats coming out of the nuts as they are blended. Other balls that I have made in the past like these Lemon Coconut, Chocolate Peanut Butter, or Pumpkin Pie have included additional ingredients like oats that soak up more of the excess liquids- neither is better than another, they are just different, but for these ones I really wanted to keep the caramel-like texture so kept them simple. Just a warning that you may end up with some extra oil in the bottom of your bowl and that is totally normal.
You can eat them just as is or play around with rolling them in different toppings. I ended up going with my favorites- coconut and raw cacao powder but I think they'd also be really good with some chopped pistachios or toasted pecans.
I've been carrying these around in my purse all week and they are the perfect pick me up for a mid-morning snack or a little something sweet after dinner.
I'm keeping it short and sweet this week, just like the simplicity of this snack. I'd love to hear from you guys if you prefer the longer blogs or short and sweet and right into the FOOD.
Enjoy! And leave a comment below if you try them out. What are your favorite grab and go snacks?
Salted Caramel Energy Balls
Makes 18 balls
Ingredients:
- 1 cup raw cashews
- ½ cup almonds, raw
- 9 Medjool Dates, pitted
- Splash of vanilla (approx ½ tsp)
- Sprinkly of coarse salt to taste
- Optional- coconut and raw cacao or cocoa powder
Directions
1. In a Vitamix or high powered blender, combine all ingredients and blend on high. If you are using a vitamix, use your wand as you blend to keep ingredients moving. Alternatively if you are using a food processor or other blender, you will need to stop as you go and use a spatula to push down the sides of your mixture.
2. Keep blending until ingredients form a smooth paste (tip, if you're having troubles getting ingredients to fully blend, add 1 Tbsp of warm water at a time until desired consistency is achieved. You want it to be quite thick so you can roll them into balls)
3. Use your hands to form into 18 evenly sized balls (Note: Mixture might be a bit oily, this is normal, it is just those healthy fats from the nuts releasing).
4. Roll in coconut and raw cacao powder if desired.
Happy Eating!
Lindsay
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