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    Home » Recipes

    Hazelnut Chocolate Balls

    17th April 2020 by Jamie Raftery Leave a Comment

    JUMP TO RECIPE

    These Hazelnut Chocolate Balls with goji berry, sesame, turmeric, cinnamon, and coconut will satisfy any sweet cravings. They are hazelnutty, chewy, naturally sweet, and filled with good nutrition.

    hazelnut-and-goji-cocolate-balls

    We all need a little sweet indulgence from time to time. I am a slight sugar addict! I think deep down we all are in some way! My mental strength for avoiding sweets, chocolate, and cakes takes a lot of discipline.

    One way to avoid temptation is to avoid having any sweet ''treats'' in the house at arms reach. This way we do not have to resist the temptation. I made these delicious healthy energy balls in 20 minutes with ingredients I had in the store cupboard.

    They make a great pre or post-workout snack, enjoy with a late morning coffee, or pack into the kid's lunchbox. The ingredients are flexible to substitute if you do not happen to have something.

    ingredients-for-hazelnut-chocolate-balls

    Star Ingredients in hazelnut chocolate balls

    • Hazelnuts
    • Goji berries
    • Sesame seed tahini
    • Cacao
    • Sunflower seeds
    • Dates
    • Coconut oil
    • Cinnamon
    • Turmeric
    • Vanilla paste
    • Pink salt
    raw-cacao-powder-in-a-bowl

    Nutritional highlights

    This recipe combination is a good all-around healthy nutritional booster ball filled with delicious natural ingredients. Here is a summary of the nutritional content and benefits of the star ingredients.

    fresh-hazelnuts
    Hazelnuts

    Hazelnut

    Hazelnuts are a good source of protein, fiber, carbohydrates, fats, and essential minerals.

    They are a rich source of vitamin E, manganese, and copper. Additionally, they have a high content of omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids.

    Hazelnuts are good for:

    • Helping to lower cholesterol
    • Supporting heart health
    • Supporting healthy bowl movements
    • Reducing weight gain
    • Reducing inflammation
    • Improving sperm count

    Read more about hazelnuts here

    dried-goji-berries
    Dried goji berries

    Goji berries

    Goji berries contain eight essential amino acids. A 30g serving provides nearly 10% of your daily value for protein. For fruit, this is a surprising amount of protein.

    Due to the higher fiber content or complex carbohydrates in goji berries, your blood sugar will rise more slowly, reducing your risk for a sugar crash afterward.

    Goji berries are good for:

    • Building immunity
    • Balancing blood sugar
    • Anti-oxidants for skin and eyes
    • Boost testosterone levels

    Read more about goji berries here

    sesame-seed-tahini-in-a-bowl
    Open Sesame Seeds

    Sesame seeds

    Sesame seeds add a nutty taste and a delicate, almost invisible, crunch to many Asian dishes. They are also the main ingredients in tahini and the wonderful Middle Eastern sweet call halva.

    Sesame seeds are an excellent source of copper, a very good source of manganese, and a good source of magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, molybdenum, and selenium.

    Sesame seeds are good for

    • Bone health
    • Lowering cholesterol
    • Digestive health

    Read more about sesame seeds here

    raw-cacao-powder-nibs-and-beans-in-bowls
    Cacao

    Cacao

    Raw cacao is an incredible superfood, complete with powerful phytonutrients, antioxidants, and unique plant-based compounds that are found in only a handful of other foods on the planet.

    Raw cacao is good for

    • Reducing inflammation
    • Balancing blood sugar
    • Boosting cognitive performance
    • Mood enhancer

    Read more about raw cacao here

    hazelnut-balls-rolled-on-a-board

    Equipment you will need

    There is no fancy equipment you will need for making this recipe, all you will need is:

    • Weighing scales
    • Mixing bowl
    • Oven or grill
    • Blender
    • Spatula
    • Storage container

    How to make hazelnut chocolate balls

    The first stage is to roast the hazelnuts to remove the slightly bitter brown skins. The hazelnuts get rubbed in a towel to help release the skin. The sunflower seed, coconut oil and spices then get roasted with the hazelnuts for a delicious flavor.

    The goji berries get soaked in water for 5-10 minutes to soften, then everything get blended and rolled into balls which get rolled in cacao or toasted sesame seeds.

    Read on to see the step-by-step photos.

    Roast and peel the hazelnuts

    roasting-hazelnuts-on-a-tray

    Place the hazelnuts on a baking tray with parchment paper and bake at 170c / 350f for 15 minutes until the hazelnuts are lightly toasted.

    hazelnuts-in-a-towel

    Add the hazelnuts to a clean towel.

    rubbing-hazelnuts-in-a-towel

    Rub the hazelnuts vigorously to release the brown skin.

    taking-skin-off-roast-hazelnuts

    Remove the peeled hazelnuts from the towel and place them back on the baking tray.

    adding-spices-to-hazelnuts-and-sunflower-seeds

    Add the coconut oil, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, turmeric, and a pinch of pink salt.

    roasting-hazelnuts-and-sunflower-seeds-on-a-baking-tray

    Bake for another 6 minutes in the oven.

    spiced-roasted-hazelnuts-and-seeds

    Transfer the roasted hazelnut mix to a bowl to cool.

    Soak goji berries

    soaling-goji-berries-in-water

    Soak the goji berries in warm water for 5 minutes to soften.

    draining-goji-berries-over-a-strainer

    Strain the goji berries - discard the water.

    Blend all the ingredients

    ingredients-for-blending-hzelnut-chocolte-balls

    Next, add the stoned dates, tahini, vanilla, soaked goji berries, and roasted hazelnut mix to the blender.

    blending-hazelnut-balls

    Blend the mixture for 10-20 seconds until the mix comes together - leave a little chunky, some texture is nice.

    Roll your hazelnut chocolate balls

    hazelnut-balls-rolled-into-25g-pieces

    Shape into 25g balls and dip in toasted white and black sesame seeds.

    hazelnut-chocolate-balls-rolled-in-sesame-seeds

    Roll some in raw cacao or you can add extra raw cacao to the mix in the blender. Store the hazelnut chocolate balls in the refrigerator or freezer.

    Hazelnut-Energy-Balls-rolled-in-cacao

    Recipe variations and substitutions

    You can roll the hazelnut chocolate balls in different ingredients for a nice garnish. I like using raw cacao and toasted sesame seeds. You may also use shelled hemp, ground seeds, or dedicated coconut.

    This recipe is customizable to use different nuts and seeds. You may use any type of nut in place of hazelnuts. Try using pumpkin seeds in place of the sunflower seeds. If you cannot access tahini, you can use any other type of nut or seed butter.

    raw-cacao-powder-in-a-bowl

    Adding chocolate

    In this recipe, I rolled the spiced hazelnut and goji berry balls in raw cacao powder. I love the contrast in color and flavor. You may also add a spoon of raw cacao to the blender when you are blending the mix.

    How to store energy balls

    These healthy balls will keep for 10 days in the fridge or 2 months in a sealed container in the fridge. I suggest making a double batch and keeping some as a backup in the freezer. They defrost quickly by leaving them at room temperature for 20 minutes.

    When to eat

    An energy ball is a refined sugar-free treat delicious to serve as an afternoon pick-me-up sweet treat, post or pre-workout fuel, or as a late-night snack.

    I crumble and sprinkle them on top of my breakfast or smoothie bowls. They make a great on-the-go snack or a lunch box filler.

    hazelnut-chocolate-balls-served-on-a-board

    More healthy sweet snack recipes to try

    • Chocolate Brazil Nut Balls
    • Coconut & Black Sesame Bliss Balls
    • Chocolate & Spirulina Energy Balls
    • Fig & Chocolate Flapjack

    I hope you enjoy this recipe. I'm very happy to share it with you. If you do make this recipe please let me know in the comments below what you think. I love seeing your recreations. You may tag me on Instagram #holisticchefacademy and join me on Pinterest, Facebook, or Instagram for more healthy recipes and videos.

    Good health wishes my friends.

    hazelnut-and-goji-cocolate-balls

    Hazelnut Chocolate Balls

    Jamie Raftery
    Aromatic, nutty, chewy, sweet, and moreish, these Hazelnut Chocolate Balls with goji berry, sesame, turmeric, cinnamon, and coconut will satisfy any sweet cravings.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Save Recipe Go To My Recipe Collections
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 35 mins
    Difficulties Beginner
    Course Energy balls, Sweets
    Cuisine International
    Servings 20 25g Balls
    Calories 127 kcal
    Allergens Gluten free, Grain free, Soy free, Vegan

    Equipment

    • Weighing scales
    • Mixing bowl
    • Baking tray
    • Parchment paper
    • Wooden spoon
    • Blender
    • Spatula
    • Storage container

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 200 g Hazelnuts
    • 10 ml Coconut oil
    • 100 g Sunflower seeds
    • ½ teaspoon Cinnamon powder
    • ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
    • 50 g Goji berries soak in water to soften
    • 100 g Dates stoned
    • 50 g White sesame tahini
    • 10 g REAL Vanilla Paste optional
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    Method
     

    • Assemble and measure out all the ingredients.
    • Place the hazelnuts on a baking tray with parchment paper and bake at 170c / 350f for 15 minutes until the hazelnuts are lightly toasted.
    • Add the hazelnuts to a towel and rub the hazelnuts vigorously to release the brown skins.
    • Remove the peeled hazelnuts from the towel and place them back on the baking tray.
    • Add the coconut oil, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, turmeric, and a pinch of pink salt. Bake for another 6 minutes in the oven.
    • Soak the goji berries in warm water for 5 minutes to soften.
    • Strain the goji berries - discard the water.
    • Next, add the stoned dates, tahini, vanilla paste, and roasted hazelnut mix to the blender.
    • Pulse until the mix starts to come together, leave the mix a little chunky.
    • Transfer to mixing bowl and with your hands (gloves can be used) just until the mix comes together comfortably.
    • Roll into 25g balls and dip in toasted white and black sesame seeds.
    • Roll some in raw cacao or you can add extra raw cacao to the mix in the blender.
    • Store in the refrigerator.

    Recipe Notes

    You can roll these balls in either desiccated coconut or raw cacao for an added dimension.

    ADD YOUR OWN RECIPE NOTES

    Click here to add your own private notes.

    Nutrition Label

    Nutrition Facts
    Hazelnut Chocolate Balls
    Serving Size
     
    25 g
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    127
    % Daily Value*
    Protein
     
    3
    g
    6
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    7
    g
    2
    %
    Fiber
     
    2
    g
    8
    %
    Fat
     
    10
    g
    15
    %
    Sugar
     
    4
    g
    4
    %
    Sodium
     
    1
    mg
    0
    %
    Potassium
     
    147
    mg
    4
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    7
    IU
    0
    %
    Vitamin B1
     
    1
    mg
    67
    %
    Vitamin B2
     
    1
    mg
    59
    %
    Vitamin B3
     
    1
    mg
    5
    %
    Vitamin B5
     
    1
    mg
    10
    %
    Vitamin B6
     
    1
    mg
    50
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    1
    mg
    1
    %
    Vitamin E
     
    3
    mg
    20
    %
    Vitamin K
     
    2
    µg
    2
    %
    Calcium
     
    21
    mg
    2
    %
    Copper
     
    1
    mg
    50
    %
    Folate
     
    26
    µg
    7
    %
    Iron
     
    1
    mg
    6
    %
    Manganese
     
    1
    mg
    50
    %
    Magnesium
     
    37
    mg
    9
    %
    Phosphorus
     
    85
    mg
    9
    %
    Selenium
     
    4
    µg
    6
    %
    Zinc
     
    1
    mg
    7
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION

    Keyword Healthy, High-fibre, Meal prep, Sports food
    Did you make this recipe?Tag @the_holistic_chef on social media, I love to see your creations!

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    Hi, my name is Jamie from Galway in the West of Ireland. I've been cooking in Michelin Star kitchens all around the world for most of my career. In 2015 I launched The Holistic Chef academy to focus on the nutritional aspects of food.

    Educate - Inspire - Empower became my mantra and mission. Currently, I'm living and cooking between Europe and Thailand.

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