Aromatic, nutty, chewy, sweet and moorish, these energy balls will satisfy any sweet cravings and load you up with a healthy dose of vitamins and minerals.
We all need a little sweet indulgence from time to time. I am a sugar addict! I think deep down we all are in someway! My mental strength for avoiding sweets, chocolate and cakes takes alot of discipline.
One way to avoid temptation is to not have 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 10 minutes with ingredients I had in the store cupboard.
They make for a great pre or post workout snack, enjoy with a late morning coffee or pack into the kids lunchbox.
The ingredients are flexible to substitute if you do not happen to have something.
Health benefits
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.
Goji berries contain all eight essential amino acids. A 30g serving provides nearly 10% of your daily value for protein. For a fruit, this is a surprising amount of protein.
Due to the higher fiber content or complex carbohydrates in goji berries, your blood sugar will raise 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
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 halvah.
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
Easy to make
Quick, simple, healthy and tasty.
Add coconut oil to frying pan and gently roast the hazelnuts and cashews with the cinnamon and turmeric spice for about 8 minutes.
Add to a blender with the goji, raisin, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, maca (optional), pink salt, tahini and coconut oil.
Pulse until mix comes together.
Transfer to bowl, mix in almond milk to get a nice consistency.
Roll into nice big energy balls and place in the fridge for at least an hour to set-up.
Spiced Hazelnut, Goji & Sesame Energy Balls
Equipment
- Weighing scales
- Mixing bowl
- Frying pan - non stick
- Wooden spoon
- Blender
- Storage container
- Spoon
Ingredients
- 20 ml Coconut oil
- 200 g Hazelnuts
- 100 g Sunflower seeds
- 100 g Dates stoned
- 50 g Goji berries soak in warm water to soften
- 50 ml Coconut oil
- 50 g White sesame tahini
- 1 pinch Pink salt
- 1 tsp Cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp Turmeric powder
Instructions
- Assemble all ingredients.
- Add 20 ml of coconut oil to frying pan.
- On low heat, roast the hazelnuts and sunflower seeds with cinnamon, turmeric and pinch of pink salt. This will take about 4-5 minutes.
- Soak the goji berries in warm water for 5 minutes to soften.
- Next, add the stoned dates, tahini, roasted hazelnuts and sunflower seeds 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, season with orange zest.
- Roll into 25g balls and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to set up.
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