I created these chocolate orange balls a number of years ago to help me to increase my protein intake. I also wanted something to help clients who were snacking on chocolate to have an alternative snack to eat in the evenings. Whilst these date balls are high in sugar from the dates they are packed full of nutrients so that you are getting more goodness than from a bar of chocolate.
That said I would like to reassure you that there is nothing wrong with eating chocolate. I am a big fan of having a balanced diet and yes that does include crisps and chocolate in moderation.
My 3 year old daughter loves these chocolate orange date balls and calls them chocolate balls. It makes me really happy to know that she is having a snack that fills her up a bit not just consuming lots of sugar. I just make sure she doesn’t have too many and she drinks water with them to try and limit the impact of the dates on her teeth.
I really love lime and chocolate together and for a long time I have been trying to think of a healthier recipe I could make with both of these ingredients in. Recently it came to me that these date balls are perfect, I simply swapped the orange for the juice of 2 limes and they were delicious. If you don’t want them as tangy then use less lime. I think the lime version have been an even bigger hit with my daughter than the orange ones!
Date Balls Ingredients:
- 250g Medjool dates
- Rind and juice of one large orange (or 2 limes)
- 1 tablespoon cacao powder
- 55g ground almonds
- 2 tablespoon chia seeds
- To coat either cacao powder, chopped nuts or coconut
Method:
- Put the dates and orange juice and peel into a food processor and blitz till mixed
- Add other ingredients and blitz some more until it forms a soft ball of paste
- Roll into small balls and coat in either of the above coating ingredients
- Leave to dry overnight on a baking tray or plate
- Store in the fridge or freezer
The date balls can be stored in the fridge or freezer. My top tip for clients who find it difficult to resist eating a whole batch at once is to store them in the freezer and take a few out to defrost a few hours before you want them.
If you’d like to try more of my health snacks then check out more of my recipes.
