Less sugar than a recipe with dates as the apricots and figs naturally contain lower levels. The great combo of the chocolate cacao*, roasted hazelnuts and vanilla powder really finishes this recipe off perfectly, I mean who doesn’t like a chocolate & hazelnut pairing!?
*I like to use raw cacao powder in recipes like this as it is not over heated therefore you are getting the max amount of beneficial compounds and antioxidants.
*I like to use raw cacao powder in recipes like this as it is not over heated therefore you are getting the max amount of beneficial compounds and antioxidants.
I highly recommend purchasing some pure ground vanilla powder as I’ve been using it in a lot of recipes because I feel it gives a wonderful vanilla flavour to recipes without the added ingredients that are often in most liquid vanilla extracts, plus in my opinion the flavour is stronger so a small amount goes a long way.
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| Figgy healthy hazelnut chocolate balls |
Recipe- makes 13 balls
-125g hazelnuts
-100g oats
-15g cacao powder
-1 tspn pure ground vanilla powder (the black stuff, if you don’t have this then try adding 1 & ½ tspn vanilla extract to the soft ingredients when blending but it’ll have a slightly different taste)
-2 fresh figs
-Approx 85g mix of dried apricots/dried ready to eat figs (these are the soft variety that are partially rehydrated so shouldn’t need soaking like the apricots, also, try to opt for fruit without preservatives if possible)
-100g oats
-15g cacao powder
-1 tspn pure ground vanilla powder (the black stuff, if you don’t have this then try adding 1 & ½ tspn vanilla extract to the soft ingredients when blending but it’ll have a slightly different taste)
-2 fresh figs
-Approx 85g mix of dried apricots/dried ready to eat figs (these are the soft variety that are partially rehydrated so shouldn’t need soaking like the apricots, also, try to opt for fruit without preservatives if possible)
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| Homemade figgy cacao hazelnut energy balls |
Directions
Soak the apricots in warm water for 10mins then drain. If your using completely dried figs and not ready to eat figs then soak these too.
For extra flavour quickly roast or toast the hazelnuts e.g quickly dry roast them in a dry frying pan
Once the nuts have cooled, place the oats, nuts, cacao & vanilla powder into a food processor and blitz until a fine flour like texture
Remove this from the processor then add in the figs & apricots and blend until smooth then add back in the dry ingredients and blend again until it begins to stick together- this should only take a few seconds
Remove small handfuls of the mix and roll into balls
For added crunch & if you like the cacao flavour then feel free to press some cacao nibs into the balls
Viola! Enjoy!
Best kept in an air tight container in the fridge.
For extra flavour quickly roast or toast the hazelnuts e.g quickly dry roast them in a dry frying pan
Once the nuts have cooled, place the oats, nuts, cacao & vanilla powder into a food processor and blitz until a fine flour like texture
Remove this from the processor then add in the figs & apricots and blend until smooth then add back in the dry ingredients and blend again until it begins to stick together- this should only take a few seconds
Remove small handfuls of the mix and roll into balls
For added crunch & if you like the cacao flavour then feel free to press some cacao nibs into the balls
Viola! Enjoy!
Best kept in an air tight container in the fridge.
