Last week, in a terrible parenting moment at the grocery store, I bribed my tantruming 2-year old with food. It was a moment of desperation. In my defense, though, I didn’t grab the nearest snickers bar. I would hate you to think my 7 years of studying to become a Registered Dietitian were all for nothing. No, I bribed my son with a high-end dried fruit and nut energy ball. I say high-end because I paid 2 whole dollars for something not much bigger than a walnut.
Thankfully it worked a treat. My son’s screaming gave way to pleasant munching sounds as he gobbled it down. He then asked if we could buy some to take home. But being the stingy thrifty mum that I am, I refused. Instead, I resolved to recreate the bank-breaking energy balls at home. The result was these tasty vegan, gluten free, cherry almond energy balls that cost FAR less than $2 a piece.
These cherry almond energy balls are made with a selection of dried fruits, nuts, unsweetened coconut, and chia seeds. They contain no added sugar, and they require no cooking. Just throw all the ingredients in a blender to chop them up, roll the mixture into balls, pop them in the fridge, then transfer them to your mouth. Easy as pie!
- ½ cup raw almonds
- ¼ cup raw cashews
- 12 dates, seed removed
- ¼ cup dried cherries
- ¼ cup raisins
- 2 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- ½ tsp vanilla essence
- Put the almonds and cashews in a blender and pulse until roughly chopped.
- Add the dates and blend until roughly chopped.
- Add the cherries, raisins, coconut, chia seeds, and vanilla essence and blend until all ingredients are finely chopped.
- Form balls using 1 tablespoon of mixture for each.
- Chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Remove from fridge and enjoy.
It’s amazing what a two year old can get you to do! These look amazing, I love dates and adding this to my list. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Anne. And you’re right about how motivating a 2 year old can be. Especially when they are screaming in public!