Chocolate Hazelnut Bliss Balls

It’s fairly objective to say that I am (totally) and completely obsessed with these bliss balls- AKA bliss bites, AKA “healthy donut holes”. It’s also fairly objective to say that after trying this easy little recipe- you will be in love, too. They passed the taste-test among my friend circle with flying colors & requests for more.

Let me introduce you to Danielle. We both met while working at IBM fresh out of University. We used to have work lunches together & sometimes- shop for weekend clothes on our lunch. In like, record-breaking time. She now visits me often with her three kids and I’ve had the joy to watch her brood expand and her heart grow right before my eyes. So many of the recipes you guys try have been taste-tested and approved by her. She’s also saved me (and you guys) from countless recipe fails- most recently an Orange Lemon Loaf that tasted like very orange-zesty sawdust. “Here, have another slice!”- I promptly insisted. To which replied: “Am good”. This is very “o-ran-gy”. Ha! Code for .. next!! And, maybe… don’t ever bake this again. I really need & appreciate that kind of honesty!

But then one warm summer morning, these Chocolate Hazelnut Bliss Balls came into the picture & onto her plate…. They’re packed with superfoods that will nourish your body from the inside out: maca powder, creamy hazelnut butter, old-fashioned rolled oats, sweet medjool dates, warm water, hemp hearts & dairy free chocolate chips. She quickly said they were her favorite. That’s the kind of reaction that says: winner! AKA: blog material. OK. I’ll now stop with the AKA. I promise. 🙂

Anywho…. It took me a while to pen down this recipe, but here you go. It’s as simple as it gets and you wouldn’t want to not try these. They’re made with all good + real + unprocessed things. They are ONLY sweetened with dates as opposed to raw honey, pure maple or agave. While I endorse these sweeteners because they’re natural and unrefined, dates are a step above them in terms of natural sugars. They’re also made with GF old-fashioned rolled oats, which is far more affordable than your traditional almond flour bliss balls. Affordability is a key premise of recipe-writing in this blog, because yes- healthy eating can get expensive.

To achieve the perfect consistency/texture, you incorporate a bit of warm water while processing/blending these into a smooth paste, which results in melty chocolate chips throughout. Yep. Unlike other recipes where I add the chocolate chips right at the end, these get blended into the mix giving them a marbled, swirly look at times. And then you get some lucky chip chunks in the middle. All too good for words. So you’ll just gave to try them!

Also, if you enjoy this little recipe… you may want to try these other blog bliss balls recipes, too.

Servings: 16-20
Time: 10 mins
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Ingredients

2 cups of (gluten-free) old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup of pitted medjool dates
1/2 cup of hazelnut butter (or all-natural peanut butter OR 1/4 cup of each)
1 cup of chocolate chips (I used dairy-free ones)
2 tbsp of shredded coconut
1 tbsp of hemp hearts
1 cup of warm water (divided into two 1/2 cups)
1/2 tbsp of maca or lucuma powder or collagen powder (completely optional)*

Instructions

In a high-powered blender or food processor, throw all of the above ingredients except for the warm water & the chocolate chips. Blend/process until smooth.
Throw in the 1 cup of chocolate chips. Throw in 1/2 cup of warm water. Blend or process for 5-8 seconds.
Add the second 1/2 cup of warm water gradually until you’ve got nice, moist dough that resembles the texture of play-doh. You may not need the full 1/2 cup. Some of the chocolate chips will melt and a marbled, swirly bliss ball will form.
Use an ice scream scooper to scoop up the dough and roll into individual balls. You may cover them in shredded coconut, if desired. Store in a glass tup and keep refrigerated for up to 6-7 days. ENJOY! 🙂

lucuma gives food a deliciously natural caramel-like taste, especially when combined with the warm water the recipe calls for.

maca is an amazing adaptogen that helps balance out your hormones & naturally boosts your energy levels. 1 tbsp is more than enough, I use it sparingly because too much will make your heart race. Similar to coffee, it is a natural stimulant.