Tag Archives: hemp

Chocolate Chip Seed Balls

March 1, 2015

IMG_0237

In my hunt for more snack foods, I have always been intrigued by all the ball recipes I see on the web.  I have posted a few of my own recipes over the last year. ( Check these balls out and these are super yummy too.)  I like to try to make all my balls bursting with flavor while still including lots of amazing, energy producing ingredients.  My latest ball incantation meets all these requirements.

IMG_1188I love that these balls include energy producing, fiber filled Bob’s Red Mill Oats , Omega-3 rich Raw Chia Seeds and Hemp Hearts  and Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Chips- so much goodness in such a small little bite!   These are such a great, quick snack to have on hand for a burst of energy any time.  They can even be used as a quick grab and go breakfast.

IMG_1187

Here are all the healthy ingredients mixed up and ready to head into the fridge to help them stick together.  Putting them in the fridge for about 30 minutes is key to helping them hold together.  I definitely advised making sure you don’t skip this step!!

IMG_0238 I found it was easiest to squeeze the dough into balls instead of trying to roll them.  They don’t look too pretty but they sure taste good.

Print
Chocolate Chip Seed Balls

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of dry oatmeal
  • 1/2 cup coconut flakes, unsweetened
  • 1/2 cup of hemp seeds
  • 1/4 cup of chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup of peanut butter or other nut butter of choice
  • 1/2 cup of ground chia seeds
  • 1/3 cup of maple syrup
  • 1 tsp of vanilla
  • 1-3 tsp of almond milk

Instructions

  1. Put peanut butter and maple syrup in a small pot on the stove.
  2. Slowly heat, stirring to combine .
  3. While peanut butter heating on stove, add oats,coconut, seeds, chocolate chips and vanilla to a large bowl.
  4. When peanut butter and syrup combined, add to dry mixture.
  5. Stir to combine.
  6. Add almond milk as need to make sure dough is wet enough to stick together.
  7. Once well combined, chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  8. After 30 minutes, remove from fridge and roll into balls.
  9. Enjoy!
  10. Store leftovers in airtight container in the fridge.
http://www.nourishedrootspdx.com/blog/chocolate-chip-seed-balls/

This post contains affiliate links.

Filed Under: Blog, Snacks

Chocolate Apricot Seed Balls

December 18, 2014
Balls all ready for snacking.

Balls all ready for snacking.

As I continue on my real foods journey, I find one of the aspects I struggle the most with is finding good quality, quick snacks.  My kids are still stuck in the “it has to be in a box to qualify for a snack” mode.  It is incredibly disheartening to go to the store, read package labels and realize how much crap is in the food marketed to kids!  Even food under the “health halo” of  gluten free or organic is often loaded with sugar listed in different forms to disguise how much sugar is actually lurking.  IT DRIVES ME CRAZY!

I was recently wandering around the internet looking for new snack ideas when I stumble upon My Darling Lemon Thyme’ s recipe for Raw Apricot, Dark Chocolate and  Coconut  Bites .  These sounded amazingly yummy to me but I wondered about tweaking them a little bit to add some protein.  I am incredibly obsessed with chia and hemp seeds right now so I immediately thought about incorporating them.

I am use to using dates in many of my raw snacks so I was intrigued with the idea of trying apricots for a different taste.  I try to find unsulfured apricots because the preservatives tend to give me a headache and upset my stomach.  I bought  Dried APRICOTS here.  I know they look discolored and a little unappetizing but I promise they taste just as good as the sulfured ones! I eat Hemp Hearts  and Organic Raw Chia Seeds every day for breakfast so they were a natural addition to these balls.

Ingredients.

Ingredients.

Into the food processor everything went.

IMG_1106It was important to keep grinding and grinding to break down the apricots and to get a paste to form.  Be sure to scrape down the sides of the food processor as needed.  Gradually adding a little water also really helped the balls hold together.  Checkout all that seedy goodness in the photo down below.

Balls before going into the freezer.

Balls before going into the freezer.

I know these are not the most visually appealing snacks but they definitely taste better than they look!  The raw chocolate on these balls is so yummy and not too sweet!  It is amazing combined with the orange flavor from the zest.

IMG_1110

Print
Chocolate Apricot Seed Balls

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups unsulfered apricots
  • 3/4 cup of coconut
  • 1/4 cup of chia seeds
  • 2 tbs of hemp seeds
  • 1 tbs of orange zest
  • 11/2 tbs of melted coconut oil
  • For Raw Chocolate
  • 3 tbs of melted coconut oil
  • 3 tbs of cacao powder
  • 2 tbs of maple syrup
  • pinch of sea salt

Instructions

  1. Place apricots, coconut, seeds, zest and 1 1/2 tbs of oil in the food processor.
  2. Grind until a paste forms and mixture holds together when rolled into a ball.
  3. (I added a little warm water to help this process along.)
  4. Roll into balls.
  5. Place balls in freezer for 10-15 minutes to firm up.
  6. While balls are freezing, mix ingredients for raw chocolate together.
  7. Remove balls from freezer and roll in the chocolate.
  8. (You can completely cover the balls or cover only half of them depending on your taste.)
  9. Enjoy immediately or store in fridge for later snacking.
http://www.nourishedrootspdx.com/blog/chocolate-apricot-seed-balls/

These balls turned out super yummy and I have been snacking on one or two of them a day for the last few days. Even though they are small, I find they give me sustained energy.   The boys also declared them a winner- which is great, but then I have to share them!  I would love to have readers share any of their snack ideas.

This post contains affiliate links.

Filed Under: Blog, Snacks

Tiny Tip Tuesday: Eat Hemp

June 11, 2014
Hemp seeds.

Hemp seeds.

Hemp seeds are one of the new darlings of the health food world and when you take a look at their nutritional profile, you understand why.  Hemp is known for its ideal concentrations of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids(1-3 ratio)  which have the potential to beneficially influence heart disease and improve overall health.  Hemp seeds contain all of the essential and non-essential amino acids making it a complete protein- a perfect vegan protein source. (In fact, 3 tablespoons of hemp seeds contain 11 grams of protein.)  They contain GLA (gamma linolenic acid), a building block of anti-inflammatory hormones.  Hemp seeds are chock full of  disease-fighting, plant-based phytonutrients and anti-aging antioxidants such as vitamin E.  It also adds vitamins and  minerals including Vitamin A, Vitamin D, zinc, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium and iron.

Hemp seeds have a mild flavor similar to chopped walnuts.  They are excellent in both smoothies and  baked goods, sprinkled on salads or in yogurt and are often made into a source for vegan protein powder.  They are an incredibly versatile source of nutrition.  Tell me about your favorite recipes for hemp seeds.

Buy your hemp seed here: Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts Shelled Hemp Seed, 8 Ounce Bags (Pack of 2)
e.

Affiliate links shared in this post.

Shared on Simple Lives Thursdays.

See more photos by Ruby Ran on flickr.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Filed Under: Blog, Health Information