balls | beach house kitchen

Apricot Sesame and Tahini – Raw Power Balls

These are real super fuels, if you need power and energy, look no further. These Raw Power Balls are like duracell batteries for the body.

We love a good raw bar. Nutty or seedy. Carob or crunch. Nak’d and Nine Bar are just a couple on sale in the UK which are perfect when you fancy a treat but don’t want to eat a load of junk. Making them yourself however is a lot more fun and allows your creative side to get busy.

These little balls pack a serious punch, tasty and like rocket fuel, your energy levels and vitality will leap when you try them. We experiment with this recipe all the time and they are the perfect snack for a long day walking up steep hills (and then down again). I eat them at work and they keep me rocking all day. The measurements are rough here, they don’t need to be exact, handfuls are accurate enough. This is a simple, quick snack that serves as a tasty last minute treat.

Packed with nuts and date, you need to take it easy with this type of snack. They are very filling and packed full of sugar, hence the power. Too many and you’ll negate any benefit gained from all that raw goodness (by getting fat!).

They don’t need any preparation, but the dates and nuts will be better for a soak. They swell up and even taste better. They become softer and easier to blend. Soaking will also release many of the useful enzymes and nutrients that are otherwise closed off to the body. If you do decide to soak your bits, keep the juice, date juice is lovely and sweet and the nut juice is packed with nutrients. We add it to juices, stews or soups.

You may also like to make these into a truffle. Heat up some chocolate (in a bowl above a pan of steaming water) and roll you power balls in them until well coated. Place on a tray, covered with baking parchment and stick them in the fridge. Once the chocolate has hardened, they are ready to be enjoyed. That’s surely a treat worthy of a special birthday walk or even a dessert in its own right (just make the balls slightly bigger).

On a wander, seeing some flowers.

Here are a few of our favourite Power Ball flavour combos:

The Bits

Makes six decent power balls

Basic recipe:

1 handful of good dates (we like medjool, soaked for 2 hours), 1 handful of almonds (soaked overnight), 1/2 handful of cashews (soaked overnight)

Dark Chocolate Orange

2 heaped teas cacao powder, 3 teas orange blossom water or 2 teas orange zest, 1/2 handful of raisin (soaked)

Apricot, Sesame and Tahini

3 teas sesame seeds, 2 teas tahini, 1/2 handful of dried apricots (soaked and chopped)

Walnut Apple Pie

1 handful dried apples (soaked), 1 handful of walnuts (replace almonds), 1/2 teas cinnamon

Lemon Cardamom

2 teas lemon zest, 2 teas crushed cardamom seeds

Coco Choco Mint

1/2 handful of fresh coconut (blend first), 2 teas cacao powder, 2 teas finely chopped mint leaves

Vanilla Cashew

1 teas vanilla extract, use only cashew nuts

Very Berry

1 handful of dried cranberry, 1/2 handful of dried blueberry, 1/2 handful dried cherries, 1 teas vanilla extract

Seedy Wonder

1/2 handful sunflower seeds, 1/2 handful pumpkin seeds, 1/4 handful sesame seeds, 1/4 handful poppy seeds

Ginger Bread

1/2 teas all spice, 1/2 teas dried ginger, 1 handful of pecans (replace almonds)

Maple Fig and Lavender (CAUTION – very sweet!)

1 teas maple syrup, 1/2 teas dried lavender, 1/2 handful dried figs (soaked and chopped)

Peanut Butter

2 teas peanut butter, 1 handful of raw peanuts

The list goes on…………..like kids in a sweet shop……

Do It

The technique is always the same. Put it all into a food processor, blitz until smooth (or chunky, you decide). Get your hands in there and roll out a decent sized ball between your palms. That’s it!

Place in the fridge for a while to make them firmer and a little less sticky. They last for a long time in a sealed container in the fridge and can even be frozen and munched at a later date.

Chocolate Orange – Raw Power Balls

Serve

Preferably on top of a peak or in a forest somewhere far away from anywhere.

We Love Them!

Better than a biscuit and full of only raw goodness.

Foodie Fact

Dates give you a hefty dose of protein and fibre. They are also high in calories, essential when wandering around the countryside (or city for that matter). They are also a good source of Vitamin B and you’ll even get a splash of C thrown in as well.