This van life has seen me continually adding to my “make and freeze” snack recipes – for those long days in the car travelling through remote parts of the country, we’ve always got something ready to go. These Beet ‘n’ Berry Bliss Balls have fast become a family favourite.
The ingredients are ones that I’ll usually have on hand in the cupboard and freezer which make sit easy to whip a batch together.
They’re unlike most bliss balls, which are mostly made of dates or other dried fruit in a miss-guided effort to make them “sugar free”. Dried fruit has a much higher concentration of sugar than fresh fruit and will spike your blood sugar, leaving you feeling irritable and hungry not long after – not something you really want to be giving the kids, right?
These little pink balls of happiness don’t contain any dried fruit. They’re sweet and tart thanks to nature’s lollies, raspberries, and a hint of maple syrup – my sweetener of preference because it contains zinc, potassium, manganese, thiamine, calcium, iron, magnesium, and riboflavin. Full of healthy fats, fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals, they’re guaranteed to satisfy a sweet craving, fill tummies and provide sustained energy release.
I’ve taken inspiration for these from Well Nourished and added some of my favourite superfoods for kids like chia seeds, hemp seeds and sesame seeds as well as coconut oil. Oh and I’ve hidden a vegetable in there too – beetroot, because they’ll never know.
They contain cashews which are a great source of monounsaturated fats, antioxidants, and magnesium. But you could use any nuts and for a nut-free school-friendly version replace these with some toasted sunflower seeds.
Beetroot is high in immune-boosting vitamin C, fibre, and essential minerals like potassium (essential for healthy nerve and muscle function) and manganese (for healthy bones, liver, kidneys, and pancreas). Beets also contain the B vitamin folate (for healthy cell and tissue growth and converting the food we eat in to energy). Beetroots have been found to have the least amount of pesticide residue so are ok to buy conventional. I peel and dice my beets up and store in the freezer to make in to bliss balls and add to smoothies.
Coconut oil provides your body and brain with quick energy.
Chia seeds are one of my favourite superfoods for kids – they’re high in antioxidants, fibre and protein as well as the omega-3 fatty acids.
Sesame seeds are an excellent source of calcium for healthy bones and teeth as well as neurotransmitter and muscle function.
Raspberries are just delicious fullstop, and are also high in vitamin C, anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants.
If you’re feeling lazy – or you have an impatient toddler tugging at your legs – you can press this mix in to a slice tin, freeze and then cut in to squares.
As with any raw treat, these don’t hold up to heat well. Keep them stored in the freezer and if packing in a lunch box, pack frozen and next to an ice block or frozen drink – they’ll keep until snack time. Otis loves eating them straight from the freezer on a hot day.
BEET ‘N’ BERRY BLISS BALLS
Makes: Approx 16 – Prep Time: 5-mins
Ingredients:
- ½ cup cashew nuts
- 1 cup desiccated coconut
- ½ cup frozen raspberries
- ½ raw beetroot, peeled and cup in to quarters
- 1 Tbsp chia seeds
- 1 Tbsp hemp seeds
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 Tbsp maple syrup
- ¼ cup extra desiccated coconut (to roll them in)
Method:
- Grind your cashews in a food processor
- Add the beetroot and process
- Add the coconut, raspberries, seeds and maple syrup
- Mix to combine
- Roll into balls and then roll in more coconut if you like
- Store in the freezer and serve from frozen
Happy Cooking!
Lucy x
