At the end of summer, as I was tidying up and decompressing from the field season, I had several partially used bags of various nuts and seeds and dried fruits. The idea of eating them any more as choose-your-own trail mix was unappetizing; when I go out to do botany surveys or backpacking, these are often the staples of my day: compact, nutrient-packed, shelf-stable.
I set them aside with the idea of making energy balls from them, my Vitamix broke down, and it wasn’t until this week when my sweetie brought an old one home from his coffeeshop that I was able to get back on the blending/food processing game.
They turned out delicious! Bliss balls are so fun to make and even better to eat. Energy and protein packed, they appease hunger while leaving you feeling light, and are a great snack at any time (or even a semi-sweet dessert). There’s just enough honey to lend a bit of sweetness, and just enough oil to bring a rich quality to them. Even better, most of the ingredients help to balance Vata, making them a nourishing and grounding for the fall season, when Vata energy can be aggravated.
Here’s what I included and what I did… amounts are approximate, and I think you could substitute/add whatever creatively inspires you and what you have in your cupboards.
3 cups dried coconut strips
2 cups pepitas
1 cup almonds
1 cup cashews
1/2 cup chia
6 dates
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp almond butter
1-2 tbsp honey
Toast the nuts, seeds, and coconut strips in the oven for about 10 minutes at 350.
Add all ingredients to blender/food processor, filling no more than 1/2 full at a time. It worked best for me with dates on the bottom, nuts in the middle, and the denser ingredients (oil, almond butter, honey) on the top. On the Vitamix I set it to low and did a manual pulse, to keep it from blending everything together in a butter. A food processor could also work. Chop everything up until its the size of small pebbles/large grains of sand, pausing to stop and stir, so that everything gets chopped up fairly evenly.
Place the chopped mixture in a large mixing bowl and begin to form the balls with your palms. Take a scoop in the hand and form it, pressing together until it begins to hold and take shape.
Makes about 20-24 Fall Bliss Balls!