Coconut Bliss Balls with Medjool Dates & Raw Cacao
These sumptuous raw chocolate truffles do not have the name bliss balls for nothing. Try one of these and you’ll wonder why you’ve ever bothered with conventional truffles. Well maybe I exaggerate a little, but only just.
We’d been invited to friends for dinner and as is my wont, I decided to make something to take along by way of a gift. I’d just been sent a box of luscious medjool dates from the Medjool Date Company. Medjool dates are so sweet, juicy and flavoursome, they’re ideal for making these bliss balls. In fact you don’t need much else in terms of flavouring. Having previously posted my raw chocolate truffles, however, I wanted to do something a little different. Coconut is a firm favourite in this household and seems to be popular with nearly everyone. So coconut bliss balls it was.
The bliss balls are made from only five ingredients, three of which are from the marvellous palm family. They’re remarkably nutritious and are dairy free, refined sugar free, gluten free and also vegan, so no-one needs to feel excluded. They’re also easy to make; there’s something rather post-modern about this combination of high tech blending and artisan rolling. In case you hadn’t noticed, Christmas is coming and these would make an ideal gift for your friends and family – if you don’t demolish the lot first.
Keen to try out my brand new and very exciting Optimum ThermoCook, I removed it from its box and put it through its paces with this simple recipe. Watch out for my Thermocook review post when I’ve used it a bit more and explored its many functions. As it’s nearly Christmas, the Thermocook is currently on offer for £549, that’s a whopping £346 off.
Bliss balls by name, but what about nature? Well, they have a heady fragrant coconut aroma. They’re pleasantly soft, but also chewy; they’re sweet. but in an alluring rather than overpowering way. The coconut doesn’t mask the honeyed sweetness of the dates which themselves are counterbalanced by hearty, bitter cacao notes. A tropical delight, CT’s vivid imagination saw the Sultan popping one of these into the mouth of his favourite concubine from a jewel encrusted platter. I must adjust his medication.
- 125g raw cashew nuts - soaked overnight
- 25g desiccated coconut + 2 tbsp for rolling
- 150g Medjool dates - weight after stoning (8-10 dates)
- 3 tbsp raw cacao
- 1 tsp virgin coconut oil
- pinch of Himalayan pink rock salt - or any salt of choice
- Drain the cashews and blitz in a food processor along with the desiccated coconut. I used the pulse action on my multi-functional Thermocook for about 10 seconds.
- Add the remaining ingredients, ensuring their are no stones left in the dates and blitz again until everything is thoroughly combined. Again I used the pulse action on my Thermocook for a further 10 seconds.
- Place the remaining desiccated coconut into a bowl.
- Roll a teaspoonful of the mixture between your hands to form a truffle sized ball - this can get a little sticky. Drop into the bowl of coconut and roll until completely covered. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
- These will keep in a cool place for a couple of weeks.
I’m sending these off to #RecipeOfTheWeek with Emily at A Mummy Too.
These also go to Festive Food Friday with Kerry Cooks and Taming Twins
Other bliss balls or similar you might like
- Chocolate coconut protein bites via Kerry Cooks
- Date coconut & almond truffles via The Hedge Combers
- Energy bites via United Cakedom
- Fruity flapjack energy bites via Eats Amazing
- Lemon macaroon protein balls via Celery & Cupcakes
- Raw chocolate & nut energy bites via Nadia’s Healthy Kitchen
- Raw vegan strawberry & coconut macaroons via Planet Veggie
- Spirulina energy balls via Rough Measures
The post contains affiliate links. Buying through a link to the Optimum Thermocook will not cost you any more, but I will get a small commission. This helps keep Tin and Thyme blythe and blogging. Opinions are, as always, my own.
Sus @ roughmeasures
3rd December 2015 at 8:57 amLove the presentation of these Choclette! What a fab Xmas idea. I do love bliss balls.
Thanks for linking to mine 🙂
Choclette
3rd December 2015 at 9:18 amThanks Sus. They are indeed delicious, I’m determined to make a load for Christmas.
Nadia's Healthy Kitchen
3rd December 2015 at 9:09 amI would be so happy if you gifted me that box of bliss balls!! I love medjool dates, can happily eat them all day everyday! YUM!! 😀
Choclette
3rd December 2015 at 9:19 amHaha yes Nadia, I think I’d have been happy if I’d gifted them to myself 😉 Luckily the recipients loved them too – they want the recipe.
Dom
3rd December 2015 at 9:54 amoooh, they looks so lovely and sound so delicious and you know I love my balls!
Choclette
3rd December 2015 at 10:46 amHaha, I do indeed Dom 😉
manu
3rd December 2015 at 10:20 amPerfect for a dinner with friends in this period.
xox
Choclette
3rd December 2015 at 10:47 amThanks Manu. Perfect for dinner at any time of year, I reckon 😉
Lauren
3rd December 2015 at 10:23 amThese sound like all kinds of healthy…and super delicious! I would feel virtuous eathing these, or at least that’s my excuse!
Lx
Choclette
3rd December 2015 at 10:52 amThey are too delicious to feel virtuous Lauren, but you definitely don’t need to feel guilty 😉
Helen @ family-friends-food.com
3rd December 2015 at 1:04 pmThose look fab. I’ve got a load of medjool dates that I’ve been meaning to do something with for ages – maybe this is the something!
Choclette
3rd December 2015 at 7:36 pmOh do make them Helen, they really are gorgeous.
Melissa
3rd December 2015 at 2:05 pmThese look amazing! I have many vegetarian friends and this will be a nice holiday addition for them when they visit. Not to mention for ME!
Choclette
3rd December 2015 at 7:37 pmOh no Melissa, please don’t forget about you 😉
Janie
3rd December 2015 at 6:35 pmDo you know I’d much rather be given a box of these than a box of chocolates. All those dodgy centres like orange, coffee & strawberry (BLEUGH!) get binned straight away, and the rest never really live up to expectations for me. However I haven’t tried a variation on these energy balls that I haven’t loved.
Janie x
Choclette
3rd December 2015 at 7:40 pmYou are so right Janie, these are heaps better than your average box of chocolates and they are dairy free for you too.
Leisel
4th December 2015 at 4:01 amBah! Another wonderful coconut treat I can only gaze upon because no one else in my house eats coconut!
Choclette
5th December 2015 at 9:05 amYes, but Leisel, the beauty of these is that you can make up a smaller batch and have them just for yourself 😉
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry
4th December 2015 at 4:01 pmI am desperate to make some energy balls – and since I love both coconut and cashews these ones are perfect to start with.
Choclette
5th December 2015 at 9:06 amThese balls are so blissful Bintu, it’s hard to imagine they can be improved on. I will of course try my best to do it though 😉
Angie@Angie's Recipes
5th December 2015 at 3:17 pmThey make an excellent holiday gift!
Choclette
7th December 2015 at 3:23 pmThank you Anglie. I’m rather coveting a box of them myself 😉
Sarah James
6th December 2015 at 8:32 amYour Coconut Bliss Balls look delicious Choclette, I love medjool dates & with coconut too, I’m sold.
Choclette
7th December 2015 at 10:14 amThanks Sarah. The first batch of date balls I made were delicious, but these were even better.
Carolyn
8th December 2015 at 7:42 amI’m there! Coconut is one of my favourite flavours, they certainly wouldn’t last a few weeks in a cool place in my house 😉 They’d be lucky if they lasted to the end of the day!
Choclette
8th December 2015 at 9:29 amHaha, they are quite rich and filling Carolyn, so you might get two days out of them 😉
Galina V
9th December 2015 at 11:50 amYour bliss balls sound lush. I love dates and coconut. Pure pleasure
Choclette
9th December 2015 at 1:13 pmThanks Galina – guess what everyone’s getting for Christmas 😉
Sarah (@tamingtwins)
9th December 2015 at 10:43 pmI adore coconut and dates so these sound right up my street! I love the presentation in the box too, very pretty. Thanks for linking with #FestiveFoodFriday. Happy Christmas!
Choclette
10th December 2015 at 8:31 amThanks Sarah. They are truly delicious and only naughty if you demolish the whole lot in one sitting 😉
Kate - gluten free alchemist
18th December 2015 at 11:54 pmDelicious AND healthy?! There’s nothing ‘bad’ in here….. they have to be the most virtuous truffles on the planet. That means I could eat a whole box for…….. breakfast!!
Choclette
19th December 2015 at 8:52 amWell exactly Kate, you’ve got it in one 😉
Janice
20th December 2015 at 8:37 pmThese are fabulous Choclette! Definitely going to give this a try, I just love dates.
Choclette
20th December 2015 at 9:31 pmThanks Janice. They are really are very good, especially for date lovers. I’m going to make a load more for Christmas – if I can find the time!
Jan
10th January 2016 at 8:05 amThese look lovely Choclette! A great idea to add dates.
Choclette
10th January 2016 at 3:55 pmThanks Jan. The dates make these truffles plenty sweet enough without the need for anything else, which is great.
Katie
12th January 2016 at 1:54 pmFabulous idea for a home-made gift… such natural ingredients too! This is definitely i’m going to try in my thermocook!
Choclette
13th January 2016 at 2:51 pmI am in love with those bliss balls Katie and made several batches over Christmas with lots of very positive comments from those that tried them.