How can you not love bliss balls? They barely require any effort to make and you don’t use any complicated ingredients that you need to bake. I don’t know about you but I rarely have the time to bake desserts so this type of no bake treats/snacks are my favourite! They are super nutritious, they satisfy my sugar cravings and they taste amazing! These bliss balls are vegan and have no added sugar, the sweetness is created by the dates and honey in the recipe. You might remember The Perfect protein energy balls recipe, which was an absolute hit and I still make them all the time. These Ginger & Cinnamon bliss balls don’t contain as much protein but are still full of naturally sweet ingredients and the best thing is that they taste and smell like Christmas!
These bliss balls are good any time of the year but I think they can make a great Christmas treat not only because they taste christmassy but because they are also in the colours of Christmas – green, red and white. The ones covered in coconut look like little snowballs! I bet the kids will love them too! They are a great gift to give to your friends in the festive season. Last year I posted these Cinnamon Rice chocolate bars that are also a great gift idea and you will find a free, easily printable gift card on the recipe page as well.
Make sure to use fresh dates if possible or medjool dates in order to get the perfect sticky mixture. If the dates are too dry, the balls might not stick together. I also added dried red cranberries to the mixture as this is what I had at the time but you can also use goji berries, which are actually more nutritious and contain less sugar. They add a mild tangy taste that makes these bliss balls truly special.
Happy holidays, enjoy your nutritious and delicious ginger and cinnamon bliss balls!
Ingredients
- 1 cup oats (gluten-free)
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1 1/2 cup pitted fresh medjool dates
- 1/2 tbsp grated ginger
- 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
- 3 tbsp cacao powder
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1/2 cup dried red berries or goji berries
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut (for half of them)
- 1/2 cup raw pistachio nuts - very finely chopped (for the other half)
Instructions
- Put the oats and cashews in a food processor and blend for a minute.
- Add the dates, ginger, cinnamon, cocoa, honey and blend. You know it's ready when the mixture forms one big ball and it's easy to shape.
- Chop the dried fruits into slightly smaller pieces (if needed) and add to the mixture but don't blend them, just mix them with a spoon until they are well combined.
- Shape the mixture into about 20 - 21 balls and coat half of them with the shredded coconut and the rest with the pistachios.
Notes
Make sure to use natural fresh medjool dates in order to get the perfect sticky mixture. Dried dates will not work.
Here are some other Christmas treat recipes you might want to try:
Personalised chocolate gift – Cinnamon Rice chocolate bars + free printable gift card
Some great healthy Green and Red Food ideas for Christmas by Eats Amazing.
Vegan Raw Chocolate Cherry Truffles by Hungry Healthy Happy
Very pretty Healthy Christmas Pudding Balls by Nadia’s Healthy Kitchen.
Or you can just play with some Raw chocolate as shown by Tin & Thyme.