This cherry almond bliss balls recipe is like a cross between a black forest truffle and an energy bite - fudgy, chewy, and without the sugar crash! You can add a bit of homemade date syrup for a natural boost of sweetness.
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If you've never had bliss balls, you're in for a treat! These sweet snacks are the perfect pick-me-up between meals and are made with simple, natural ingredients, including dates, nuts, cherries, and seeds. And if you prefer sour cherries, try this sour cherry jam with chia seeds and cocoa!
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🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Medjool dates: Not Deglet Noor dates, they're not meaty enough or as soft as Medjool dates.
- Almonds: I use roasted almonds, but regular ones are fine.
- Flaxseed meal: You can also use chia seeds or rolled oats (2-3x the amount this recipe calls for).
- Almond butter: You can also use cashew butter, peanut butter, or sunflower seed butter.
- Cocoa powder: Unsweetened.
- Vanilla extract: Optional, but recommended.
- Almond extract: This is the magic ingredient that takes the flavor to the next level, so don't skip!
- Coconut: Choose from sweetened or unsweetened coconut.
- Optional garnishes: Dark chocolate, slivered almonds.
🧆 How to Make Cherry Almond Bliss Balls
Step 1: Add pitted dates, almonds, and flaxseed meal to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add almond butter, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt. Blend until all the ingredients come together. Texture should be like sticky, wet sand.
Pro Tip: If dates feel hard and don't squish easily between your fingers, you can soak them in warm water for 5-10 minutes before processing.
Step 2: Lightly toast shredded coconut in a skillet or the oven at 300℉ for up to 5 minutes, then place in a small bowl. Chop dried cherries and fold into the date mixture. Form mixture into balls, then roll in coconut mixture until fully coated.
Pro Tip: Even though the date mixture appears coarse and grainy, it should easily meld into a malleable dough when rolled into balls. I find the best way is to take about 2 tablespoon of the mixture and tightly compress it in your palm so it holds its shape, then roll it.
Step 3: Place balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then chill in the fridge for 20 minutes or until firm. Melt dark chocolate and drizzle over the balls using a piping bag or Ziploc with a corner snipped off.
Pro Tip: Chilling before drizzling will help the chocolate set quickly and keep it from melting into the coconut.
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
If the coconut isn't sticking to the bliss balls, you can brush the bliss balls with a little water before coating them.
Simply put, it's because they're so darn good! These nutrient-dense snacks are decadent like tuffles, without the need for added sugar and artificial flavors.
Medjool dates are the only ingredient that's absolutely essential. You can get creative with the rest, but you'll need some kind of nut butter and a combination of various nuts and seeds, such as peanuts, cashews, almonds, walnuts, pecans, flaxseeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, etc. Dried or freeze-dried fruit can also enhance them.
Looking for more natural snacks? Try stuffed dates and these honey nut clusters!
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- To melt chocolate, add wafers to a small cup and microwave for 30 seconds, then stir until smooth. Add more time, 15 seconds at a time, if needed.
- It's recommended that you let the dough sit 2-3 minutes after blending so flaxseed has time to absorb moisture.
- If the dough is too dry, you can add honey, maple syrup, or a little water. If you make it too wet, you can add more flaxseed meal.
- It's important to chop the cherries in this bliss balls recipe, as larger pieces can make the balls fall apart.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days, or in the freezer for 2-3 months.
- No need to defrost these before enjoying! They're great straight from the freezer.
🍒 More Date Recipes
If you enjoy this bliss balls recipe, check out these other delicious date recipes!
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📖 Recipe
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Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Add pitted dates, almonds, and flaxseed meal to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add almond butter, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt. Blend until all the ingredients come together. Texture should be like sticky, wet sand.
- Lightly toast shredded coconut in a skillet or the oven at 300℉ for up to 5 minutes, then place in a small bowl. Chop dried cherries and fold into the date mixture. Form mixture into balls, then roll in coconut mixture until fully coated.
- Place bliss balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then chill in the fridge for 20 minutes or until firm. Melt dark chocolate and drizzle over the bliss balls using a piping bag or Ziplock with a corner snipped off.
Nutrition
Notes
- To melt chocolate, add wafers to a small cup and microwave for 30 seconds, then stir until smooth. Add more time, 15 seconds at a time, if needed.
- If dates feel hard and don't squish easily between your fingers, you can soak them in warm water for 5-10 minutes before processing.
- Even though the date mixture appears coarse and grainy, it should easily meld into a malleable dough when rolled into balls. I find the best way is to take about 2 tablespoon of the mixture and tightly compress it in your palm before rolling it so it holds its shape.
- Chilling before drizzling will help the chocolate set quickly and keep it from melting into the coconut.
- It's recommended that you let the dough sit 2-3 minutes after blending so flaxseed has time to absorb moisture.
- If the dough is too dry, you can add honey, maple syrup, or a little water. If you make it too wet, you can add more flaxseed meal.
- It's important to chop the cherries in this bliss balls recipe, as larger pieces can make the balls fall apart.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days, or in the freezer for 2-3 months.
- No need to defrost these before enjoying! They're great straight from the freezer.
Nena Sterner says
We hope you enjoy this recipe!