I don’t know about you, but I have been snacking up a storm since the holidays. I’m not sure if its my body recovering from the flu, or just a hardcore case of the munchies. But man, I feel hungry all. the. time.
Now the inherent problem with this is that instead of snacking on veggies and fruit, I end up eating handfuls of cereal all day long. I know, I know, I’m a hypocrite. Sitting here writing clean eating recipes while eating Honey Nut Cheerios by the bowlful. BUT. I’m setting out to change that because, let’s be honest, snacks are pretty much what keep me going during the day.
Now, because I have a serious sweet tooth, I figured my first go at this should be in the form of something chocolatey. And so these incredible power bites were born. Seriously. They’re amazing (even Stephen approves!). And the best part is that you could literally eat the entire batch and rest easy knowing you have just supplied your body with some serious nutrients. Just typing that makes me SO happy!
Oh, and they take about 5 minutes to make. Which makes this the holy grail of healthy snack recipes. So now that I’ve talked them up, let me tell you what’s in these guys and how awesome they are for you!
- Pistachio: promote a healthy heart, improve digestion, and helps eliminate skin dryness
- Dates: promote bone health, increase digestive health, and are a good source of energy.
- Dark Chocolate: Aside from being delicious…. it has a high mineral content, good source of antioxidants, and can improve blood flow and lower blood pressure.
- Chia Seeds: lots of fiber (11g per oz.), protein, antioxidants, and are high in omega-3 fatty acids.
- Honey: helps prevent against acid reflux, can help fight infection, and is a good source of antioxidants.
- Coconut:great source of protein and fiber, contains iron (helps fight against fatigue) and zinc (great for your immune system).
- 1 cup pitted medjool dates
- 3 tbs. honey (sub maple syrup to make vegan)
- ¼ cup pistachio
- ⅓ cup cashews
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tbs almond milk (optional)
- ⅓ cup chia seeds
- 2 tbs. shredded coconut (optional)
- In a food processor add all of the ingredients except for the almond milk. Pulse to combine. If the mixture is too dry, add the almond milk.
- Once the mixture has been fully combined and starts to form a ball within the food processor, remove from the mixer.
- On a sheet of parchment paper, use a small ice cream scoop to form about 10 balls.
- Top with more shredded coconut and crushed pistachios and serve!
- *These keep well in the fridge for up to a few weeks
