I am an insatiable grazer with an insatiable sweet tooth so I make bliss balls every week. I vary the recipe but my current go-to is choc mint. They give you that familiar flavour hit while adding to your health, rather than compromising it.

Cocoa, you’d be surprised to know, is a superfood. The mineral content is off the charts as it’s one of the best sources of magnesium, manganese and iron. Plus it’s fibre dense. People think that cacao, it’s holy cousin, is the only healthy chocolate source but unsweetened cocoa is basically the same thing.

Mint oil, our other flavour enhancer, is also healthy for you. It’s a calmative herb that soothes stomach pain and can even help you with breathing. You just need to make sure your mint oil is safe for internal use. DoTERRA’s version is, as is this one off Amazon. Most other versions you find won’t be.

You can use peppermint essence from the baking section of a supermarket too. It just won’t have any of the nutritional properties.

I make this double batch version on Sundays and it gets two people through the week. Taking care of your snacks really puts you ahead of the game and eliminates a lot of effort and poor decisions.

Choc Mint Bliss Balls Recipe

• Takes 10 minutes
• Freeze for 30 minutes

Ingredients

• Rolled oats – 2 cups
• Shredded coconut – 2 cups
• Pitted dates – 2 cups
• Coconut oil – 3 heaped tablespoons
• Cocoa – 3 heaped tablespoons
• Essential mint oil (needs to be edible) – 1/4 teaspoon

Method

1. Add your pitted dates to the food processor with roughly one cup of boiling water; you want to soften the dates but use as little water as possible
2. Shut the lid on the food processor (trap the heat in) and swirl the dates around
3. Next add every other ingredient except the mint oil and process for 1-2 minutes, scraping down sides
4. Add your very small dose of mint and process for 10 seconds
5. Now splash some water on your hands and roll these into balls
6. You can roll them a second time in cocoa powder or coconut if you want them fancier
7. Next, place them on a tray or dish with baking paper and fit them in the fridge (or freezer)
8. Chill until they firm up; 20 minutes in the freezer or an hour in the fridge
9. Store in the fridge; they’re fresh for a few weeks but they won’t last that long

 

 

Recipe by James Mcloughlin – Green Press 

James started his business, Green Press, to help the time poor corporate climber eat cleaner. It began as a cafe and evolved into an Online hub. Check out greenpress.co for quick recipes that help you live longer and look younger without turning you into the office weirdo.