Jaffa Bliss Balls

By Sheridan 31 January, 2021

These little gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free and nut-free bites of heaven are a great addition to the school lunchbox. The recipe was given to me by chef Louise Miller who works as a freelance chef in SE Queensland and northern NSW.

Prep Time : 25-30 minutes
Yield : 12 -14

Ingredients

pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds) - 1/2 cup
sunflower seeds - 1/2 cup
shredded coconut - 1/2 cup
raisins - 1/3 cup
fresh pitted medjool date - 1/3 cup, or use soft dried dates
raw cacao - 1/4 cup (or use good-quality cocoa powder)
maple syrup - 2 teaspoons
pure vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon
cinnamon - 1/2 - 1 teaspoon
orange zest - 1 teaspoon or 2 drops orange oil
mesquite powder - 1 tablespoon (optional)

Instructions

Makes 12 - 14 balls

Place all ingredients in a food processor, and process for 1-2 minutes, until mixture combines and starts to stick together. You might need to add 1 - 2 tablespoons warm water (or freshly squeezed orange juice) to bring it together.
Roll about 1 tablespoon of mixture into balls and place in little patty cake papers, or roll in desiccated coconut.
Refrigerate until firm. You can keep these in the fridge for 2-3 days or they keep well in the freezer for a few months.

Lou’s Notes: The mesquite powder is ground from mesquite seed pods, rich in protein, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron. It has a slight caramel flavour and is great for balancing blood sugar levels. Mesquite powder can be hard to find, but they will still taste great without it.

My note: roll the balls in desiccated coconut for a pretty effect. You could also add some chia seeds to the mix.
For a special gift Louise suggests you layer the dry ingredients in a jar, decorate with a ribbon and attach a copy of the recipe, highlighting the additional ingredients they will need.