Raise your hand if you’d like a change from using dates as a base for your energy bites. My hand’s up!
I like dates and I’ve been happily using them in energy bites, pie crusts, smoothies, and as a snack all on their own, with a bit of nut butter. They’re great: sweet and satisfying. Lately, though, I’ve been looking for something else to act as the sticky and naturally sweet part of my energy bites and there it was, sitting on my shelf all the time – the small but mighty prune!
Known stereotypically as the dried fruit that will help keep your tailpipe in good moving order 😉 prunes are loaded with fibre! They are a great source of heart healthy potassium, and iron – which keeps our nervous system happy. Because they are a dark fruit, like blueberries and forest fruits, prunes are loaded with antioxidants. Prunes are naturally quite sweet, so it’s best to only have a couple or three a day. Eating them with a healthy fat, such as nuts, is a good idea to help keep blood sugar levels balanced.
I invite you to give this recipe a try. There is so much goodness in the prunes, complemented by healthy fats, cacao’s magnesium-rich mineral, omega 3s from the chia, flax, and hemp seeds, and they are indeed loaded with fibre. Your tailpipe with thank you!
*(I included maca powder because of its energy boosting properties, and the collagen helps keep our skin, nails, and hair, strong. You needn’t include these if you don’t have them on hand.)
Prune, Coconut, Chocolate, Pecan Energy Bites:
- 1 cup toasted pecans
- 1 cup prunes (+/- 200 grams)
- ¼ cup cacao powder
- ¼ cup coconut, plus more for rolling
- 2 Tbsp ground flax seeds
- 1 Tbsp chia seeds
- 1 Tbsp hemp seeds
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- pinch of sea salt
- 1 Tbsp maca powder (optional)*
- 2 Tbsp collagen powder (optional)*
Directions:
- Place the toasted pecans in your food processor and using the pulse function, buzz these around until they are broken down into a fine crumb, about 20 seconds total.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, and whirl this mixture around until all elements are broken down and sticky enough to stay together when you pinch a sample between your fingers.
- Roll portions into two-bite, bite-sized balls and roll in coconut to coat.
- You can store these in the fridge for 4-5 days, or in the freezer for several weeks.