Crunchy Nut and Fruit Balls

They’re crunchy and packed with healthy ingredients like nuts, almonds and dates. Best of all super fast to make, and there's absolutely no cooking involved! Just be careful not to pop them in your kid’s lunch box if they have any banned nuts in them!

Crunchy Nut and Fruit Balls Ingredients:

1 cup roasted peanuts
½ cup roasted cashews
½ cup whole almonds
½ cup pepitas
2 tbsps. sesame seeds
½ cup rolled oats
1 cup chopped pitted dates
¾ cup sultanas
1/2 cup currants or dried apricots
1 tbsp. pure cocoa powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp. maple syrup of honey
Extra cocoa powder to cover

What they should look like

Method:

1. Place nuts and seeds in food processor and process until chopped, not too fine, about the size of ½ of a pea.

2. Add the oats, dried fruit, cocoa powder, cinnamon and maple syrup and blend until the mixture comes to a rough paste consistency. The nuts will reduce in size during this process. Try not to take the mix too far into a smooth paste; the crunch and texture of the nuts gives the balls a great boost.

3. Mold into walnut size balls, then roll in a little (or a lot) of cocoa powder.

You can probably use any combination of nuts or fruit; I use these as they are always in my cupboard and great for a quick treat to take for a morning tea. Easily made for a vegan (don’t use the honey) and its dairy free.

If you wanted to make it gluten free, leave out the oats and add 1/3 cup of almond meal , or leaving out the oats altogether shouldn’t make too much difference to the mix

Store in a sealed container in the fridge for 4-5 days.

Crunchy nut and fruit balls healthy recipe

Makes about 30 balls

More information and recipes about healthy eating from the Inspiro blog

About Inspiro

Inspiro is a local, non-profit community health service that provides dental and allied health services for the Yarra Ranges community from our Lilydale, Tecoma and Healesville clinics and various community venues. We have dentists to look at your teeth, health professionals to help get you moving and active, health services for children and older people, support if you are living with ongoing illness, podiatrists to look at your feet, someone to talk to about your mental health, and many other services to help you reach your own health goals.

Locations

INSPIRO LILYDALE: 17 Clarke St, Lilydale

INSPIRO BELGRAVE: 1616-1622 Burwood Highway, Belgrave

INSPIRO HEALESVILLE: 333 Maroondah Hwy, Healesville

Call us on 03 9028 0153