I first knew about energy balls when I was a dietetics student at my university and observing a healthy cooking talk with a senior. She was making energy balls as a healthier snack for kids, and I was impressed with how delicious they tasted. I bid these Chocolate Matcha Balls as an ode to her. It’s a healthy way to get a sweet kick without any added sugar! Dates are so sweet that no extra sweeteners are needed.
I made these chocolate Matcha balls for an office event and they were quite a hit (just make sure you sprinkle the balls in matcha powder and serve almost immediately; otherwise they will start to look like suspicious blobs of brown, especially in humid weather…). Make sure you have the right food processor for this; I made it in a blender with a lot of trouble pushing down the ingredients back into the blade, but with the right equipment it is a cinch!
You can also try to experiment around with different types of dried fruits (instead of just dates and figs) or nuts (cashews and pistachios would work nicely in chocolate matcha balls!). Kudos to recipes from Healthy Maven and Let’s Eat Cake who inspired this!
Chocolate Matcha Balls
Serves: 14 balls Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup soft, pitted dates (the sticky kind. I used Pam dates, but Medjool would be even better)
- 1/4 cup dried figs (stem removed)
- 1/2 cup plain roasted almonds, chopped
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk or regular milk
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon matcha powder + more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation:
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Add dates, figs, almonds, almond milk, vanilla extract, cocoa powder, matcha powder to a food processor fitted with an “S” blade. Blend until fully mixed and almonds become small bits.
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Roll into 14 balls.
- Toss in matcha powder to dust the balls immediately before serving.
- Enjoy the balls chilled in the fridge. Keeps up to 2 weeks in the fridge, or longer in the freezer.
Tips:
If you think that dusting with matcha powder is too bitter, you can try desiccated coconut, cacao nibs, or almond meal. Take note that in humid climates like Singapore, the green dust will disappear quite quickly and the resulting balls don’t look the most attractive. They still taste perfectly yum though!
27.8 calories, 1g protein, 1.3g fat, 3g carbohydrate, 1g fibre, 5.7mg sodium
