Sugar Free Chocolate Energy Bites

I’m no health freak – I love eating cakes and icecream as much as the next person. But I also know when to rein it in. I am a bit of a sugar addict and can go a bit crazy from time to time. Especially when I’m tired and need to get energy from somewhere. That’s why I’m loving these chocolate energy bites. They are far healthier than my regular chocolate bar!

As I like to work out I do actually like to feel healthy. It’s important to be aware of the amount of food I’m eating which is just no good for me. Processed foods like pastries, burgers, white bread, bacon, processed cheeses, cakes, biscuits and ready meals are high in salt, fat and sugar. They have a huge list of ingredients but are low in nutrients, so occasionally I crave something simple and clean.

Having said that, I’m not one for takeaways and I always cook home cook meals. One reason for that is that my husband Darrel is intolerant to a lot of food, so I’m constantly checking labels. No lactose or soya mainly – and that includes ‘traces of..’. Life used to be stressful but now I know what I can and can’t cook with.

However, these chocolate energy bites are no good for him as he doesn’t like chocolate and fructose is an issue which is found in most fruit. So more for me! They are perfect when I just need a sweet hit or breakfast on the run but they have no added sugar or sweeteners at all. In fact there are just four ingredients. That is all.

So how do you make choclate energy bites? Easy peasy!

All you need is a food processor and the following ingredients (to make 10 energy bites):

• 400g dried dates (without stones)
• 1 or 2 teaspoons of pure virgin coconut oil
• 1 handful of flaked almonds
• 2 tablespoons cacao powder (to dust)

Method:

• Simply add the dates, almonds and coconut oil to the food processor and blend until it starts to combine.
• Next divide the mixture and create about 10 meatball sized balls.
• On a work surface or tray, sprinkle the cacao powder. Then roll the balls into the powder to coat them completely.
• Chill in the fridge for an hour before eating, or store in an airtight container in the fridge and consume within a week.

How easy is that huh? Plus you could play around with the recipe. Use different fruit – like dried cranberries, or use peanut butter (the natural ones with no added sugar are the best) instead of coconut oil and flaked almonds. Or coat in desiccated coconut instead of cacao. It’s endless..

I made these in about ten minutes (before chilling) – healthy fast food! Great for lunchboxes or an after school/work snack. Plus I picked up all the ingredients from The Grape Tree which was really handy!