Name: Gluten-free salted maple-almond balls
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 3 min
Total time: 18 min
Ingredients: 125 ml maple syrup (½ cup); 40 gm coconut oil; 250 gm almonds; 100 gm moist coconut flakes or shredded coconut, plus extra for rolling; 130 gm pitted dates, coarsely chopped; 20 gm roasted sesame seeds; 20 gm cacao nibs; 1 tsp vanilla bean extract; Finely grated rind and juice of ½ orange

Gluten-free salted maple-almond balls

Salted maple almond balls- Simmer maple syrup in a saucepan over medium-high heat until caramelised. Remove from heat and stir in coconut oil.

Prep

15M

Cook

Total

18M

Some people might call these bliss or energy balls – we call them can’t-stop-at-one delicious. These little bites of goodness, with a good whack of salt cutting through the sweetness, make the perfect lunchbox snack or after-dinner treat. We’ve rolled ours in extra coconut, but they could also be dusted in raw cacao to make them look like truffles.

Ingredients

125 ml maple syrup (½ cup)

40 gm coconut oil

250 gm almonds

100 gm moist coconut flakes or shredded coconut, plus extra for rolling

130 gm pitted dates, coarsely chopped

20 gm roasted sesame seeds

20 gm cacao nibs

1 tsp vanilla bean extract

Finely grated rind and juice of ½ orange

Method

Main

1.Simmer maple syrup in a saucepan over medium-high heat until caramelised (3-4 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in coconut oil.

2.Process almonds and coconut in a food processor until finely chopped but not so much that they lose their texture. Add dates and process to combine. Transfer to a bowl, add sesame seeds, cacao nibs, vanilla, orange rind and juice, maple mixture and 1½ tsp sea salt flakes, and mix with your hands to combine well. Roll into walnut-sized balls, then roll in extra coconut. They’ll keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a month.

Styling by Emma Knowles

Styling by Lynsey Fryers-Hedrick