Nut free choc peppermint balls

Nut free choc peppermint balls IMG_4180

At the recent Weekly Food Prep Workshop we made the delicious Crunchy choc peppermint balls. They were a hit with the mums and many kids who tasted them too. But as they contain nuts, they are a no go for most lunch boxes.

So I have played with the recipe a little to come up with something that tastes almost as good (it has hard to compete with the tastiness of cashews), but has no nuts in it. They have received the thumbs up at our house and hopefully will at yours too.

Nut free choc peppermint balls IMG_4167

Nut free choc peppermint balls IMG_4177

Nut free choc peppermint balls
 
Author::
Serves: 24
Ingredients:
  • 1 cup raw pepitas
  • 1 cup raw sunflower seeds
  • 2 cups dates pitted
  • 2 tbsp cacao powder
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 5-7 drops of Pure Peppermint Essential Oil
  • Optional: 2 tbsp cacao nibs (my kids didn't like them during testing, so omitted them for the final recipe)
Method:
  1. Add seeds, dates, vanilla and cacao powder to the food processor and pulse until it forms a dough like consistency. To test it is ready you should be able to squeeze the dough easily to form a ball which stays together well.
  2. Add peppermint oil to the mix and pulse for 10 - 15 seconds or until well combined.
  3. Using a heaped tablespoon of mixture, make into balls.
  4. Place in an airtight container in the fridge and let set for 2 hours.
Notes:
These can be stored in the freezer.

 What have you been making for the kids’ lunch boxes recently?