Ferrero Rocher Protein Bliss Balls

Rather than having muesli bars, crackers or store-bought protein balls like I use to for a snack, I tend to make my own protein balls these days. This is mainly because I would like to know what I consume each time and I would like to avoid any preservatives or nasties that are not good for our body. In addition, most protein bliss balls are relatively easy to make and if you have made them once, you can simply change the nuts, seeds or dried fruit to change the flavour of the protein bliss balls the next time.

For snacks this week, I decided to make Ferrero Rocher protein bliss balls. I don’t know about you, but I love Ferrero Rocher chocolate. So, having a healthy version of Ferrero Rocher chocolate for a snack this week is a no brainer for me. These protein balls are packed with good fat, fibre and protein. And it is only 92 calories per ball, so you would not feel guilty eating them 🙂 I hope you enjoy them as much as I did and let me know what you think of them.

Makes 40 small protein bliss balls

For those of you counting calories and macros, please use the table below as a guide.

	Carbohydrates (g)	Protein (g)	Fat (g)	Calories
Per Ball	5.6	3.0	6.4	91.5

Ingredients

• 10 pitted dates (50g);
• 3/4 cup hot water;
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted;
• 2 tsp vanilla essence;
• 2 1/3 cup almond or hazelnut meal;
• 1/3 cup cacao nibs;
• 1/2 cup cacao/cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting;
• 1 1/4 cup buckinis (activated buckwheat which you can get from health food stores), otherwise you can also use buckwheat kernels;
• 1/3 cup Bare Blend cacao protein powder; and
• 40 whole roasted hazelnuts.

  

Method

1. Combine dates, hot water, melted coconut oil and vanilla essence in a bowl. Set aside for 15-20 minutes to soak. Then, blend these on a puree setting until smooth;

   

2. In a large bowl, combine all the remaining dry ingredients (except the whole roasted hazelnuts) and mix well;

   

3. Add the date puree to the dry mixture and stir well until sticky and combined;

   

4. Compress and roll into 40 small sized balls. Flatten each ball and place a whole roasted hazelnut in the middle. Then, reform ball around the hazelnut;

   

5. Dust or roll each ball with the extra cacao/cocoa powder;

   

6. Stores well in a container for up to a week outside the fridge or in the fridge for up to a month;
7. Enjoy as a snack with a cup of tea 🙂