Over the weekend, my partner in “Sunday mornings on the deck eating eggs + reading the papers” crime Lizzie and I made nutballs. This is them…
Three things you need to know:
1. These balls of goodness are so healthy and anti-oxidising that you can eat them for breakfast. And just to test the theory, I did so this morning.
2. They are not addictive and you won’t eat the whole lot in one sitting. How so?
They contain ZERO sugar
They are rich in good fats that fill you up pleasantly and fast. Seriously, no desperate hankerings afterwards.
3. Lizzie and I are the two most impatient women on the planet: we whizzed these together in three minutes, including the taking of pretty pictures.
my sugarfree nutballs
- half a jar of almond spread
- 250g or so of organic nuts. We used almonds, brazil nuts and walnuts for their hormonally healthful properties. We tried using a stab-mixer, but it turned them into a powder, so promptly switched to a large food processor).
- 1/2 cup of raw cacoa powder (to taste)
- 2 big handfuls of shredded coconut
- 1/2 a stick of organic salted unadulterated butter. Or use the whole packet (200-250g) if you don’t have coconut oil.
- 4-5 heaped tbls of coconut butter (coconut oil)
- vanilla powder (or use vanilla essence)
- licorice root tea (gives it a very distinct sweet kick)
- stevia (Natvia granules) – 2-3 teaspoons
- cinnamon
- Nora suggests some bee pollan
- Nora also suggests organic cacao nibs – adds chocolaty flavor without adding sugar. Also, cacao nibs have roughly twice the antioxidant content of green tea.
One or more of these, to adjust the consistency, if you need to or want to and have them in the fridge anyway:
- almond meal
- LSA
- protein powder – we used one called 180 Natural Protein Superfood which contains organic whey, flaxseeds, coconut and psyllium husks…about 1/2-1 cup
- a small handful of chia seeds
- maca powder
- acai powder
Blend the above in a bowl, using a metal spoon to “splodge” the coconut oil and butter through the dry stuff. Don’t be precise – chuck in what feels right. You can’t go wrong. It will go quite “wet” – this is because the coconut butter turns to oil. Add some extra dry “filler” stuff to adjust the consistency. The chia seeds will do this super well. Grab little handfuls and form into “balls” and plop (seriously, this is probably the wrong word given what they look like) on wax paper on a metal tray. Stick in the fridge for an hour, or if you’re impatient like us, in the freezer for 20 minutes.
Some observations from Lizzie and I:
They really don’t need any sweetener. We chucked in licorice root and some stevia and regretted it a little. Vanilla and/or cinnamon does the job better.
We also tossed in some maca. We’re glad we did.
As Lizzie says, this is “real food” eating. No fuss. Basic ingredients. No sugar. Good, nutritious, female-loving fat.
PS Lizzie and her sister run Spell Designs. She’s wearing their gear above. You can buy online here and follow her blog here.
PPS For more sugar-free sweet treats, check out my I Quit Sugar Ebook. You can buy it here.
PPS Feel free to contribute your own recipe amendments below!
