HOW TO: EASY RAW CHOCOLATE BALLS

I’m going to be honest, up until a few years ago the thought of raw desserts made me depressed, I mean, why eat something that claims to be chocolate, but isn’t, when you could just eat actual chocolate instead!? However, the year before last I started focusing on what I was eating and limiting food items that cause inflammation (sugar, grains etc), and obviously chocolate was one of the first things that was put on the ‘special occasions’ list. Kinda sad because there’s this dark Lindt chocolate with candied hazelnuts in it that I could quite literally eat *all* day, but that’s life isn’t it?

I heard a lot about raw chocolate and was always a bit sceptical, but one day decided to make some chocolate balls myself – and was flabbergasted that they’re delicious and pretty close to actual chocolate, sans sugar and other nasties! Even Ben likes them which is shocking. I’m pretty sure you’ll know all about these types of protein/raw balls as they’ve become pretty common on the healthy eating circuit, but I just had to share my little salty take on them. Mainly because they’re a life saver for someone who has to have something sweet after dinner, and also cos they’re really easy to make but people tend to be quite impressed when you share them (winning!). Without further rambling, read on for episode two of ‘ridiculously easy recipes Geneva makes on a Sunday afternoon’ (see ep 1 here).

Raw Salted Chocolate Balls

Make about 25 balls

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of medjool dates (about 16)
• 1/2 a cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups of raw almonds
• 1 cup of desiccated or shredded coconut
• a big pinch of salt

How to:

1. Soak your dates for an hour and then remove the seeds.

2. Blend your almonds into gravel sized pieces, and then add your dates and blend again.

3. Add your coconut, salt and cocoa powder and blend one last time until a paste has been formed. If it’s too wet add more almonds. Make sure to have a taste and see if you wasn’t to adjust the flavour, more cocoa will make a more chocolate-y ball.

4. Using your hands, roll the mixture into balls and then coat in coconut by rolling.

Store in the freezer and eat frozen with your afternoon cup of tea!

Photos by Nicola Lemmon