Healthy Peppermint Chocolate Bliss Balls

With all your super-nutritious, plant-based eating, you deserve a little treat.

A treat that is very rich and indulgent, but STILL nutitious! Can it be?

My Healthy Brownie Bites recipe is one that can hardly be beat. So I didn’t try to beat it, and instead made a variation of it. This festive twist on one of my favorite, most popular treats is incredible. It’s like the vegan, nutritious version of buckeyes, fudge, or dark chocolate brownies, with a hint of peppermint and just enough crushed candy canes to add color without adding much refined sugar.

And the nice thing is, even if you eat half of the recipe all by yourself, that’s only the equivalent of eating essentially 1/2 cup of walnuts, 5 dates, and a few chocolate chips. Not bad, I say. To see the original version (and read why I say these are actually healthy) click on my post here. 

These are seriously SO GOOD. They make the perfect gift for any of your health-conscious, plant-based, or chocolate-loving friends. They are festive to take to a Christmas party, for Christmas Eve dinner dessert, the PERFECT cute and divine addition to a Christmas cookie plate, or for a quick after-dinner treat to eat by the Christmas tree.

5 from 1 vote

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Healthy Peppermint Chocolate Bliss Balls

Prep Time

20 mins

 

These festive little treats are simple and indulgent!

Course: Dessert

Servings: 12 balls

Ingredients

• 1 cup walnuts
• 10 medjool dates (or 14 deglet noor dates)
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 drop peppermint essential oil (or peppermint extract)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips or dark chocolate bar (dairy free)
• 1 candy cane or peppermint candies, crushed

Instructions

1. In a food processor, process walnuts, cocoa, dates and salt for several minutes until very smooth and mixture has formed a ball inside the bowl of the processor. 

2. Form into 12 balls slightly smaller than 1 inch and place on a plate. Put plate in the freezer while you complete the next steps. (You know you processed it enough if your hands are covered in walnut oil!)

3. Put chocolate chips or a broken up dark chocolate bar in a small bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir, then microwave another 30 seconds and stir until smooth.

4. Take the balls out of the freezer and dip half the ball in melted chocolate, then sprinkle with some crushed candy cane. They will set up on their own, but if you're in a hurry you can put them in the freezer or fridge. 

   These keep fine at room temperature, but to keep them firm and fresh, store in the fridge before and after serving.