Chocolate Meritene Power Balls

A quick and easy power ball perfect for on the go. Plus each power ball contains 81% of the recommended intake of vitamin D.

This recipe is simple to make and has no added sugar: We like to use dates as a source of natural sweetness. They are a source of fibre and work well to moisten and bind the mixture together.

To make your own date paste see below. The Power Balls will keep happily wrapped up inside an airtight container in the fridge for a few days.

For more information on Meritene, what is it and where to buy it, read our article or visit our website. Don’t forget to like our Facebook page for offers and competitions.

Preparation time: 10 minutes plus time to chill. The date paste if making, about 30 minutes

Cooking time:  none

Ingredients

Makes 2 power balls of about 40g each.
1 x serve portion of Meritene.

1 sachet Chocolate Meritene Strength and Vitality
10g (1tbsp) finely ground super seeds mix: golden flax, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame seeds, goji berries (available as pre-mixed pack in main supermarkets)
10g (1tbsp) chopped toasted hazelnuts
2tbsp jumbo oats
25g (1tbsp) date paste * see below
½ tsp vanilla extract

Optional: 2tsps of chopped stem ginger or other dried fruit

Optional coating: cocoa powder, cocoa nibs or chopped nuts

Steps:

1. Make a date paste by finely chopping 15g of dates (3-4 dates), place in a bowl and barely cover with boiling water. Place in the microwave for 20 seconds. (For larger quantities see below recipe).
2. Stir mixture and leave to cool
3. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and work together with a fork; be patient while it comes together to form a thick paste.
4. Use two spoons or wet hands to roll the mixture into two balls and leave them as they are or drop them in your choice of coating.
5. Store in a fridge or eat!

Cooks Tips

• Date paste – for a quick option use very soft dates, for example the Medjool type and chop them finely to a paste, with a few drops of water. More than a few drops may make the mixture too sticky.
• You can leave the bites as they are, or roll them in cocoa powder to coat. Or why not try chopped nuts or raw cacao nibs to coat.
• You can make other variations with this recipe. Substitute the 10g (1tbsp) of super seeds with a different mixture of nuts, such as ground nutty hemp & raw cocoa nibs, milled almonds and walnuts.
• Instead of adding stem ginger, you can add a tablespoon of dried fruit of your choice for example sour cherries, cranberries or raisins.

Date Paste

We use a date paste, which helps to bind all the ingredients together. The amount below will make some extra to keep in the fridge for a few days and if making the recipe again, you can freeze it for up to a month. To freeze, put in a freezer bag and squeeze out the air.

Don’t forget to take it out of the freezer to defrost when you want to make more Power balls and use within 24 hours.

Ingredients:

150g soft pitted dates
150ml boiling water

Chop the dates finely, place in a small glass bowl and barely cover with the boiling water. Heat the bowl of dates in the microwave for about 3 minutes, or simmer in a pan. Leave to soak and cool for at least 30 minutes. Beat the dates to a soft paste and then keep the mixture chilled in the refrigerator before using.

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