Hola Mi Gente,
About a year ago, I started hearing about this phenomenon in the health blogger world called “fat balls.” In essence they are raw, vegan balls that have a high amount of protein and fat as a healthy sort of snack. It’s the kind of thing you reach for before or after the gym, or instead of a cookie at night. They’re typically sweetened with dry fruit, are pretty flexible as a recipe (you can add or sub pretty loosely), and are pretty inexpensive to make.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been experimenting with a couple of different recipes to make my own. You can think of this recipe as a sort of base layer, that you can add to or customize to suit your specific tastes or needs. The first few rounds of recipes, I kept getting really dry, crumbly consistency. As I was playing around with different ingredients and ratios, I decided to try using the leftover almond meal that came from the my strained Coconut Almond Milk, and that did the trick for me in attaining this perfect cookie-dough consistency (without any eggs or dairy!). I’ve been using that meal, that is soaked in a mixture of coconut or almond milk so it has natural moisture. IF you don’t want to make your own milk, you can just soak your almond meal in a little bit of coconut milk for about 5 minutes, before making the Fat Balls.
Everything else is pretty negotiable in the recipe. I like adding Maca Powder to mine, because it has a really pleasant nutty flavor, and is a natural source of energy. You could substitute this for protein or a collagen powder if you prefer. I also used Figs in this recipe as the natural sweetener, but I have used dates and apricots as well, and those have been equally delicious! The ratios are just right, for the ingredients themselves to be easy to switch out for ones you prefer. There was a little limitation to what all I could experiment with during Whole 30, but I’m positive these would be really delicious with chocolate chips and pistachios! Personally, I love mine topped with a little almond butter or dollop of coconut yogurt, a sprinkle of coconut flakes, and matcha powder.
These are perfect emergency snacks for those mornings when you’re on the go, or as a healthier indulgence in-between or after meals! These are one of my favorite snacks to meal prep on Mondays, because I can make them right after I make my milk, and they last me all week!
Love, love, love,
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Coconut Almond Fat Balls
Ingredients
- 3 C Almond Meal Soaked and then strained in coconut milk for 5 minutes
- 1/3 C Coconut Milk If using Almond Meal from your home made nut milk, skip this ingredient
- 1 TBSP Maca Powder
- 1 C Coconut Oil
- 1 C Dried Figs OR Dates
- 2 TBSP Almond Butter
- 2 C Walnuts
- Coconut Flakes For Sprinkling
Instructions
- Soak your almond meal in about a 1/2 C of coconut milk for about 5 minutes, and then squeeze excess moisture out. Melt the coconut oil and blend with dates/figs and walnuts. Add blended ingredients as well as the maca powder, almond meal, and almond butter to a large bowl and stir until combined evenly. Shape into balls and cover with desired toppings. Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two weeks (but they won't last that long, I promise).
Mary-Beth Johnson
Mary-Beth is a creative, food-obsessed, Georgia transplant living Chicago. She is proudly and fiercely Latina, and more specifically Chapina. In her day to day she is a food educator to students around Chicagoland aged 3 to 80+, both virtually and in-person. She is passionate about cultivating the truth that every person has an understanding of food that deserves being brought to the table, and that time in the kitchen can be sacred, passionate, and an act of love for self and others. Outside the kitchen you can find her at the intersections of infertility, chronic illness, and a deep love for the dignity of all humans. She hopes to create a space that is holistic about the role of food in the social, political, relational, and physiological dynamics of our world.
