For Christmas I made a batch of these sweet, slightly spiced dessert balls for each of my girlfriends. I dressed a mason jar with a red ribbon and a handwritten label, and filled it with these delicious balls for a lovely homemade gift. I adapted this recipe from Ella Leche over at lifeologia.

Sweet Dessert Balls

{raw, vegan, gluten-free recipe}

Ingredients:

1 cup ground raw almonds
3/4 cup ground almond meal
1/2 cup ground flax seeds
3/4 cup pitted prunes
1/4 cup raisins
3- 4 tsp Hemp Hearts (shelled hemp seeds)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoon cocoa powder
1-2 tablespoons water

Optional: 1/2 cup desiccated coconut to coat the balls

Directions:

Put almonds in a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add the prunes, pulse a few times. Add the raisins, pulse a little more, then the remaining ingredients (except the water and coconut) and blend until the nuts and fruit are combined evenly.

To get a good consistency you may need to scrap down the sides of the blender or mix manually and pulse again. The stickiness of the raisins and prunes can be a bit thick for some blenders. Continue until the mixture is moist and sticky. You should be able to form balls of the mixture with your hands. If it’s too crumbly add a teaspoon of water at a time. Repeat if necessary. You shouldn’t need more than 3-4 teaspoons.

Once it sticks together, take a spoonful of mixture at a time and shape into bite-sized balls by rolling it between the palms of your hands. Fill a small dish with the coconut. Roll the sticky balls in the coconut until they’re coated.

These balls are best served cold. Wrap the balls in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

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