These Lemon Bliss Balls are the perfect snack or dessert bites. The creaminess of the cashews combined with zesty lemon and shredded coconut is a true blissful combination. Prepare to make a double batch - they go quick!
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📋 About the Recipe
- They're made from wholesome ingredients. These lemon bliss balls are the ultimate well-rounded snack or dessert. They're made with just 4 healthy ingredients and contain healthy fats, protein, and naturally sweetened with fruit.
- Perfect for Spring. If you've tried my other bliss balls like my Apricot Bliss Balls, Peanut Butter Bliss Balls, Chocolate Bliss Balls, and Date balls, you will absolutely love this bright, Spring flavor. The intensity of the lemon combined with the optional coconut is the perfect bright, tangy flavor to welcome warmer weather.
- No baking required! Unlike baking my Coconut Lime Drizzle Cake and Blackberry Lemon Bread, the best part of making these treats is they require absolutely no oven time. Instead, they chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes until set.
🛒 Ingredients
A few notes about the ingredients:
- Old fashioned oats - When making bliss balls, I always recommend using old fashioned rolled oats. They're chewy, yet soft and easily blend into a uniform texture in the energy balls. Do not use quick oats or steel cut oats - save these for making oatmeal or alternative recipes.
- Cashew butter - This creamy butter adds delicious flavor, yet keeps the base flavor neutral. When shopping for a natural cashew butter, the ingredients list should only include cashew nuts and maybe salt. Avoid varieties that contain added sugars, oils, or additional additives.
- Lemon - In order to achieve the right amount of citrus kick, you'll need both fresh lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Dates - The natural sweetness of the dates prevents the need for any other sweetener and helps hold the mixture together with it's sticky, gooey consistency. If you can't find medjool dates, deglet noor dates are another good option.
- Coconut - Using coconut is optional, but it really does compliment the zesty lemon flavor. If using, make sure to buy desiccated coconut - it can be either sweetened or unsweetened coconut, but do not buy coconut flakes. They are too thick and large to use to roll the balls in.
⁉️ Substitutions and Alterations
- Cashew butter substitutions: If you don't have cashew butter on hand, try swapping it with any natural nut butter. I'd recommend something more neutral in flavor like almond butter or macadamia nut butter - a nut butter like peanut butter can work, but it would overpower the lemon flavor. If you have a nut allergy, sunflower seed butter would be a great alternative.
- Dip in white chocolate: If you'd like to make your lemon energy bites more of a dessert, dip or drizzle with white chocolate. If desired, immediately coat the balls in desiccated coconut before the chocolate sets.
- Roll them in nuts: If coconut isn't your taste, you can roll the energy balls in finely chopped raw cashews or if nut-free, chopped sunflower seeds. This will give them a protein boost and a bit of a crunch.
📓 Instructions
- Pulse the main ingredients. Place the oats, cashew butter, vanilla extract, pitted dates and salt (if using) in the bowl of your food processor. Pulse until a fine crumble forms.
- Add lemon juice. Pulse again until the mixture turns sticky and starts to combine.
- Form into balls. Using a cookie scoop, form small bliss balls, about 1 to 2 tablespoons each.
- Roll in desiccated coconut. This is optional, but if you'd like to coat the outside of your bliss balls in coconut, roll each ball in desiccated coconut until well coated.
- Refrigerate. Place the bliss balls on a cookie sheet and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to set.
- Enjoy! Once chilled, enjoy these energy balls immediately or keep stored for meal prep.
❄️ How to Store
To store: These lemon energy balls will keep for up to 10 days when stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
To freeze: For longer term storage, store these treats in the freezer for up to 2 months. Keep lemon balls in a freezer zip top bag with excess air removed or an airtight, freezer-safe container. You can eat these bliss balls frozen, or leave them on the counter for a little bit to soften!
🔍 Recipe FAQs
The serving size for these bliss balls will vary depending on the person, activity level, dietary needs, and size of each ball. An average serving size is about 1 to 2 bliss balls, but don't be afraid to adjust to your personal needs.
It is healthy to eat energy balls every day. They're made from simple ingredients that are part of a healthy diet. Eating bliss balls every day is no different than enjoying a healthy bowl of oatmeal every morning.
It is safe to eat raw old fashioned oats. They're easy to digest and when pulsed in the food processor, they break down into a soft, nice texture!
💭 One More Tip
Use slightly damp hands. If you find the lemon bliss balls are sticking to your hands as you roll them, it can be helpful to make them slightly damp. This will help prevent the sticking and press the balls into smooth, round pop-able snack bites.
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Share your cooking with me! If you make this recipe, I'd love to know! Tag @yourhomemadehealthy on Instagram or leave a comment with a rating and some feedback at the bottom of this page!
📖 Recipe
Lemon Bliss Balls
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 1 cup natural cashew butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 teaspoons lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
- 1 cup pitted dates (about 12 dates)
- pinch of salt, if there is no salt in your cashew butter
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
- ½ cup desiccated unsweetened coconut, optional
Instructions
- Add all ingredients besides lemon juice and coconut to the bowl of your food processor. Pulse until it forms fine crumbles.
- Add lemon juice. Pulse again until the mixture turns sticky and starts to combine.
- Using a cookie scoop, form small balls of the mixture, about 1 to 2 tbsp.
- OPTIONAL: Add desiccated coconut to a shallow bowl. Roll balls in coconut to coat the outside.
- Place balls on a cookie sheet and put in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to set.
Notes
- The desiccated coconut is optional for both flavor and added crunch.
- If you don't have cashew butter on hand, you can use another nut or seed butter. However, you should choose something neutral in flavor so it doesn't overpower the lemon flavor.
- If you're having a hard time rolling these into balls, wet your hands before rolling and use damp hands to roll the balls.
Nutrition
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