These quinoa hazelnut chocolate bliss balls are sweet and fudgy, the perfect vegan treat to have on hand. All you need are 30 mins & 5 ingredients !
After spending hours in the kitchen, I had perfected this recipe to taste quite near to Nutella. Imagine having bite size pieces of Nutella as dessert! The key ingredient to make it taste like Nutella is to use hazelnuts. I also added some homemade puffed quinoa to give some texture to them.
Plus, they are super easy to make, no bake and can be made gluten-free. Seriously tho, what more can you ask for in a dessert ?!
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What are bliss balls ?
They are usually made from nuts and dried fruit, blend together and rolled into balls. Sometimes, grains like oats or quinoa are also added in. These bite-size treat are perfect as a grab-and-go snack or after dinner dessert.
🍫 What you will need
- To make this nut free, you can use sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds in place of the hazelnuts. But the flavor will differ slightly.
- If you prefer to keep this raw, skip toasting the hazelnut and use cacao powder instead. As for the quinoa, you can choose to dehydrate them in the dehydrator for a few hours or just omit them.
- Any types of quinoa can be used here.
- You can use quick oats in place of rolled oats. But, you might need a little less then what this recipe calls for.
- To make this gluten-free, use certified gluten-free oats.
🔪 How to make
Start by peeling the skins of hazelnut by rubbing them on a kitchen towel. Or, you can simply use peeled hazelnut and it will definitely safe some time and effort ! Roast them in the oven for 8-10 mins at 180c/350f until they are golden, giving it a stir halfway through. Set aside. ( Or, you can simply use roasted hazelnut and skip this part. )
Toast your quinoa on a hot pan for 3-4 minutes. This can be done with or without oil. You know they are done when " pop " sounds can be heard. Set aside.
In a food processor, blend together the hazelnuts and oats until a fine flour forms. Add in thepitted dates and cocoa powder. Blend until a cookie dough like mixture forms. You might need to add some water if the mixture is too dry. I ended up adding about 2 tablespoons. Shape them into 1 tablespoon sized balls.
In the picture, you can see some my energy balls are covered with chopped hazelnut. To do this, simply roast more hazelnut than needed and roughly chop them up. Roll your balls in the chopped hazelnut and that is it !
You can now enjoy it as it is. Or, if you prefer them to be firmer, let them sit in the fridge for 30 minutes before digging in !
❄ Storing + Freezing
They can be stored in the fridge for a week, and in the freezer for up to a month. I actually enjoy eating them straight out from the freezer, but if you prefer them to be softer and gooeier, let them thaw in the fridge for a few hours before enjoying them.
❔ Commonly asked questions
Yes, you can actually make them in a high speed blender like Vitamix or a Ninja blender.
You sure can ! First, place them on a large plate / tray in one layer and let them freeze for 1-2 hours. They can now be transferred to freezable containers or zip lock bags.
They are naturally gluten-free, but make sure you are using gluten-free oats as cross contamination may occur in the processing facilities.
This is because you did not add enough liquid to it. This issue can be easily fixed by adding a splash more water / plant based milk to the batter. The batter should resembles the texture of a cookie dough.
More healthy vegan desserts
- Vanilla Coconut Bliss Balls with Dates and Cashews
- Vegan Flourless Salted Caramel Chickpea Blondies
- Quick and Eggless Low Sugar Peanut Butter Cookies
📖 Recipe
Quinoa Hazelnut Chocolate Bliss Balls
Ingredients
- ½ cup rolled / quick oats ( use gluten-free if needed )
- ½ cup raw hazelnuts
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup soft medjool dates* , pitted ( about 6-8 medjool dates )
- 2 tablespoons quinoa
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ( optional )
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180c / 350f . If you are using unpeeled hazelnut, remove their skin by rubbing them using a kitchen towel. Roast them for 10-15 minutes, or until they are lightly browned. Give it a stir halfway through to ensure even cooking.
- While the hazelnuts are toasting, puff your quinoa. Heat up a pan, with or without oil. Place your quinoa in and let it toast for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning. The quinoa is ready when " pop " sounds can be heard. Set aside.
- In a food processor, blend the oats and toasted hazelnut until a flour like texture forms. Then, add in the cocoa powder, dates and vanilla extract, if using. Blend until a cookie dough like mixture forms. You may need to add some water / plant based milk, a tablespoon at a time if the dough is too dry. I ended up adding 2 tablespoons.
- Stir in the puffed quinoa and rolled them into 1 tablespoon sized balls. Optionally, you can coat them with hazelnut by rolling them in chopped hazelnuts.
- Enjoy them immediately, or let them firm up in the fridge for 1-2 hours before eating them !
Notes
Nutrition info
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