April 9, 2020 Desserts & Snacks2 Comments

Double Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Balls

These are a fun, easy treats to make when you want something sweet but don’t want to go out to the grocery store. 

This recipe is Vegan, Gluten-Free and Nut-Free.  It is easy to edit to be low sugar by using 100% cacao chocolate or stevia sweetened chocolate. 

All you need to get started is a mid-sized food processor and 7 basic ingredients we all have in our pantry. 

HOW TO MAKE BLISS BALLS

These little raw cookies are often referred to as bliss balls. Call them what you want, the trick is scooping the batter evenly for consistent sized cookies. 

I like using a small ice cream scoop to make them. I use a size that is 1/8 cup or holds just a little more than 1 tablespoon. I use one similar to this ice cream scoop. 

HOW TO MAKE OAT FLOUR

If you don’t have brown rice flour you can still, make this recipe using oat flour. 

Simply add ¾ cup rolled oats to your food processor or high-speed blender. Pulse till you have find flour. It takes less then 5 minutes. 

WHY YOU SHOULD USE DARK CHOCOLATE

This recipe is naturally sweetened from maple syrup, so you don’t need the extra sugar you find in most chocolate chips. 

I suggest you use chocolate chips that range between 75% to 100% dark chocolate or raw cacao. You can also chop up a chocolate bar into small pieces and use in place of chips. 

The chocolate will get broken down in the food processor, so chunks or chips both work. The key is to keep the sugar content low. I use the following chocolate for this recipe in the 85% to 100% raw cacao range. 

USE CHOCOLATE TO GROUND YOURSELF

I prefer using low or no sugar chocolate, so I get all the antioxidant benefits of cacao. Additionally cacao helps ground us to the earth and into the present moment. 

When you are feeling anxious, overwhelmed and scattered, cacao can help you center, calm, and feel connected to your body. 

It’s important to enjoy cacao that is mixed with unrefined sugar or the least amount possible as the sugar will cause the opposite effect. 

CHEF RECOMMENDED LOW SUGAR & PALEO CHOCOLATE BRANDS

These are chocolate brands I use for cooking and baking. They all offer dark chocolate options, use no soy-lecithin, no dairy, and alternative sugars such as coconut sugar, no sugar at all or organic cane sugar. 

• Pascha Chocolate
• Hu Kitchen
• Marou Chocolate
• Sweet Laurel Bakery Maple Sweetened Chocolate Chips
• Addictive Wellness Raw Chocolate
• Equal Exchange

HOW TO SWAP INGREDIENTS FOR WHAT YOU HAVE

Use what you have in your pantry to make these treats. Get creative or try the following substitutions.

• Sub coconut oil for ghee or butter
• Sub cocoa powder for carob powder
• Sub chocolate chips for a chopped up chocolate bar or chocolate chunks
• Sub maple syrup for molasses, date syrup or coconut syrup (only use 1/4 cup and add additional coconut oil 1 tablespoon at a time till you get the desired consistency to form balls)
• Sub brown rice flour for oat flour or any alternative flour

CHEF TIP

Use dark chocolate chips or chop up a dark chocolate bar that is 75% to 100% for best results. Semi-sweet chocolate chips will make these balls overly sweet.

Don’t worry about over processing the mixture. Keep pulsing till you get a chocolate brown paste with a few chocolate chunks still left.

IF YOU LIKE THIS RECIPE, TRY THE FOLLOWING

• Date Walnut Energy Balls
• Carob Avocado Mousse
• Shredded Coconut Balls Dipped in Dark Chocolate
• Grain-Free Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
• 11 Ways To Use Food Scraps & Reduce Waste

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