Nutritious Chocolate Hazelnut Bliss Balls (Vegan)

What Are Bliss Balls?

You may refer to these little guys as bliss balls, energy bites, power balls, or protein bites, but whichever term you use, they are hands-down one of my favourite healthy make-ahead snack ideas.

Bliss balls lend themselves incredibly well to making ahead of time (such as during your weekly meal prep), because they keep so well in the fridge or freezer.

You can enjoy them straight from the fridge, or pack them with you as a grab-and-go snack to get you through your busy day.

Homemade bliss balls are often made with whole food ingredients like nuts, seeds, dried fruit, rolled oats, and other additions depending on the flavour.

As mentioned above, I love that these guys can pack an incredibly nutritious punch! These chocolate hazelnuts bliss balls in particular, pack in a nice dose of healthy fats, protein, and fibre-rich carbohydrates.

Ingredients Needed

To make these chocolate hazelnut bliss balls, you will need only 5 simple ingredients (plus water):

• raw hazelnuts
• raw cacao powder
• medjool dates
• hemp seeds
• salt

Full measurements and recipe instructions are listed in the recipe card at the end of this page! For equipment, you will need a food processor and an oven.

Large Food Processor

This is my go-to large food processor from Cuisinart. It’s a super quick and powerful way to create things like energy balls, sauces, shredded cheese, veggies, and more!

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How To Make Bliss Balls

Start by preheating your oven to 350F.

Then, spread the raw hazelnuts onto a baking sheet and place in the oven for 10 minutes, until they’re lightly toasted and fragrant.

Transfer the nuts to a slightly damp dish towel, and rub the skins off. Don’t worry if you can’t get the skins off completely – it’s fine to have some skins still on there.

Next, place the toasted hazelnuts into your food processor, and pulse until the nuts are in small pieces (but not a powder).

Then, add the remainder of ingredients to the food processor, including the raw cacao powder, pitted medjool dates, hemp seeds, and a pinch of salt. Pulse to combine with the hazelnuts.

Once combined, you can start to add in water to help everything stick together. I found that 2 tablespoons of water worked perfectly, but you can continue to add more if that’s not enough to make things stick.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl and scoop about a tablespoon’s worth into your hand. Roll the mixture into balls.

Place the finished energy bites onto a plate or baking sheet and transfer to the freezer for 30 minutes to let them set and harden. Enjoy immediately, or transfer to an airtight container for storage!

How To Store & Make Ahead

Store your finished bliss balls in an airtight container. They can be kept in the fridge for about 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

If storing in the freezer, be sure to let them thaw for a few minutes before eating (to allow them to soften).

These chocolate hazelnut bliss balls can be packed with you to work or school as a healthy, grab-and-go snack. Just pack a couple in a little baggy or container and throw them in your bag!

Possible Ingredient Swaps

1. Because this energy ball recipe is meant to have a very distinct taste, I would NOT recommend swapping the hazelnuts for another nut. Technically, you can – but it’ll change the flavour immensely!
2. If you can’t find raw cacao powder, you are welcome to use an unsweetened cocoa powder.
3. Hemp seeds work great in this, but you could potentially swap them with another seed like chia, flax, or sunflower seeds.

Bliss Ball Nutrition Benefits

Hazelnut Nutrition Benefits:

• Hazelnuts are an excellent source of heart-healthy, unsaturated fatty acids
• A one ounce or 28 gram serving of hazelnuts contains over 4 grams of plant-based protein as well as almost 3 grams of dietary fibre
• A great source of different micronutrients, including vitamin E, thiamin, magnesium, copper, and manganese.

Cacao Nutrition Benefits:

• Raw cacao powder is an excellent source of antioxidants, which help to fight free radical damage in the body
• Also a source of essential minerals, like iron, magnesium, copper, manganese, potassium, and zinc!

Hemp Seed Nutrition Benefits:

• One of my favourite, nutrient-dense seeds – hemp is rich in essential omega-3 fatty acids and complete plant protein (3 Tbsps provide 10 grams)
• Hemp seeds are also a great source of vitamin E and minerals like phosphorus, potassium, sodium, magnesium, sulfur, calcium, iron, and zinc

Medjool Date Nutrition Benefits:

• Dates are rich in dietary fibre and essential micronutrients like potassium, magnesium, copper, manganese, iron, and vitamin B6
• They’re also a source of antioxidants like flavonoids, carotenoids, and phenolic acid, which help to prevent chronic disease and promote health overall
• Like other dried fruit, they’re a natural source of sugar; because they come with all these other health benefits, I love using dates as an added sugar replacement!