Wholesome Treats: Jaffa Protein Balls Recipe

Each week, SHESAID is teaming up with some of the most influential and creative food bloggers to bring you a variety of healthy, nutritious and most importantly – delicious, recipes from the social sphere.
RELATED: Healthy Ham And Pesto Scrambled Egg Pitas Recipe
This jaffa protein balls recipe by social media sensation Sally O’Neil, aka @thefitfoodieblog, takes the classic flavour combination of chocolate and orange to a whole new level by excluding the nasties associated with the store-bought treats and replacing them with more natural, wholesome ingredients.
“While I would love to gorge myself on a packet of Jaffa Cakes (the king of UK treats – look them up!), I would hate to know the list of ingredients,” she says.
“Living healthily means finding a balance of whole foods, while enjoying the taste of things you love, so here’s my replacement for the Jaffa Cake, and a fine one at that. Jaffa Protein Balls at the ready…”
Serves: 25 Balls
Ingredients
1 ½ cup pitted dates
1 cup almond meal
½ cup natural / vanilla / chocolate protein powder (optional)
3 tbsp raw cacao powder
½ cup raw almonds
Zest and juice of 1 small orange
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Pinch Himalayan sea salt
Method
- Place dates in a food processor and blend to a thick paste (adding a little water if necessary).
- Add almond meal, protein (if using), salt, vanilla and cacao powder and blend again until combined.
- Add in whole almonds, zest and juice of the orange (reserving a tablespoon of zest for rolling).
- Process until the mixture is coarsely ground and starts to come together.
- Take a tablespoon of mixture in your hands and gently roll with your palms.
- Place remaining zest in a shallow plate and quickly roll the balls in it before storing in a glass jar.
- These will keep in a cool corner of your kitchen for up to a week.
Be sure to share your #WholesomeTreats with @shesaid and @thefitfoodieblog on Instagram!
Paige is a writer and actress who looks great in hats, loves Game Of Thrones and is always up-to-date on the latest and greatest news. Follow Paige on Twitter.