New Year, new recipe and boy do we have a great one for you. Today’s recipe involves a universally loved ingredient…cocoa! Cocoa can be used to make desserts, savory dishes, drinks, and many more. In this recipe we will be making it into a snack called Dark Cocoa Energy Balls. This round snack can be perfectly paired with your favorite milk drink or by itself to help fuel your day.

To prepare this snack you will need:

1. A food processor
2. 3 tbsp of dark cocoa
3. 1 cup of rolled oats
4. 4 pitted Dates
5. 2 tbsp of flax seeds
6. 1tbsp of pure vanilla extract
7. A pinch of salt
8. 3-4 tbsp of water.

First, clear out your counter to make enough space for your ingredients and preferred food processor. Pour one cup of rolled oats into your processor. Rolled oats are incredibly good for you because they contain a large amount of fiber and protein compared to other grains. Making them the healthiest food you can choose to eat.

Then add 3 tablespoons of dark cocoa. We are using Hollander’s Extra Dark Cocoa Powder to make it healthier, but you can also substitute it with their Hollander Premium Dutched Hot Cocoa. What is great about Hollander’s cocoa powders are the fact that they are trans fat free and certified kosher-pareve, or certified kosher-dairy!

Next add in 4 pitted dates. Dates will act as a natural sweetener, but don’t let its sweet taste fool you into thinking it’s not healthy because they contain minerals like zinc, potassium magnesium, and iron. All minerals our bodies need to function throughout the day.

Almost done! The next step would be to add in 2 tbsp of flax seeds and 1 tbsp of chia seeds. Flax seeds are a great source to many nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, lignans and fiber. Eating flax seeds also have a number of benefits that includes being able to help lower blood pressure, aid digestion, boost your immune system, and many more! The presence of chia seeds will also help give our bodies a sustainable boost of energy, and calcium to our bones. Top it all off with a pinch of salt for taste.

Add a tablespoon of water for very every time you process the ingredients. Do it until you get a sticky consistency. It shouldn’t take no more that up to 4 tablespoons of water for your results to get sticky.

Now for the fun part…. rolling it into a ball! You can either choose to do it with your clean bare hands or you can grab your favorite pair of powder-free poly gloves. Gloves are a must if your serving it to others as it’s a sanitary way to handle food.

Take a 1-2 spoon-full of product into your hands and roll it by rotating the product in between your hands. Repeat until there is no product left.

They can be eaten instantly, but to make them firm and less chewy, place them into the fridge for up to 5 hours. Now they’re ready to be enjoyed!