I think we’re overdo for a raw dessert. Don’t you agree?

There are (I think it’s a safe guesstimate to say) endless possibilities for raw desserts, especially with bliss balls. Nuts and dates are a common base and are what I’m using here. They’re also an easy way to pack loads of flavor, superfoods powders, plant-based protein, healthy fats, etc. All without processed sugar. AND they store and freeze extremely well AND use non-perishable pantry basics. No baking chemistry to worry about. Seriously so easy. Throw it in the food processor, roll em up, and enjoy! YES PLEASE.

I like adding cacao to mine 99% of the time because I’m basically always craving chocolate. Well, usually. And my heart could use all the extra love it can get right now (always?). Cacao is such a delicious gift of heart expansion. Cayenne and cinnamon are classic pairings. I’m using Cassia essential oil (eo) in these alongside Cardamom eo, two of my fav jams right now. I do like adding ginger and wild orange to the mix with this flavor combo, but left them out for this to simplify a bit. Please see my note on using essential oils internally at the bottom of this post. If you don’t have or don’t like using essential oils this way, I put in notes on swapping for powders instead.

I added raw cacao nibs to give a bit of a textural difference / crunch. Once you get comfortable with the basics of bliss balls you can really soar in the possibilities. Just listen to your heart and trust your instincts. You know what to do. Now go get your kitchen love on. xo

P.S. raw cacao powder is different than cocoa powder. It is not processed. True form. Smooth. Delicious. Superior. No additional ingredients.

Cardamom Cassia Cayenne Chocolate Bliss Balls

Yields 15 balls

INGREDIENTS

2 cups dates, pitted*

2 1/2 cups walnuts

1 tbsp hemp seeds

1 tbsp maple syrup (or liquid sweetener of choice)

pinch salt (I use pink fine ground Himalayan)

1/4 cup raw cacao nibs

1/4 cup raw cacao powder

1 tsp shilajit extract powder, optional

1 drop doTERRA Cassia essential oil (or 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder)

2 drops doTERRA Cardamom essential oil (or 1/2 tsp cardamom powder)

1/8 tsp cayenne powder

*I primarily use pitted deglet dates, although medjool are AMAZING too. MAKE SURE to cut your dates in half and remove any lingering pits. I’ve been doing this long enough to know there are ALWAYS some pits hiding out. Maybe not this time. But when you don't do this, they will magically appear. I also remove the little caps if they’re still hanging out.

DIRECTIONS

Add all ingredients to food processor and process until well incorporated. You want to make sure the dates and walnuts break down well. It will become a bit like a cookie dough consistency, but a bit thicker.

Roll batter into 1” balls pressing firmly to stick together well

Roll in cinnamon powder (or whatever you want! raw cacao powder would be great too)

Store in a sealed container in the fridge for weeks or in the freezer for much longer!

*Always start with a less is more mentality when adding essential oils as they are WAY more potent! 1 drop can be too much sometimes - you can dip a toothpick in and give a swirl. You can always add more, but you can’t take it out.

PLEASE DO NOT consume just any old essential oil, they are not all created equal. It is an unregulated industry and many companies use fillers and very questionable hazardous to ingest ingredients. I have been using doTERRA for 5 years now and the only reason I do is because they have 3rd party lab test results of every single batch of oil that you can look up the spec report for online (each bottle has a code that links it to it’s spec report). To learn more about essential oils + safety click here.