Whenever I get super busy, without fail, this blog is the first thing to fall by the way-side. Which is terrible, because after almost ten years of blogging, I still love coming here to share my current favourite recipes and brand new discoveries with you.

Unfortunately, the second thing to suffer is my healthy eating habits. If I have a deadline and don’t have time to walk to the supermarket, it’s pasta for dinner again. If I don’t have a healthy snack with me while I’m running between meetings and photo shoots, I eat something full of sugar and then spend the next few days craving other naughty things.

I’m sure I’m not alone in making bad decisions when I’m hangry.

I’ve made Bliss Balls a couple of times since I first posted about them, with different combinations of nuts and flavours each time, but this version is a winner. I’ve been using the new-to-me ingredient Maca in my smoothies lately because it has a tremendous amount of health benefits and a nutty toffee taste. It pairs particularly well with bananas, cinnamon and most kinds of nuts.

What the heck is Maca? Yes, it’s another so-called super food, but it is definitely a nutrition powerhouse. It comes from a root vegetable and is part of a family called Adaptogens, which help your body to deal with external stressors and to balance hormones in both males and females (especially for women suffering from PCOS).

I was most interested in claims that this amazing ingredient also improve your mood, helps memory and energy and especially to ease stress and anxiety. A year ago I had never even heard of it, but it’s now widely available at most health food shops.

Also on my radar are healthy fats, which I have been trying to eat more of lately. Coconut oil, of course, and cashews are an amazing source of unsaturated fatty acids and heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. They also contain high amounts of Vitamin E, magnesium, copper and other important minerals. As much as I love cashews, these bliss balls would work with almost any kind of nut, so use your favourite.

Bliss balls seriously could not be simpler to make. Just dump everything into a food processor until combined and then roll into balls. The Medjool dates and fructose-free rice malt syrup help to bind the sweet nutty mixture together. In less than five minutes, you’ve made a week of healthy and delicious snacks that can be eaten on the go – it doesn’t get better than that!

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Cashew and Maca Bliss Balls

Cashew and Maca Bliss balls could not be simpler to make. In less than five minutes, you’ve made a week of healthy and delicious snacks that can be eaten on the go – it doesn’t get better than that!

Course Snack

Keyword Healthy Recipes, Snack

Prep Time 5 minutes

Servings 9 bliss balls

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw unsalted cashews, or your favourite nut, or a mixture
• 1 cup pitted Medjool dates
• 1 tablespoon rice malt syrup or maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon maca powder
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
• Pinch of sea salt

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until fully combined. Roll into balls with your hands. Keep refrigerated until ready to eat.