This love affair with my granola balls started when I began to make my own granola bars. They are delicious and I will post that recipe later. But then one day I got lazy. Apparently for me, forming things into a bar is harder than a ball. So balls were made. And now there is always a bag of a variation of these in my freezer. I will post my other variations as they are made, but please feel free to explore on your own!
This is an example of what to me, is a perfect recipe. Simply because it changes every time I make it based on what I have on hand, and if my little helpers decide to add more or less of the ingredients. I don’t like to ever put exact measurements for recipes because what tastes good to me, is going to be different for you. And because there aren’t any eggs or raw meat, you can taste as you go and adjust accordingly.
A happy accident of running out of my melted almond butter and honey left me with mixture that wouldn’t stick together in a ball but still tasted amazing. I could have added agave to make it stick or make more almond butter, but I decided to just throw it into a jar and eat it like I would granola or muesli with yogurt or milk. So now I usually skimp on the almond butter and honey mix to assure always have back up yogurt topping if my granola runs out.
Granola balls and granola/muesli mix- Sweet and Salty Chocolate Coconut
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats toasted lightly in oven
- 1 cup dates
- ~1/2-1 cup almonds chopped, or slivered blanched ones can also be toasted
- 1/4 cup raw honey or raw agave
- 1/4 cup almond butter or any nut butter
- 1 handful cranberries
- 1 handful unsweetend shredded coconut
- a few TBS raw cacao nibs optional
- a few TBS unsweetened cocoa powder
- a few shakes unrefined sea salt
Instructions
- I toast the oats and almonds together just for a few minutes in the oven if I feel like it- not necessary
- Chop the dates up until they form a dough like consistency
- Mix oats, almonds, cranberries, cocoa powder, coconut, all dry ingredients that you plan on adding to the balls. Stir in the dates and if you have little helpers with clean hands let them start squishing everything together in the bowl.
- Heat up the nut butter (my favorite is my almond/pecan butter) and honey. Add to the mixture and stir until all dry ingredients are covered. Start forming into balls. I always do different sizes.
- I pour the remaining mixture into a jar and keep it in the fridge. I store the balls in the freezer or fridge.