Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Fruity Snack Balls

Ok, so I know this title is totally random and I don't blame you if you skip right over this,  but all you moms and health nuts stick around.  This recipe came from an attempt to get my little man to eat healthier snacks.  He loves fruit chews and fruit roll-ups and while I have no problem with him eating that stuff, this recipe intrigued me. 


You see I checked out this book at the library, Vegan Cooking For Carnivores.  I am definitely not a Vegan but I have strong vegetarian tendencies.   Plus the fact that this guy (Roberto Martin) is the chef for Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi led me to take this book home. I was honestly shocked at how many good recipes were in this book.  There were several I wanted to make, but this recipe looked easy and I had half the stuff at home already so I decided to give it a try.

These balls were surprisingly tasty (do I have a dirty mind that that makes me laugh?).  They are so good for you and Sterling absolutely loved them.  A kid friendly snack that is not processed and has no weird ingredients.  Matt said they were  "good for health food" but he was disappointed they weren't Rum Balls.  I asked him how many times he opened the fridge to randomly find Rum Balls.....
side note- now that I think of it I have never made Rum Balls (random).
This snack was so easy to make.  The recipe said the mixture can also be used as a topping for cereal or oatmeal, which I think would be delish.  It was a fun snack to make with Sterling too.  He tasted everything as we put it in the blender and even helped me roll a few balls- although his looked more like worms than balls.  Either way you and your kids will love this healthy snack.


 
{Fruity Snack Balls}
3/4 unsweetened shredded coconut (I actually used sweetened coconut)
3/4 dried cherries
1 cup dried mango
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup sliced raw almonds

Run the first 4 ingredients in a food processor fitted with a steel blade for 1 full minute.  Add the almonds and run for another minute.  Squeeze or roll 1 tablespoon of the filling into a ball.  Repeat until all mixture is used.

** I have been storing mine in the fridge but not sure that is necessary.**

18 comments:

Sadie + Stella said...

Can I just say? First and foremost, I adore the name of this post. "Fruity snack balls." What more can I want? Also, these look delicious my darling!

Julia Ryan said...

GENIUS! I'm going to attempt these first thing next week. I think Wells and Tagg will be all over them!

Jill said...

Libby and I took a cooking class on Saturday and we made something very similar, she just loved them!!

caycee said...

mmmm... think I am going to makes those tonight!

Chicago Mom (Heather) said...

Anything with "balls" in the title is fine by me. tee hee

Want to make these! My kids would eat bags of fruit chews if I let them.

Sunkissed and Southern said...

These look delicious!

Ashley said...

Definitely trying these soon! They sound amazing!

Leslie said...

What a great idea! The cookbook sounds interesting. I'd heard that Ellen followed this type of diet but didn't know who their chef was.. thanks for the info!

leslie

Laura said...

Umm I'm in my mid twenties with no kids and have to kick my gummies habit. I absolutely love fruit snacks! Haha. I need to make these. Also a nice alternative to running fuel. Little bursts of healthy sugar! Thanks for sharing. Also, I need to check out that cookbook. I am like you--eat completely vegetarian without my boyfriend but with him, I eat a ribeye with the best of em!

17 Perth said...

I don't have kids---but I'm sure I'd love it! ;) I love the idea of a truly healthy, sweet snack. Sounds fantastic!

Stilettos Stuck In Snow said...

Looks so healthy and delicious. I love dried fruit..and fruit snacks...so this is the perfect alternative, thanks for the recipe!

Aubrey {All Things Bright and Beautiful} said...

I'm always on the lookout for some healthier snacks for the midgets! And they are usually pretty open to fruit, so we'll give this one a try!

Courtney said...

Looks like something I will try with my boys, thanks!

Little Fish said...

Yum! I'm totally making these!

Megan said...

These look delicious, kids or not!

ABI said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ABI said...

These are great!! I'm gonna make them :)

Unknown said...

Can you substitute something for the coconut? I would love to make these but don't like that. Is that what holds the balls together?