Whether you call ‘em bliss balls, or just ‘those yummy things with nut butter,’ these snacks pack a lot of nutrition into a small package. I like to add some nice soluble fiber into my recipe, to help my body metabolize all the nutrients slowly and steadily, and to show my gut some love. The herbal powders are the star of the show: such a tasty way to get the benefits of these herbal ‘heavy lifters’!
Adaptogens are plants and mushrooms that assist you with steady energy, balance your stress response, and aid in healthy immunity. If you opt for shatavari, you also get its stomach-soothing benefits.
This recipe is a basic template, which you can adjust and riff upon, to your heart’s content. Play around with the ingredients until you find a combo you really like.
Ingredients
1 cup nut (or seed) butter (almond, sunflower, hemp, cashew, peanut)
½ cup honey (extra nice if it’s local!)
¼ cup herbal powder (shatavari, ashwagandha, or maca)
2 tbsp acacia, flax, or oat, ground into coarse powder
2 tbsp raw cacao powder (or 1 tsp rose or lavender, if you’re feeling adventurous!)(optional) sesame seeds or coconut flakes, to roll bites in (optional)
Feel free to change up the spice mix as much as you like: an average of 1-2 tsp, total (of any mix) works well.
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp ground ginger
Pinch or two of salt
Directions
Mix powders and spices together in a bowl, then add the wet ingredients. Mix thoroughly until you get cookie-dough consistency. Pinch off bite size pieces, form into balls, then roll in sesame seeds or coconut flakes, if you like.
You can store these in the fridge (or freezer), and just grab a few to take along on a hike, for your commute, or whenever you could use a lift (and keep the hangry away). These snacks are quick and easy to make, with big nutritional payoffs!
