Cherry Pie Energy Balls
Feed your mid-afternoon snack craving with a healthy cherry pie energy ball.
This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Cooking Light and Real Simple, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #FreshandFab http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV
Mid-afternoon snack cravings–they’re real! Every day between the hours of 2 and 3 o’clock, I’m stricken with the urge to devour sugary sweets and fatty substances. I’m not talking just a piece of dark chocolate. Oh no, I’m craving the entire bar. If you’re trying to eat healthy and stay in shape, an entire bar of chocolate can be dangerous. One chocolate bar leads to two, and the next thing you know, you’re scarfing down a creme-filled donut dusted with powdered sugar. Or maybe that’s just me. Please tell me I’m not alone, folks.
The answer to my mid-afternoon sugar craving comes in the form of an energy ball. A bite-sized ball packed with protein, vitamins, and just enough chocolate to satisfy my sweet tooth.
My favorite way to relax on a Sunday morning is at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and my favorite magazines. I’m a bit of a food magazine junkie. I currently subscribe to 3 different food magazines and few home magazines. I’m drawn like a moth to the light by the gorgeously styled food photography and creative ways to put my 60 (not kidding) Mason jars to good use.
I’m currently crushing on Cooking Light and Real Simple.
Since I’m a sweet lover at heart, I’m always looking for healthy snack options. As I was thumbing through the April issue of Cooking Light this Sunday, I came across a recipe for Cherry-Almond Energy Bars. I decided to change up the recipe a bit and create sweet, pop-able bites instead.
Cherry season is quickly approaching. Soon the gorgeous red orbs will be readily available at farmer’s markets. Until then, dried tart cherries are our cherry of choice for this recipe. If you’ve never had a dried cherry, you’re missing out. They’re super sweet, almost candy-like. I love snacking on them when I have sugar on the brain.
Let’s talk about the ingredients that make up these dreamy balls:
There’s an entire cup of dried cherries in this recipe. Cherries are full of antioxidants and Vitamins A and C. They help aid in sleep, balance your blood pressure, trim your waistline, and combat cancer and gout.
I use a 1/2 cup of homemade almond butter in this recipe. Making almond butter at home will save you money. If you don’t have time to make your own, feel free to use your favorite brand from the store. Almond butter contains Vitamin E, Magnesium, Calcium, and a significant amount of protein. Protein fills the belly and keeps you energized longer.
Two tablespoons of flaxseed meal is added to increase your daily dose of fiber. A little flaxseed meal goes a long way. A teaspoon daily is all you need to promote healthy digestion.
Toasted pecans add an extra boost of protein to the mix, keeping you full and satisfied. They’re rich in antioxidants and contain more than 19 vitamins and minerals. Pecans can also help lower “bad” cholesterol levels.
These balls may be healthy, but they sure are putting on a good act, because they taste like a rich, creamy candy bar.
These sweet little balls are packed full of essential ingredients to help keep you energized. They’re creamy, crunchy, and slightly tart. The addition of agave and mini chocolate chips add just enough sweetness to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Next time you find yourself craving something sweet, reach for one of these cherry pie energy balls.
For more healthy recipe inspiration, visit your local Target. If you purchase both issues of Cooking Light and Real Simple magazines, you’ll receive a $5 Target gift card. That’s double the inspiration for less!
Cherry Pie Energy Balls
Sweet, pop-able bites packed with tart cherries, toasted pecans, creamy almond butter, and a touch of chocolate.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup toasted pecans
2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
1 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup almond butter
1 tablespoon agave
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
Directions:
In the bowl of your food processor, add toasted pecans and flaxseed meal. Pulse until the pecans are finely chopped. Add the dried cherries. Pulse until the cherries are coarsely chopped.
Add the almond butter, agave, vanilla, and chocolate chips. Pulse until the thoroughly combined and the mixture forms a dough ball.
Gather two teaspoons of dough in the palm of your hand and roll until smooth. Store the balls between a layer of wax paper in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
18 Comments on “Cherry Pie Energy Balls”
Easy to make, healthy and perfect for that mid-day snack. Love it.
These look so good and healthy! You are not alone in the mid-afternoon cravings! Mine usually hit around 4:30….right when I should be heading to the gym! I’ll try these little guys out right away!
Um, YUM. Love these. I would totally choose these over a doughnut for my mid-afternoon snack!
These are MUCH better than the chips I ate for my afternoon snack. What uniquely delicious energy balls. Looking at the ingredients I have everything but the flaxseed meal. Do you have a good substitute? Love this recipe!
Delicious snack recipe, just what I need to get me through uni days :D
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
i love both Real Simple and Cooking Light: always such great recipes in both, and the sheer amount is enough to cover me for the whole month if i wanted them to! love these…yay for healthy (and sweet!) snacks.
Perfect afternoon snack! I’ve seen lots of energy balls, but never a cherry pie flavored one! These sound and look so good! Pinned :)
These are awesome! I could totally go for a bowl every afternoon because I’m starving by 3pm. And I love food magazines. I’m trying to figure out if I can write them off because I subscribe to so many!
BEST ENERGY SNACK EVER!!!
This is my kind of afternoon snack! These sound so good!
I’m SO bad at snacking mid-afternoon, even if I’m not hungry! These are SO much better than those m&m’s I’ve been chowing down on..
I love these kinds of snacks. They are perfect for packing for the office too.. because donuts in the coffee room happens far too often.
Jennie, these look like the perfect afternoon snack! And I love food magazines, I have way to many binders full of food photography and food ideas from all the magazines I am subscribed to! Pinned :)
I’m always on the look out for new raw combos. My last batch of “bars” was a little dry and didn’t hold together. I’m going to give these a go.
cheers… wendy
I love snacking on these. They’re so much better than my usual chocolate. If your balls are ever too dry again, just add a little more almond butter. Happy baking (ball making?).
I’m not a snacker but I would love these for breakfast! The look great and sound fab! I love cherries and almond butter so much.
I totally get that afternoon sugar craving. And I love these balls of sweet energy goodness! Since almond butter is too dry for me to eat normally, I love that you’ve mixed in other treats to make more… palatable!
I saw the word cherry and ran right over. It’s my sweet spot. Love anything cherry. These look utterly delicious. Great way to perk up an afternoon.