TROPICAL MANGO BLISS BALLS – A FESTIVE VEGAN AND PALEO TREAT

By Cartherine Noonan on December 21, 2017 in Food

Food is medicine

I make these tropical mango bliss balls once a week throughout December, but the truth is they barely last that long. They are made with my favourite tropical fruits: mango and coconut. They are sweet, thanks to some nutritious Natural Delights Medjool dates (not to be confused with dried dates). Natural Delights Medjool dates are packed with potassium, which makes them a great post-workout snack. When refrigerated, these tropical mango bliss balls are perfectly firm, thanks to some healthy fat from coconut oil, which also boasts antiviral properties. Doesn’t this put truth behind Hippocrates’ famous statement, “Food is medicine”?
These tropical mango bliss balls are vegan and paleo, which means no dairy, eggs, grains, refined sugar, legumes, or other nasty ingredients. To go that step further, meeting the demands of school lunchbox rules and putting smiles on faces of those with nut allergies, these tropical mango bliss balls are also nut free. Instead of nuts, I’ve added a small amount of activated pepitas, which boast good levels of magnesium. Remember that activated nuts and seeds are better than completely raw nuts and seeds due to the activation process. These bliss balls make a great kid-friendly alternative to Christmas rum balls too. I hope you enjoy them!

INGREDIENTS
(makes 12 bliss balls)
• 10 slices dried mango
• 2 cups shredded coconut (preservative free)
• ⅓ cup pepitas (‘activated’ are best)
• 10 Natural Delights Medjool dates (not to be confused with dried dates)
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil

METHOD
1. Tear the dried mango into quarters – this will help the food processor annihilate it further;
2. Remove and discard the seeds from the Natural Delights Medjool dates;
3. In the food processor, add the dried mango, shredded coconut, and pepitas and blitz until a fine meal is formed;
4. Add the Natural Delights Medjool dates and the coconut oil and blitz until well combined. The mixture should easily mould when squeezed. If it feels dry, add a tiny bit more coconut oil and blitz again. Alternately, if it feels too moist, add some more shredded coconut and blitz until the perfect mouldable consistency is achieved;
5. Mould into 12 bliss balls and allow to chill for four hours.

STORAGE
Keep your tropical mango bliss balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator.