Does it ever happen that around mid-afternoon you begin to crave something sweet but maybe you don’t want something that’s going to derail a day of eating well. This is where chocolate bliss balls come in. Healthy bliss balls won’t weigh you down in the way a buttery pastry or decadent baked good can (though we are all in on both pastries and baked goods). Sometimes you just want something that satisfies a desire for sweet without all the baggage and you will love chocolatey dried fig bliss balls.
What are Healthy Bliss Balls?
A bliss ball recipe typically consists of dates and nuts—think of them as a rolled version of an energy bar. They can sometimes then be rolled in shredded coconut or minced nuts.
Discover Dried Fig Bliss Balls
Our version of dried fig bliss balls includes our California Dried Mission Figs and we couldn’t be happier. The stickiness of the dried fruit binds together all of the ingredients into a mixture you can easily scoop and roll.
How to Customize Healthy Bliss Balls
To get the figs in all of their glorious stickiness, rehydrate figs (stems removed) in boiling water for a few minutes. Here’s where you can go off-road and customize. Swap in the boiling water for brewed masala chai and you’ll infuse spice into the figs. Heat up orange juice to steep the figs in and add a touch of sunny citrus. If you’re a chocolate lover, look no further than substituting in brewed coffee or espresso that will not just amplify the chocolate flavor, but also give a shot of caffeine for a mid-morning lift.
The recipe below features pecans for a spin on the classic caramel chocolate pecan confection. If pecans aren’t your thing, you could easily swap in walnuts. Or, use almonds to make fig barfi (halva). pistachios to make pistachio fig coins with rosewater. If you sub in hazelnuts you could easily make a chocolate hazelnut fig healthy confection! The one thing we would suggest is to toast the nuts before processing them into the bliss balls as toasted nuts add extra depth of flavor.
Chocolate Lovers Snack on Chocolate Bliss Balls
Not just one but two kinds of chocolate get mixed into these chocolate bliss balls because you can never have too much of a good thing, right? Unsweetened cocoa gets processed with the figs, nuts, and vanilla, adding depth. Then, once the mixture comes together, you stir in mini chocolate chips. If that’s not enough, you can also finish off the chocolate bliss balls by rolling them in cocoa powder for a healthier chocolate truffle. Or, finely chop up white chocolate to add a pop of color and extra sweetness in the bliss balls. Or, even pulverize into dust milk chocolate to then roll the bliss balls. Lastly, you could chop chocolate (or even pull out some chocolate covered espresso beans) and top each bliss ball with a garnish of chocolate.
Fudgy Chocolate Dried Fig Bliss Balls
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid Mission Dried Figs stemmed
- 1 cup pecans
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Cooking spray
- 1 tablespoon mini chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon pecans to mix-in
Instructions
- Pour enough boiling water over figs to cover them. Rehydrate for 10 minutes.
- Toast pecans. Transfer all pecans to food processor but reserve 1 tablespoon. Finely chop the tablespoon of pecans.
- Drain figs and reserve 1/4 cup fig water.
- Transfer figs into food processor with cocoa powder, maple syrup, chia seeds, vanilla, and salt. Process for 1 minute until smooth, streaming in 2 tablespoons of fig water.
- Stir in chopped pecans and chocolate chips until integrated. Place a piece of parchment paper in a quarter sheet pan with a tablespoon to use as a scoop. Mist hands with cooking spray. Scoop out 1 tablespoon portions of the bliss balls.