How to Make Nut Free Bliss Balls

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These Nut Free Salted Caramel Bliss Balls satisfy so many components of my food philosophy: cheap, nutritious, and of course, yummy! They do not set has hard as nut bliss balls, meaning they are ultra fudgy and easier to eat. There are multiple flavours you can try, and they keep in the fridge for ages!

What are the benefits of these Nut-Free Bliss Balls?

Here’s a run-down of the benefits:

• Only 4 ingredients
• No refined sugar
• No nuts (allergy friendly)
• No expensive ingredients

As we all know, low-cost health is the name of my game, so it is important for me to have healthy treats that don’t cost the earth. Because these Bliss Balls are free from nuts, they are significantly cheaper to make. Plus, they are safer to eat and less fattening too (no fat from the nuts!)

What are the ingredients in Nut-Free Bliss Balls?

There are only 4 ingredients in these super-delicious nut-free Caramel Bliss balls: Oats, dates, Vanilla and Salt.

The ingredient that makes these balls so yummy and nutritious are, of course, dates. The dates inject a burst of caramel flavour which make these bliss balls taste utterly decadent!

The wonderful thing about Dates are that they are SO cheap. They are the least expensive way to sweeten your treats and desserts, plus they also boast quite a few nutritional benefits.

They are highly beneficial to pregnant women in the latter stages of pregnancy because they make the cervix soft. Save this recipe for later, Mama!

The oats blend up finely with the sticky dates, and when refrigerated the balls become fudgy and delicious.

Vanilla essence and salt help to reinforce that salted Caramel flavour, don’t leave these out!

Different Flavour Ideas for these Nut-Free Bliss Balls:

• Add cocoa for a chocolatey flavour.
• sub dates for soaked dried apricots, or mango or pineapple (more expensive, but super delicious!)
• sub vanilla for peppermint, and add cocoa for choc mint balls.
• sub oats for ground coconut – this will make the ball set harder, but it is utterly sublime!
• sub vanilla for rum essence and add cocoa – delicious rum truffles for an after-dinner treat!
• roll in coconut or cocoa for a pretty truffle-like effect.

Are these Nut-Free Bliss Balls ok for Kids to Eat?

These Nut-Free Bliss Balls contain no harmful ingredients and are perfectly safe for kids to eat, especially if they are allergic to nuts.

Kids will love these balls as a sweet treat. Full of dates and oats, they bring nourishing energy without the sugar and unrefined carbohydrates. Oats are a wonderful source of protein as well.

These bliss balls will make a perfect substitute for a cookie at snack-time. They are so much healthier, cheaper and easier to make than cookies. Mamas, note this one down!

Tips for Making these Nut-Free Bliss Balls

For the dates:

I would recommend soaking the dates in boiling water for 10 minutes before processing. Drain, and add to the food processor. This will make them easier to blend.

I have had sticky and clogged blades, and steaming engines! Dates are pretty tough to blend dry, so they do really need to be softened.

For the Oats:

You could blend large whole grain oats into a fine flour before adding to the mixture. Once combined with the sticky dates, it is difficult for the oats to fully pulverize, so it is best to do this beforehand.

For the Flavours:

Be generous with the salt and the vanilla, otherwise the dates will pervade as a fruity flavour and you will not achieve that rich caramel effect.

Are Bliss Balls Actually Healthy?

Yes, they are! But only in the sense that they don’t contain any unhealthy ingredients.

The ingredients in these nut-free bliss balls all boast of wonderful health benefits. Oats are a great source of protein and fiber, and contain many vitamins and minerals.

Dates are also highly nutritious. And because these bliss balls contain no nuts, there is virtually no fat!

However, together, these ingredients are not altogether slimming. They are high in carbohydrates and unrefined sugar, so even though they are a healthy alternative to cookies and cake, they still need to be eaten in moderation.

How Many Bliss Balls Should You Eat?

Yes, you can eat too many bliss balls. Because bliss balls are so nutritious, it is easy to think that you can eat more than you would cookies. And they slip down so easily – it is no sweat to chow down 4 or 5 in one sitting!

However. these balls are quite high in sugar (even though it is unrefined) and I have learned (the hard way) to enjoy them in moderation (edit: try not to eat the whole batch).

The best rule of thumb is to think of them as having the same calories as a single cookie (because they actually do). I would recommend sticking to one (no more than two) bliss balls for a snack at morning or afternoon tea, or to finish a meal.

If you eat any more than that, then you are in danger of thickening your waist. I’m talking from experience here: Bliss balls were my “healthy snack” in the months leading up to my wedding (I was trying to avoid refined sugar), and to my dismay, I grew fatter, not thinner (as I had hoped!)

How long do Bliss Balls last in the Fridge?

These Bliss Balls achieve the best texture when refrigerated. They do not firm up as hard as bliss balls that contain nuts, and instead retain a softer, fudgier texture.

Kept in the fridge, they should last about 2 weeks, and will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.

Notes:

You could really experiment with flavours here.  How about adding cocoa and peppermint or raspberry extract for chocolate peppermint or chocolate raspberry balls.  YUM.  Or what about using peanut flour instead of oats or coconut for a higher protein ball.  DELICIOUS!