Dessert Balls

My friends call these "Emily's Balls".

This is a recipe I came up with that doesn’t require exact measuring. It is quick, easy, and only requires 3 ingredients! Experiment and you’ll find the balance that works best for you. Have fun with it!

Dessert Balls

INGREDIENTS

• Raw almonds or walnuts (ground in a food processor)
• Dates (soaked)
• Honey (optional)
• Chia seeds (optional)
• Sea salt (to taste)

DIRECTIONS

1. Grind nuts in food processor until fine
2. Add dates, honey, and sea salt to food processor.
3. You’ll want the mixture to be sticky enough to form a dough. If it’s too dry, add more dates or honey. If it’s too wet, add more nuts.
4. Remove mixture and place in a bowl. Roll mixture into balls (about the size of ping pongs) and put aside.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

• Serve as is
• Chill in freezer or refrigerator then serve
• Put onto a cookie sheet and place in the oven at 350 F degrees. Remove when they’re at the desired temperature or consistency

NOTES

To make several types of desserts out of the same mixture, try the following varieties…

• Add cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice then blend while mixture is still in food processor
• Add cacao powder then blend while mixture is still in food processor
• Roll balls in shredded coconut
• Make a thumb print in each ball to flatten (looks more cookie-like this way)

Dairy-Free Banana "Ice Cream"

Dairy-Free Banana "Ice Cream"

INGREDIENTS

• 1 frozen banana* (per person)

*Note: Before you freeze the bananas, peel them and cut into fourths. Freeze for at least a day (more days is better) before using in this recipe. Learn how to freeze your bananas here.

DIRECTIONS

1. Place frozen banana in food processor and blend until smooth. Texture should resemble that of ice cream.
2. Serve and enjoy!

NOTES

The “ice cream” tastes fabulous on its own, but below are some suggestions if you want to jazz it up a bit.

• Sprinkle cinnamon on top for extra flavor
• Experiment with different fruit toppings (berries work great)
• Top with crushed pecans or walnuts
• Mix together raw cacao or cocoa powder + coconut oil + stevia to make a chocolate syrup you can pour on top.

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Oatmeal Pancakes (or Waffles)

Oatmeal Pancakes (or Waffles)

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cooking Time: 10-20 minutes
• Yields: 2 servings (approx 10 pancakes total)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 2 cups water
• 1 banana
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons oil (I like coconut oil)

DIRECTIONS

1. Place all ingredients, except oil, in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Let stand a few minutes until batter thickens.
3. If batter is too thick to pour easily, add some water.
4. Heat oil in frying pan or skillet.
5. Pour batter, by ¼ – ½ cup, into pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.
6. For waffles: Pour into a heated waffle iron and cook for 10 minutes.

NOTES

• Try adding chopped walnuts to the pancake batter.
• Top with simple fruit syrup made by heating apple juice to almost boiling and stirring in kudzu root to thicken.

Recipe Courtesy of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition