These balls taste like heaven. Use them pre-workout for a natural energy boost, or enjoy with a cup of tea in the afternoon or after dinner. Sweet, a hint of salty, deep creaminess from the nuts and then fresh coconut and lemon zest. Sunflower seeds are an amazing source of Vitamin E and selenium and pumpkin seeds are rich in zinc and magnesium – both boost overall mineral content and provide a dose of protein to balance the release of natural sugars, providing a more sustained energy release. I love lemon and lime zest to brighten up salad dressings, rice, energy balls and in hummus, too. It’s a hit of citrus without too much tang. The medjool dates are important as they are soft and blend much better than other varieties.
Ingredients (makes 18 – 20, serving size is 1 or 2):
1/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds
¼ cup sunflower seed butter (unsweetened)
1/3 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened), plus more for rolling
½ tsp. sea salt
14 medjool dates, pitted
Zest of 2 lemons
Directions:
In a food processor, blend all of the ingredients, except zest of 1 lemon (set aside). You want it blended smooth, but with small chunks of pumpkin seeds. Once done, in a separate bowl, toss the remaining lemon zest with shredded coconut. Roll out about 18 – 20 small balls, and cover in the coconut zest mixture. Store in the fridge or freezer. They harden up and become chewy.
