Jaffa Protein Balls

Egg Free - Nut Free - Gluten Free - Vegan

In this recipe, I used oats instead of nuts as they are not only cheaper, but also less kilo-joule dense.  This also means that the recipe can be replicated on a large scale for social events or gifts in an affordable manner!                                                                                                                             Finally, as this recipe is nut free, egg free and gluten free (if you use gluten free oats/oatmeal), it is also suitable for allergy sufferers.

Makes:  12

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

For the mixture: 

-         -  2 cups of pitted dates

-          - ¼ cup oats or oatmeal

-          - ¼ cup cocoa powder

-          - ¼ cup brown rice protein powder

-          - 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice (Navel orange)

-          - 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange rind (Navel orange)

For assembly and decoration:

-          1 tablespoon extra virgin, cold pressed coconut oil

-          the zest of 1 large navel orange

Method

1. Place the dates in a heatproof bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside to soak. This step is important because it softens the dates, ensuring that they are easy to process and thus should not burn out the motor in your food processor.

2. If using oats, place them in the food processor and blend until they have turned in to a powder. It does not have to be perfect, so do not worry if you still have a few residual oat flakes. If using oatmeal, skip this step and move to step 2.

3.  Add the cocoa powder and brown rice protein powder to the oatmeal/oats and blend for 2 seconds, until the powders are mixed.

4. Drain the dates using a colander. Allow them to sit for a few minutes so the excess water can drain away. You can do this whilst preparing the oranges.

5.  Add the dates along with the navel orange zest and juice to the food processor and blend until the mixture forms a ball. This is probably the trickiest part of the process because you do not want the mixture to be too dry or too wet. If the mixture is too dry (crumbly), add a few softened dates or a tablespoon of orange juice. If the mixture is too wet (sloppy), add some more oatmeal. If you need to correct the mixture, do so in a very gradual manner as it usually only takes a small amount of ingredients to bring the mixture back in to balance.

6. Place the mixture in the fridge for  10-15 minutes, until slightly chilled as this will make the mixture less sticky and more manageable.

7. Meanwhile, grate the rind of 1 large Navel orange and spread it out on to a chopping board or large plate. 

8. Rub a small amount of coconut oil on to your hands. This will prevent the mixture from sticking to your hands when rolling it in to balls.

9. Scoop, roughly 1 tablespoon sized amount of the mixture in to the palm of your hands and roll in to a ball shape.

10. Once you have rolled all the mixture, lightly roll each ball on to the orange rind.

11. Place in a sealed container and store in the fridge. Alternatively, you could also store them in the freezer if you prefer a firmer texture.

Hints

-          If the mixture is too dry, (crumbly) add a few softened dates or a tablespoon of orange juice. If the mixture is too wet (sloppy), add some more oatmeal. If you need to correct the mixture, do so in a very gradual manner as it usually only takes a small amount of ingredients to bring the mixture back in to balance.

-          If you do not enjoy a strong orange flavour, you could roll the balls in quick oats (oats which have been partially blended so that they are smaller and thus quicker to cook), or even regular oats, instead of the orange rind.

-          Protein balls also make great gifts for health-conscious loved ones! You could place them in a glass jar, with a ribbon tied around the lid and also add a tag with the recipe or a special note.  You could also make them as a gift for Valentine’s Day instead of buying chocolates.

*This is my own original recipe to which I own the rights.