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How to make healthy bliss balls with superfood ingredients and fruit powders
Healthy bliss balls are the perfect boost and organic fruit powders are ideal for amping up the mix. Get creative, get colourful and get a superfood boost the easy way.
What are bliss balls?
Bliss balls are an easy to make snack food, perfect for keeping up energy levels during the day or as an easy way to boost your intake of superfoods. Instead of reaching for chemical-laden sugary snacks when energy levels are low, grab one or two delicious homemade energy balls as a nutritious alternative.
Are bliss balls healthy?
Packed full of nutrient dense ingredients, bliss balls are a great way to stave off hunger without resorting to empty calories. Not only do they provide a balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats but they also come with a whole host of benefits.
Switching it up with different recipes and superfood ingredients ensures you will never get bored and you will cover the whole spectrum of micronutrients and phytochemicals from these powerful plants.
Stick to one or two a day though as they are high in calories and natural sugars.
How to make bliss balls
Can you freeze bliss balls?
Bliss balls can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. They will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 weeks though, so freezing is not really necessary unless you want to make up a huge batch.
Basic bliss ball recipe
Bliss balls could not be easier to make. All you need is a handful of store cupboard ingredients and a food processor. The basic recipe already provides plenty of macro and micronutrients but from there you can boost flavour, texture and nutrient value by adding in extra superfood powders.
Be aware that if you choose to roll your energy balls in powder they may look pretty but the eating experience is just as important. It is largely a matter of personal preference so test things out before you commit. Raw powders can be bitter or powdery, which sometimes works but not always.
Adding in extra ingredients will affect the mixture so if it becomes too dry to stick then simply add a few drops of water until it comes together. If your mixture is too sticky, add in some more powder.
Makes roughly 18.
6 large dates, pitted
1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 tbsp LSA mix
1 tbsp goji berry powder
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp hemp protein powder
- Blitz all of the ingredients together in a food processor until they come together in a sticky ball. Feel free to adjust to the quantities if the texture is not quite right.
- Divide into teaspoon sized clumps and roll in your hands to form balls.
- Keep in an airtight container in the fridge.
Cacao bliss balls
Because…chocolate. Experiment with cacao nibs for extra crunch. You can easily add 2 tbsp of cacao powder, but you may need to blend in a little water to prevent it being too dry.
Banana bliss balls
Banana powder is an excellent natural sweetener. A few teaspoons of concentrated fruit powder is plenty.
Berry bliss balls
A boost of berry flavour, not to mention all those lovely antioxidants, makes for perfect bliss. Add one or two teaspoons of berry powder, or roll your bliss balls. Also goes particularly well with cacao.
Beetroot powder bliss balls
Using raw beetroot powder not only adds a beautiful colour but lends a delicious earthy sweetness too. And it is super good for you. It is really good when blended with cacao.
Mango bliss balls
Mango and coconut anyone? Try adding a few teaspoons of mango powder to the mix and roll in finely shredded coconut.
Inspired to get creative with healthy bliss balls? We have plenty of other organic fruit powders and superfood ingredients for you to try. You can also buy wholesale organic food at our online store.
Cacao vs cocoa. Is cacao really better for you than cocoa?
Cacao vs cocoa. What is the difference between the two? Is cacao really better for you than cocoa?
What is cacao?
Strictly speaking, cacao is the name given to the plant that gives us the raw form of chocolate. The cacao tree, with the botanical name Theobroma Cacao, bears fruits known as cacao pods, with cacao seeds inside. Just to confuse matters more, these seeds are what we also know as cocoa beans. There is no legislation on the naming of related products so the word cacao is interchangeable with the word cocoa.
However it is generally accepted nowadays, as we come to appreciate the power of raw chocolate, that when we say cacao what we mean is the raw natural form. Bought as cacao powder or cacao nibs, this raw unsweetened source of chocolate is a bonafide superfood. Find out more about superfoods here.
Be aware that when you are buying cacao you need to clarify that it is indeed raw. Some manufacturers label products as cacao (and it is perfectly acceptable for them to do so) but it has been roasted. Our cacao powder and cacao nibs are in their natural raw form.
What are cacao nibs?
Cacao nibs are crushed cocoa bean fragments. All cacao, raw or roasted, has been through certain steps of processing. The production of nibs is one of those steps.
The pods of the cacao tree are first harvested and then split open. The cocoa beans are removed and left to ferment for about a week. This step is vital as it develops the flavour of the beans into the chocolate tones we are all familiar with. The moist beans are then left to dry.
You can buy organic cacao nibs right here.
The difference between cacao and cocoa
If the difference between cacao and cocoa is that cacao is the raw product, then this is the stage at which the difference lies. Once dried, the beans are either roasted or left in their natural un-heat processed state. They are then cracked open and crushed to produce nibs.
To produce powder the nibs are ground into a mass. As the beans contain fat (cocoa butter) this is a liquid mass known as cocoa liquor. This is then pressed to remove the fat. What is left is powder. Cacao powder from raw nibs, cocoa powder from roasted nibs.
Cocoa powder is sometimes processed even further to reduce acidity. Treated with an alkalising process, it becomes less bitter, sweeter, darker in colour and more soluble. Which is great for chocolatiers; less great for the nutrient levels.
Does cacao have caffeine?
Both cocoa and cacao do contain caffeine but analysis has shown that raw cacao can contain over twice as much caffeine as its roasted brethren.
Is cacao healthy?
Both cacao and cocoa are rich in vitamins and minerals, but the raw form has more of its nutrients intact. Cocoa nibs also have all the healthy fats of the original bean. Raw cacao is rich in magnesium, potassium and calcium. One of the highest antioxidant foods on the scale, raw cacao is packed full of plant-based chemicals that energise both body and mind. The heat processing involved in production of cocoa powder severely depletes the levels of many of these nutrients.
The benefits of cacao for weight loss
We all love chocolate, right? And we already know that it is full of feel good chemicals. But it also comes with a not-so-healthy dose of fats and sugars. So not exactly a health food. But raw cacao can actually aid weight control. A mood booster that helps us to stay positive, cacao may also boost metabolism and help to burn calories more efficiently. It may also suppress the appetite by regulation of certain hormones.
Are cacao nibs keto friendly?
Cacao nibs and cacao powder are both low-carb, but nibs provide more fat so are an excellent choice for those on a keto diet.
How to use cacao
Can I use cacao instead of cocoa?
Cacao powder can be used interchangeably with cocoa powder, anywhere that you want add the flavour of chocolate. It may have slightly different properties, such as being a little less soluble, but you can begin by swapping out on a 1 to 1 ratio. Take note that if you bake with raw cacao powder the heat will destroy some of the antioxidants and other heat sensitive nutrients. Your best bet is to use cacao in raw products such as raw brownies, bliss balls, and smoothies.
You can use cacao nibs in place of chocolate chips but they will not melt like chocolate. So, you can’t use them to melt and pour, but you can add them into cookies and cakes. Again, beware of nutrient loss under baking temperatures. They do make a great crunchy addition to granola, trail mix, or nice cream.
There really are lots of creative ways that you can enjoy cacao instead of cocoa or chocolate.
Does cacao taste like chocolate?
Yes, cacao does taste like chocolate in that it has the unmistakable character of chocolate. Porridge with cacao powder stirred in is most definitely chocolately. Ditto smoothies. Added to creamy ingredients rounds out the bitterness and enhances sweetness so you don’t need to add sugar to make it yummy.
Raw chocolate and cacao are strong and bitter, like eating 90% chocolate. Eating raw cacao nibs on their own is a little like eating coffee beans, but with other ingredients the chocolatey flavour is enhanced.
How to store cacao powder
Store your cacao products in an airtight container away from the light to prevent degradation of valuable nutrients.
Buy raw organic cacao powder from our store and buy in bulk online! We are a major online supplier of superfoods Australia, so check out the rest of our superfoods range.
Organic Cacao Powder Rich in Polyphenols Which Contain Healthy Benefits
Organic Cacao powder is a product of offered by Boost Nutrients that makes a perfect smoothie or acai bowl topping or ingredient. Cacao powder is produced from the Cacao beans that originated in South America.
It can now be available in every shop in Australia; moreover, people can purchase it from our online store. The powdered form of the product has become popular across different countries as it is easy to sprinkle on meals to increase your intake. Organic Cacao powder is considered as a healthy nutrient intake.
People can upgrade the nutrient value of smoothie shakes with the help of Organic Cacao powder. It can be used in smoothie bowl ingredients, toppings for granola bowl and Acai bowl. Organic Cacao powder is made up from crushed respective cacao beans which is slightly bitter and chocolate in flavor. According to research packs of Organic Cacao powder are considered to contain more calcium than cow’s milk. Organic Cacao powder helps to prevent depression, stress, blood pressure, heart attack, and several other severe diseases.
Buy Organic Cacao powder online from our Parent company online health food store at Opera Foods.
Boost Nutrients is a subsidiary of wholesale food suppliers Opera Foods Pty Ltd.