These energy boosting coconut cacao bliss balls are everything you would want in a chocolate truffle. It’s healthy, it’s vegetarian, it’s gluten free, it’s dairy free and it’s mouthwateringly delicious.
Not to mention we add some magic to it with a blend of adaptogenic ingredients to help with stress!
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What you will love about these coconut cacao bliss balls
Here we have something unique. We have a dark chocolate truffle made with a natural sweetener, superfood powder blend and there is no lack of coconut in this recipe. Since it is full of adaptogenic ingredients, it leaves you feeling energized, and you can nearly see your stress melting away.
We are going to be using a recipe very similar to these Raw Vegan Chocolate Truffles, but we will be changing it up a little bit.
Just be careful… they can be addicting!
Ingredients
Our very unique ingredient in this recipe is going to be an adaptogenic cacao and mushroom powder blend. Don’t worry, I will show you where to get this, and you won’t have to make it yourself.
What in the world are adaptogens anyway?
Adaptogens are plant-based herbs, mushrooms and supplements that can help your body fight stress, lethargy, fatigue and anxiety. They can be taken in the form of supplements or added to foods and drinks as an ingredient.
Many adaptogens are bitter and don’t taste good, so they are not used directly as an ingredient in food, but rather as a pill or in supplement form. Some adaptogens, like turmeric, can be used regularly in foods as an ingredient. Check out this recipe for Golden Milk Cocoa if you want a great recipe for incorporating turmeric and calming your stress.
For this recipe for coconut cacao bliss balls, we will be using Cocotropic Superfood Mushroom Hot Chocolate Mix as our adaptogenic ingredient. Cayenne pepper powder is also considered an adaptogen, which we will also be using. If you would rather not use cayenne pepper powder, you can substitute it with cinnamon powder. Both are adaptogens, however both will give a completely different taste.
For the coconut oil, you will find at the store that they offer both refined coconut oil and unrefined coconut oil.
Refined coconut oil is processed and does not have the strong coconut flavor to it. In fact, it’s quite a mild tasting oil and is better used for frying rather than an ingredient in bliss balls.
Unrefined coconut oil is not processed. It is raw and has a strong coconut flavor to it. It is best used in this recipe for adaptogenic coconut cacao bliss balls because it is not processed and has that strong coconut flavor that we are looking for.
These are the ingredients for Coconut Cacao Bliss Balls:
- Cocotropic Superfood Mushroom Hot Chocolate Mix
- Cold-pressed, unrefined coconut oil
- Cocoa powder
- Honey
- Almond milk
- Cayenne pepper powder
- Sugar
- Salt
- Toasted coconut flakes (unsweetened)
How to make coconut cacao bliss balls
We are going to start by melting the coconut oil. Coconut oil has a very low melting point (78°F to be precise) so it does not take much to bring it to a liquid state. Put the coconut oil in a small pan and melt it.
Remove it from the heat and pour it into a small mixing bowl. Whisk in the honey and sugar. Keep whisking and add the adaptogenic hot cocoa mix, cocoa powder, cayenne pepper powder, and salt until it is smooth and incorporated.
Now it’s time to bring the coconut oil back to a solid state. Make sure your almond milk is very cold. Begin adding 1 teaspoon of almond milk at a time and mix it in with a spoon. After mixing it in you should begin to see it thicken up and begin to return to a solid or semi-solid state. You will still need to chill it in the fridge.
Cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge to chill for about 20 minutes. You want it to thicken up, but you don’t want it to be so hard that you can’t work with it. While it is chilling in the fridge, we will toast up the unsweetened coconut flakes.
We won’t need many coconut flakes, just enough to coat the outside of our bliss balls. ⅓ of a cup should do it. In a non-stick skillet, pour the coconut flakes in and turn the stovetop on medium heat. Stir the coconut flakes while they toast up. This should only take 3-5 minutes. You will begin to smell the nuttiness of the coconut and it will start to brown. As soon as it has browned, remove it from the heat.
Transfer the toasted coconut flakes into a shallow pan or onto a plate. We will be rolling the bliss balls in the coconut flakes to coat the outside of them with it.
Remove the bliss ball mixture from the fridge. If it is too hard, let it sit on the counter for 5 minutes before working with it. If it seems still liquidy, put it back in the fridge for another 10 minutes or so.
This part is messy!
I personally recommend using latex gloves if you don’t want to get too messy. If it doesn’t bother you just dig in and make a mess!
With a melon baller, scoop out a ball of chocolate that is about ½ inch in size. Roll it quickly in your hand to make it into a nice round ball then roll it in the toasted coconut flakes to coat the outside completely. Place it on a pan covered with parchment paper.
Continue with the rest of the bliss ball batter until you have rolled them all up. Cover the prepared coconut bliss balls and place them in the fridge for at least 15 minutes before serving them. Enjoy!
Substitutions
While I prefer to use cayenne pepper powder in my bliss balls, it’s not for everyone. If you don’t like the kick that comes from cayenne peppers, then it might be best to either leave it out or replace it with another adaptogen.
You can substitute it with cinnamon, which would be another great adaptogen. This will give it a totally different flavor, so do it at your own discretion.
Storage
These coconut bliss balls need to be stored in the fridge in order to retain their shape and flavor. They will last up to 7 days in the fridge, after that they will begin to get bitter.
Do not store them at room temperature.
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Whisk
- Parchment paper
FAQ’s
Should certain people avoid adaptogens?
In general, adaptogens are considered good for your overall health, however there are some people who should avoid consuming adaptogens. According to Baylor Scott and White Health people in high risk situations like pregnant and breastfeeding women, people with diabetes, people with blood pressure issues etc. should avoid using adaptogens.
Do adaptogens make you sleep?
While it is acclaimed that adaptogens may help with sleep, not all adaptogens make you sleepy. Some are known to energize rather than to relax.
📖 Recipe
Adaptogenic Coconut Cacao Bliss Balls
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unrefined cold-pressed coconut oil
- 6 tablespoons cocoa powder or cacao
- 2 tablespoons Cocotropic Superfood Mushroom Hot Chocolate Mix
- 3 Tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 4 teaspoons cold almond milk
- Dash of cayenne pepper powder
- Dash of salt
- ⅓ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
- Melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan then transfer it to a small mixing bowl.
- With a whisk, whisk in the honey and sugar.
- Add the cayenne powder, salt, cocoa powder and Cocotropic Superfood Mushroom Hot Chocolate Mix. Whisk until it is smooth.
- Take the cold almond mix and mix 1 teaspoon at a time into the chocolate mixture until it begins to come together and starts to solidify again.
- Cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge to chill for about 20 minutes.
- While it is cooling, put the coconut flakes into a non-stick skillet over medium heat.
- Stir the coconut flakes constantly while toasting for about 3-5 minutes. As soon as they become fragrant and have browned, they are done.
- Remove them from the heat and transfer them to a shallow pan or plate.
- Remove the cacao ball mixture from the fridge. With a melon baller, scoop out a ½ inch ball of chocolate and roll it in your hands and shape it into a tight ball (it will be messy).
- Roll the shaped ball in the toasted coconut flakes to coat it completely. Place it in a pan lined with parchment paper.
- Continue shaping all of the bliss balls until you have used it all up. Cover the pan of bliss balls with plastic and place them in the fridge until ready to eat. Enjoy!
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