chocolate hazelnut fat balls

chocolate hazelnut fat balls

a naturally sweetened mid-afternoon-snack-post-dinner-won’t-judge-if-you-eat-this-for-breakfast treat? yes? yes. fat balls are truly getting their time to shine, and I am HERE for it. i’ve long since reconciled with the fact that I like to have something sweet to nibble on every day, and this seems like a better option that my ritual M.O. where I traipse down to the kitchen and eat a bowl of dates drowned in almond butter *averts eyes*. you totally do that, too, right?

a lot of the fat ball recipes i’ve tried are kind of…bland. and not super exciting. I decided to toss in chocolate chips and a few other goodies because shouldn’t we be anything but bland, and more importantly, shouldn’t we be excited about the food that nourishes us? repeat after me: wellness doesn’t have to be sacrificial.

these chocolate hazelnut fat balls basically taste like Nutella and whip up in just a few minutes, which is is super ideal when those kitchen-traipsing moments arise, plus they’re jazzed up with dates and vanilla to give them a little somethin’ somethin’.

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chocolate hazelnut fat balls
makes 10-12 balls
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 30 minutes, for chilling

1 1/2c hazelnuts
1/4c cocoa powder (look for one that is pure cocoa; no added sugar)
1/2c chocolate coconut butter, softened (regular coconut butter works here, too)
1/2c almond butter
1/4c unsweetened almond milk
5-6 dates, pitted
1tsp vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt
mini chocolate chips, optional (I used Enjoy Life to keep things dairy-free)

pulse all ingredients in a food processor until a dough forms. if it’s looking dry, splash a little more almond milk. if its too wet, add more hazelnuts. then, using a cookie scoop, scoop balls onto a parchment-lined tray.

chill for at least 30 minutes before diving in!