Seeds, nuts and dried fruit come together to form the perfect bite-sized snack in this Grain-Free Granola Balls recipe. This recipe is excerpted from The Pure Kitchen(Pure Living Press, 2011), a unique and lovely cookbook filled with gluten-free and dairy-free recipes, tips and tricks for eating well, living pure and maximizing good health.
Grain-Free Granola Balls Recipe
Makes 15-20 balls – Egg-free
By far one of the most popular recipes on my blog, these balls of “mock granola” are addictive. Really. I dare you to stop at just one.
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup (48 grams) blanched almond flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup raw walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup dried blueberries or currants
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons creamy almond butter
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almond flour, cinnamon, and salt. Pulse for ten 1-second pulses to form a coarse meal. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl.
Stir in the walnuts, blueberries, and raisins. Add the honey, almond butter, water, and vanilla. Stir to combine with a wooden spoon. The dough will be thick and stiff. Using slightly wet hands, form the dough into tightly packed balls about 1 inch in diameter. Arrange the granola balls 2 inches apart on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 20-22 minutes until deeply golden brown. The balls will be soft to the touch. Cool completely before serving or storing. The balls will set up as they cool. Store Grain-Free Granola Balls in an airtight container.
Technique Tip: When forming the balls, keep a glass of water beside you. Then you can conveniently moisten your hands as needed to keep the dough from sticking.
For more healthy breakfast recipes, read the original article, “3 Healthy Vegetarian Breakfast Recipes.”
This excerpt has been reprinted with permission from The Pure Kitchen: Clear the Clutter from Your Cooking with 100 Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Recipes by Hallie Klecker, published by Pure Living Press, 2011.
