3 Seed Energy Balls

*This post was sponsored by Gerbs Allergy Friendly Foods

Whether you call them energy balls, protein bites, or snack bites, these tasty treats are perfect for when you need a hit of calories and energy in a hurry. I like to make a batch and keep them in the fridge so that I can just snag a couple on my way out the door. But I also enjoy them with my morning coffee or evening camomile tea, and I even put them out as part of a dessert spread.

These bites are comprised mainly of seeds - flax, sunflower, and pumpkin, which are processed and packaged in Gerbs top allergen free facility. They also contain dates, gluten-free oats, and chocolate, all from Gerbs. It’s such a win to find a company that produces these pantry staples in a safe environment. So often, seeds and dried fruits are made in facilities that also process nuts, peanuts, or other allergens, so I order Gerbs all the way up here in Toronto (yes, they do ship to Canada).

Peanut free, nut free, dairy free, egg free, soy free, vegan and gluten free

Ingredients
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp gluten-free oats
1/2 cup dried dates
1 tbsp flax seeds
1/3 cup shelled sunflower seeds
1/3 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp avocado oil
a pinch of sea salt
3/4 cup dark chocolate

Add 1/2 cup of oats to a food processor and pulse them until they are powdery. This should take about a minute. Pour them into a bowl and set aside.

Add the dates, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, maple syrup, avocado oil, and sea salt to a food processor and pulse until it is pasty and smooth. It will not be smooth and homogenous in colour; there will be flecks of seed and date throughout.

Add the oat flour you ground earlier, and pulse until it comes together into a sticky dough. Scoop the dough into a bowl, and set out a small bowl of water to wet your hands with. Scoop out tbsp size amounts of dough and roll each one into a ball. When your hands become sticky, dip them into the water. Set the balls out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Refrigerate them for about 30 minutes before finishing with chocolate.

For the chocolate, melt it either in a double boiler or the microwave. I like to dip the bottoms into the chocolate, then pour the rest into a plastic ziploc bag, snip the end off, and use it as a piping bag to drizzle the chocolate on the top of each one. You can dip the whole thing in chocolate, drizzle only, or however you prefer to finish them.

Makes 15 - 20 energy balls