Mint Chocolate Chip Bliss Balls {Paleo, Vegan}

Whenever I think of my birthday, I remember the mint chocolate chip ice cream cake I had EVERY YEAR growing up. I looked forward to it as much as the presents.

From the creamy, minty ice cream that instantly coated and cooled my tongue to the chocolate crunchies layer in the middle of the ice cream bliss, that cake was the BEST.

Since removing dairy from my diet a few years ago once I learned how it was triggering health issues, I’ve had to find other ways to recreate a similar experience.

Hence these little mint chocolatey bliss balls 🙂

They’re a serious upgrade to my Carvel cake and are full of superfoods like raw cacao powder, cacao nibs and hemp seeds. Check out just a few of the awesome benefits of these foods:

Raw Cacao Powder & Nibs: This is chocolate at its best…raw. When we hear people talk about chocolate being good for us, THIS is the stuff they’re talking about. In its raw form (cacao), chocolate is packed with anti-aging and disease-fighting antioxidants along with mood-boosting and anti-inflammatory compounds. It’s a food we can enjoy every day. Lots of my sweet treat recipes are made with raw cacao, so check them out!

Hemp Seeds: Don’t worry – in case it’s crossing your mind – these hemp seeds won’t give you the “high” you’re thinking of, but they DO have lots of other benefits. They’re a great source of plant-based protein, high in healthy fats that naturally balance hormones and promote heart health, and rich in soluble and insoluble fiber to keep us feeling full and satisfied. For more benefits of hemp seeds, click here.

So, not only are these ingredients really good for us, but these bliss balls taste aaaamazing!

You should have seen my husband Bill’s face the first time he bit into one of these. He was in heaven! 🙂

Yields: 16-18 balls

Ingredients

• 2 cups raw walnuts
• 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• 1/2 cup hemp seeds, divided
• 1/2 cup raw cacao powder
• 1 1/2 cups Medjool dates, pitted (about 15 dates)
• 5 drops therapeutic grade peppermint essential oil (a little goes a long way!…or 1/2 tsp peppermint extract)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla powder
• 2 tablespoons raw cacao nibs

Directions

1. Combine walnuts, 1/4 cup hemp seeds, cacao powder and sea salt in a food processor and process until finely ground, about 15-20 seconds.
2. Add dates, peppermint oil and vanilla and process until combined.
3. Add raw cacao nibs and pulse a few more times until everything is incorporated. Then, remove dough from the food processor and roll it into one big dough ball.
4. Pinch off one chunk at a time to make 1-inch fudge balls. Roll balls in hemp seeds and store in the fridge, so they can firm up. After that, you can leave them in the fridge or freezer.

Enjoy 🙂