Gluten-Free Carrot & Almond Flaxseed Power Balls

This is a recipe I created (through many trial and errors) in a serious need to satisfy my sweet tooth and carb cravings and still stay fit!

I absolutely love this recipe and my personal chef clients would always ask for more of these little cuties!!  Try them if you are looking to drop a few lbs and still indulge in something sweet this summer!

They’re great as a pre/post workout snack, breakfast munchy, or as a late-night sweet tooth pinch!  Also a perfect healthy grab-n-go ball when you’re in a hurry and need to eat on the road…something I’m guilty of knowing from personal experience… =0

Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think!

GLUTEN FREE CARROT & ALMOND

FLAXSEED POWER BALLS

Servings: about 20-30 balls. Level: Easy

Time: about 20 minutes prep, 50 minutes total after baking

You will need:

• Spice grinder or mini one-serving protein shake blender to make your flour
• Food processor for grinding carrots

If you don’t have a food processor, you could try a powerful blender but it may not work.  Otherwise you can grate your carrots, or steam them until soft enough to mash, but this loses nutrients in the cooking process so raw is recommended.

$$ TIP:

A big saver when shopping for health foods: Many of the pricier health food ingredients such as agave, oats, almonds & flaxseed can now be found in bulk sizes at costco!

Ingredients:

Dry

• 1 cup of oats. (Ground into an oatmeal/oat-flower.)
• 2 cups of ground almonds
• 1 cup flaxseed powder – organic
• 3 full teaspoons of baking powder
• 2-3 tbsp cinnamon (depending on your taste preference)
• 1 tsp ginger powder
• 1 tsp allspice
• ½ tsp nutmeg

** You can also use about 3-4 tbsp pumpkin pie spice mix (all of the above spices are included in this mix)

Wet

• 5 tbsp organic agave nectar -or more/less depending on your sweet tooth… 😉
• 4 tablespoons of coconut oil (almond or other nut butter will also work)
• 1 cup of pureed carrots -food processor
• A few tablespoons vanilla extract

Optional:

• Dried organic unsweetened coconut flakes about 1 cup: ½ cup for dough, & ½ cup added for rolling outside the ball mixture..mmm soo good!!
• Goodies of your choice: ½ cup chopped nuts, unsweetened dried fruit bits or anything you like!  -I use about ½ cup golden raisins & sometimes walnut pieces

Coating for Rolling:

• 1 cup of mix **Recommended: ½ cup Sliced almonds for rolling & ½ cup organic unsweetened coconut flakes (or more as needed)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350.

1.  Grind the oats into a flour in spice grinder or single serving protein shake maker (seen in picture–you can find the amazon link to this product on my sight). I like to use steel cuts because they generally have more fiber. But you can use any kind of plain oats as long as they are not flavored. In this photo I used quick oats.
2. Then grind the almonds.
3. Mix flours & all dry ingredients well in a bowl.
4. Grind Carrots in the food processor until completely smooth with very little lumps. *Notice in the picture-you want the texture to look like baby food.
5. In the bowl of the mixed dry ingredients add agave, carrots & the rest of the wet ingredients, Along with any other goodies you’d like in the balls. Mix to create a cookie dough-like mixture.
6. Roll the balls:  The dough should be moist and little bit sticky – if you find it too soft you can always add little more almond meal. The amount of dough you need for one ball depends on how big you want them to be. I made about 25 balls.
7. Coating: I like coconut flakes but those are optional. You can use crushed almonds or finely crushed pecans (both are delicious) get creative!  Crush nuts & coconuts mixture into a bowl into smaller bits with your hands to ensure they stick to the balls.  Roll the balls in crushed nuts & coconut mixture to cover the entire surface, patting down firmly with hands to ouch coating onto the balls.
8. Place your balls on a non stick baking sheet (lined with parchment paper) and bake them for about 25 minutes.

When they are done:

You will smell their aroma suddenly stronger when they are done. The balls will be very tender and seem like they aren’t done when you take them out of the oven so don’t worry. Let them cool down for 10 – 15 minutes and then put the entire sheet with all of your balls into the fridge. They will become more solid.

Lastly, I like to drizzle them lightly with agave. This makes them more dessert like! Mmm!

NOTE: If you forget about them & they cook too long & dry out – prick a hole with a fork into the tops & splash a few drops of unsweetened, unflavored organic almond milk or soy milk on top of the balls & they will moisten right back up!

TIME SAVING TIP:

FROZEN DOUGH LOG: When I make these I like to double the recipe make 1 batch, then make a log like the picture above & freeze. Then when ready to use, let thaw on counter for 1 hour, then remove from zip-lock bag & slice into rounds, roll into balls with hands & bake! *Or leave as a cookie shape-which is what slicing from a log, like the above picture will give you!

Melanie is a San Diego native, a lover of outdoor activities, cooking, friends & family, & is an entrepreneur at heart.  As a personal chef and fitness coach, she has been able to combine her two career passions – which has proven to be an exciting journey.  Inspired by a love for cooking & entertaining, Melanie attended the Art Institute of San Diego and in 2006, she became a personal chef.  Ever since been then, she has been preparing nutritious gourmet meals (personal meal deliveries & private party catering) for residents in La Jolla, Carmel Valley and all over North County San Diego.  Melanie is NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) certified and is the founder of Rock Body Food.  Melanie truly loves her job of teaching others how to do what she loves & lives herself!