For the first time this year, Cooper is at a school where the students get to bring their own snack to school! I LOVE this. At his previous school parents were given an assigned day to provide snack of the entire classroom. It was so frustrating to invest so much effort into his eating habits only to find that someone had sent in Lucky Charms for snack. Not only do I have genuine concerns about the ingredients and sugar content, but let's be honest, the whole grain cereal that I buy for him at home doesn't stand a chance next to frosted oats and magical charm shaped marshmallows.
However, Cooper is less than pleased with the new snack situation. After a few days of sending him to school with a blueberry Larabar (which he loves) it quickly became apparent that Cooper was displeased with the "wow factor" of his snack. After several days of getting the run-down on what EVERY SINGLE PERSON brought for snack, and a guilt trip for how his paled in comparison, I knew it was time for change. Sorta....
Introducing "Blueberry Pancake Energy Balls" Not only are they tiny flavor bombs in adorable little one-bite form, but they are made from ingredients that are 100% good for you.
Now.. to the average adult, it is probably more than obvious that all I did was create a homemade version of the Larabar that he was already taking to snack daily. However, in the eyes of my 5 year old, he now has a snack that is flavored like blueberry pancakes (much cooler than a blueberry muffin), and is shaped like a ball (far superior to a bar). He couldn't be more thrilled. In fact.. he requested to take a fourth tomorrow so that he could have even more energy.. sorry Mrs. Patterson?.
These could not be easier to make. Just toss the ingredients into a food processor or high speed blender, pulse until combined, and mold into balls. That's it.. no baking required. You could absolutely press them into a small pan and create bars instead of "energy balls" if you don't have a picky 5 year old that you are trying to impress?.
Time Saving Tips and Tricks:
PREP: No need... no cooking required!
MAKE AHEAD: Absolutely. These keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. I like to store ours in ziplock bags with individual serving sizes in each. Perfect grab and go breakfast, snack, or even dessert!
FROZEN: Blueberry energy balls are perfect for freezing. Make a double or triple batch. Use some and freeze some. To freeze, arrange them on a rimmed baking sheet and place in the freezer for 1-2 hours or until frozen through. Once completely frozen, remove balls from baking sheet and place them in an airtight ziplock bag. Store in the freezer. To thaw, remove from the freezer and place in the fridge for 8-10 hrs.
Blueberry Pancake Energy Balls
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 12 balls 1x
Ingredients
- ½ cup cashews
- ¼ cup almonds
- ¼ cup peanuts
- 6 medjool dates, pitted
- ½ cup dried blueberries
- ½ Tbs Maple Syrup
- 1 TBS lemon juice
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- *** add ½ - 1 teaspoon of water if energy balls are not sticking together***
Instructions
- Throw all ingredients (except water) into a food processor or high speed blender. Pulse until pieces are crumbly. Use wet hands to form mixture into 1 ½ inch balls.
Helpful Hints:
- Nuts are expensive. To save some $ use more peanuts and less cashews and almonds.
- You can use any combination of nuts that you like... this recipe is super versatile.
- Make sure that you pit your dates! One time I forgot... Joe nearly broke a tooth?.
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