Dates and nuts make up the bulk of these Chocolate Orange Bliss Balls, making for a healthy and delicious snack or dessert!
I normally call snacks and desserts like these "energy bites," but "bliss balls" is also a way to describe these types of snacks and the name Chocolate Orange Bliss Balls had a nice ring to it in my opinion. I've loved the combination of orange and chocolate for as long as I can remember. My first bite of a Terry's Chocolate Orange is probably what started my love obsession with this combination and I've been wanting to use the chocolate orange as inspiration for a healthy dessert (or snack!) for a while. Finally it happened!
Overheating a Vitamix
I actually almost overheated my Vitamix testing out this recipe. Whoops! You can definitely make this recipe in a Vitamix and I'll tell you what NOT to do if that's your only option. Otherwise, I recommend making these bliss balls using a food processor. However, if you're like me and don't have a food processor, but do have a high-speed blender, you can definitely still make this recipe. Just do it in two or three smaller batches. When you add the pitted dates to the nuts, I also recommend keeping the speed on low and stopping occasionally to mix the mixture. Oh, and if you do ever overheat your Vitamix, don't freak out. I've done it twice now and now know that I actually didn't overheat my blender. The Vitamix has this wonderful "Overload Protection" feature that actually turns your Vitamix off before it overheats. So while it seems like you broke it because it randomly stops and won't turn on for a while, it's actually just keeping you from using it so that it can cool down and not truly overheat. Just unplug your vitamix and allow it to rest for 45 minutes or longer until it can be used again.
To this recipe, I added in some chocolate chips for extra decadence and sweetness, but if you want a completely whole-foods version, feel free to leave them out or use cacao nibs! As for the amount of orange extract to use, that's completely up to you! I try not to over-do flavored extracts whenever I add them to recipes, because I find that that can make whatever I'm making taste artificial. For this recipe I recommend using between ½-1 teaspoon of orange extract. We liked ours around 1 teaspoon. If you don't have orange extract, you could use a different flavored extract that you think would pair well with chocolate, but that would obviously completely change the flavor of these chocolate orange bliss balls!
Other amazing bliss ball and energy bite recipes
I have so many energy bite (or bliss ball) recipes on the blog already, so if you like these chocolate orange bliss balls, be sure to check out the other amazing recipes below!
Homemade Mint ChipBrownie Lara Bar Bites
Vegan Almond Joy Brownie Bites
Chocolate Superfood Energy Bites
Chocolate Pecan Prune Energy Bites
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Orange Bliss Balls
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 3 tablespoons cacao powder
- 2 tablespoons dairy free chocolate chips
- 2 cup pitted dates
- ½- 1 teaspoon orange extract*
Instructions
- Place the almonds into a food processor and blend until a course flour forms.
- Add in the cacao powder and chocolate chips and pulse a few times until the cacao powder is evenly distributed and the chocolate chips are slightly broken up.
- Add in the pitted dates and orange extract and process until a sticky, uniform dough forms, scraping down the bowl of your food processor occasionally. You'll know the dough is ready when it sticks together when pinched between your fingers.
- Using about 2 tablespoon worth at a time, roll the dough into balls.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy!
Simone says
Could I make these in the Vitamix?
I don't really have a food processor. (Only some very old attachment to my kitchen machine.)
Faith VanderMolen says
I've made bliss balls once in a vitamix and I had to blend it on low and stop my blender often to stir things around. When I tried to blend at a higher speed, the mixture would get stuck easier. I hope it works for you!
Michelle says
Hi. How long can these be stored in the giraffe for? And can these be stored in the freezer also, if so, for how long? Thank you 🙏
Faith VanderMolen says
Hi Michelle! I'd say these would last at least 1 week, maybe 2 in the fridge. However, they may get a little hard the longer the sit. I've never frozen them, but they should freeze fine for a couple months if wrapped well! I hope you try them out!
Emily Swanson says
Chocolate orange is such a good zesty flavor, and I'm glad you reassured people about overheating the Vitamix. the first time I accidentally did that I thought I broke it, but it was such a relief to know that it shuts off as a safety feature.
Faith says
Yes! It’s such a scary thing when you’ve spent so much money on a Vitamix already! So glad yours was okay too!