Almond-Butter Balls
Makes 30 balls, each 2 tablespoons (30 mL)
These nut-butter balls are an ideal snack for outdoor adventures such as hiking, riding, or climbing. They are light to carry, take up little space, and yet provide a good amount of quality calories. Four of these balls can fuel a person weighing 150 pounds (68 kg) for 5 miles (8 km) on an uphill hike. Because oils rise to the top of the container in which the nut butter is stored, nut butters can vary in consistency. For this reason, you may need to adjust the amount of added liquid in this recipe to achieve a desirable consistency.
1 cup (250 mL) rolled oats
1 cup (250 mL) almond or peanut butter
1/2 cup (125 mL) pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup (125 mL) currants
1/2 cup (125 mL) dried cranberries, chopped
1/2 cup (125 mL) non-dairy chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) grated or minced lemon peel
1 tablespoon (15 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon (5 mL) cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) vanilla extract
1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 mL) water
Process the rolled oats in a food processor for 20 seconds or until finely ground. Transfer the oats to a medium bowl, along with the nut butter, pumpkin seeds, currants, cranberries, chocolate chips, lemon rind, lemon juice, cinnamon, cardamom, and vanilla. Mix with a fork until all ingredients are well combined. Add enough water to hold the mixture together. Roll into small balls, each about 2 tablespoons (30 mL) in size, and store in a covered container in the refrigerator or freezer.
Per ball: calories: 113, protein: 3 g, fat: 8 g, carbohydrate: 11 g (5 g from sugar), dietary fibre: 2 g, calcium: 33 mg, iron: 1 mg, magnesium: 44 mg, phosphorus: 82 mg, potassium: 151 mg, sodium: 41 mg, zinc: 0.5 mg, thiamin: 0 mg, riboflavin: 0.1 mg, niacin: 1 mg, vitamin B 6: 0 mg, folate: 8 mcg, pantothenic acid: 0 mg, vitamin B 12: 0 mcg, vitamin A: 2 mcg, vitamin C: 1 mg, vitamin E: 2 mg, omega-6 fatty acids: 2 g, omega-3 fatty acids: 0 g
Percentage of calories from protein 9%, fat 56%, carbohydrate 35%
