Gluten-free Berry Bombs

The whole world’s gone crazy for bliss balls. You know, clean little treats that are delightful combinations of dates, cacao powder, coconut in its various forms, cashew nuts, or whatever else tickles our fancy. And for good reason. They’re portable, easy to make, no baking required, and a great place to hide lots of healthy stuff that’s great for growing bodies and hungry tummies.

I love bliss balls because I can make up to four times the recipe’s quantity and then freeze them – they’re just fantastic for lunchboxes.

This recipe is another variation of the bliss ball. I came across a packet of mixed dried berries recently (and I know that berries are getting bad press at the moment, so if you’re worried about the recent health scares from frozen berries that are imported to Australia, please check your packaging carefully). Then for the first time ever, I came across a packet of coconut milk powder, THEN in my latest issue of Australian Gluten Free Life Magazine, I spotted a bliss ball recipe using the coconut milk powder.

Then the idea of these berry bombs gelled.

They’re gluten-free, egg free, dairy free, refined sugar free and nut free. That makes them safe to send to school and fantastic for a recess-time recharge.

The balls in this picture look more orange than red, but I think that’s due to the combination of the blueberries and goji berries when mixed. But don’t worry about the colour – judge them by the taste.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

250 g mixed dried berries (for example goji berries, blueberries and cranberries)

100 g dried apple rings

100 g coconut milk powder

170 g desiccated coconut

20 g coconut oil, melted

60 g desiccated coconut, extra, for rolling

Method

Put berries and apple in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover fruit with cold water and then cover bowl with plastic film. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Drain thoroughly and then put fruit into the bowl of a food processor. Process for approximately one minute or until fruit is roughly chopped.

Into the food processor bowl, add coconut milk, 170 g desiccated coconut and coconut oil. Process again for 1 or 2 minutes, until mixture is smooth and well-combined.

Put extra 60 g desiccated coconut into a small bowl.

Roll dessert-spoonfuls of the mixture into balls and then roll balls in the desiccated coconut. Continue until all the mixture has been used.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes approximately 32.