Chocolate Espresso Fig Balls

Chocolate Espresso Fig Balls are a 2-bite healthy no bake dessert. Prepared with dark rich cocoa, espresso, dried figs and toasty almonds for a guilt free, no added sugar, gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan dessert.

One bite of these caffeinated bliss balls and you will be hooked and might have to go back for a second. It is completely okay as each ball rounds in at only 90 calories each. If staying caffeinated is your "JAM", try our Dairy Free Pumpkin Ice Cream Affogato and that will get you up and going.

Bliss Balls

Easy no bake dessert

No refined sugar

Freeze well

Can be made ahead

Make fantastic gifts

Vegan

Gluten-free

Dairy-free

Kick of caffeine

Quick chocolate fix

Refuel your mid-day slump

We know that around 2p or 3pm our bodies want to go into hibernation. Do you feel wiped out and ready for a nap but have a honey do list longer than Santa? We totally get it and that is why we created these delicious healthy alternative Chocolate Espresso Fig Balls.

Toasted almonds give this ball an extra dose of protein to keep you feeling full. With a good jolt of caffeine and dark cocoa you will be ready to tackle the rest of your day.

When you are sitting at your desk at work, grabbing something from the vending machine may seem like the only alternative. However, think again dear friends. If you have 25 minutes, you can make a delicious batch of portable on the go Chocolate Espresso Fig Balls. They are lightly sweet with a good caffeine buzz.

Homemade gifts

This is a gift you can feel good about giving. These little Chocolate Espresso Fig Balls are gluten-free, vegan and dairy free. Wrap them up in a little box with a big red bow and give to all your family and friends.

These little treats are way better than any store-bought truffles. If you like the idea of making no bake treats for holiday gifts, you are going to love our No Bake Cranberry Bliss Balls.

Fabulous Figs

Do you like fig newtons? They are these little cookies that have a delicious figgy chewy center surrounded by a cookie dough. Our Chocolate Espresso Fig Balls are like kicked up fig newtons minus the carbs of the cookie dough.

You will want to soak your figs in hot water for about 15 minutes and drain before mixing in the food processor to make them soft and pliable. Don’t forget to remove the little stem from the fig as well.

We used Sun-Made California Mission Dried Figs. In addition, we also added in some dried dates to make a larger batch of treats. Dates are a great way to add sweetness and chewiness to a recipe. Be sure to try our Healthy Pumpkin Muffins (Dairy Free and Sugar Free)

No Refined Sugar

Both figs and dates are naturally sweet. However, when you add a dose of espresso powder and unsweetened cocoa powder, you may want to add in a little maple syrup or honey to sweeten to your desired preference. We will leave that up to you. Adding a little pinch of salt makes the natural sweetness from the figs and dates pop.

How to Store

If you have room in your freezer, we suggest storing your Chocolate Espresso Fig Balls in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. When you are ready to eat or have unexpected guests that pop by, just take out what you want out and place in a dish at room temperature. In about 15 minutes, they will be perfectly chewy and ready to eat.

The Magic of the Food Processor

Do you have a food processor? If not no worries as you can finely chop and use a mortar and pestle to combine the ingredients. However, if you have a food processor this recipe is a complete breeze.

First, grind the nuts. We used toasted almonds. However, you could use any nuts your little heart desires.

Next, add the soaked and drained figs, dates, instant espresso granules, unsweetened cocoa powder, cinnamon, a pinch of salt and a drizzle of maple syrup (only if you wish) and puree in the food processor.

Roll into little 1.5 inch balls and dust with a little unsweetened cocoa powder and you are done. How easy was that?!

More delicious holiday cookies and treats...

Dark Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies (GF, Vegan)

Chewy Mandarin Orange Cookies

Chewy Black Sesame Cookies (GF)

60 Cookies From Around the World

Gingerbread Girls and Boys

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Chocolate Espresso Fig Balls

Chocolate Espresso Fig Balls are a 2-bite healthy no bake dessert. Prepared with dark rich cocoa, espresso, dried figs and toasty almonds for a guilt free, no added sugar, gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan dessert.

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 1

Calories: 90kcal

Author: HWC Magazine

Ingredients

• ▢ 5.3 oz dried figs
  
• ▢ ¾ cup dried pitted dates
  
• ▢ Boiling water
  enough to cover the figs and dates to soften
• ▢ 1.5 cups dry roasted almonds
  toasted
• ▢ 2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  
• ▢ 3 teaspoon espresso instant coffee
  
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon salt
  
• ▢ 2 tablespoon maple syrup
  (optional or honey)
• ▢ 2 teaspoon hot water as needed to get the mixture to blend

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Remove the stems from the figs. Place your dried figs and dried dates in a bowl and cover with boiling water and let set for 15 minutes. (Set aside a few tablespoons of water for blending) Drain water from dates and figs. Set aside.
• In the meantime, put your dry roasted toasted almonds (or nut of choice) in the food processor and grind until fine granules. Do not over churn or your will have almond butter.
• Place your soaked and drained figs and dates into the food processor with your ground almonds. Add in unsweetened cocoa powder, espresso instant coffee, ground cinnamon, salt and maple syrup to sweeten as desired. Blend ingredients with food processor. You may need to scrape down the side of the food processor. This blending process takes about 1-2 minutes. You may need to add 1-2 teaspoons of the hot water used to soak the figs and dates to get the figgy paste moving in the food processor. Only add a very small amount of water. Your goal is a very thick paste that you can roll into balls.
• Remove blade from food processor. Roll your thick paste into about 1.5-inch balls and place on a waxed paper line baking sheet. Dust with a little unsweetened cocoa powder.
• Freeze or refrigerate until ready to serve. Chocolate Espresso Fig Balls can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can keep them in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. However, we like to freeze them as we prefer their firmer texture.
• When you are ready to serve your Chocolate Espresso Fig Balls, remove from the freezer and allow to come to room temperature for about 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Notes

You can also make this recipe without a food processor. You will need to chop everything finely and then use a mortar and pestle to incorporate everything into a paste.

We only like our treats delicately sweet. Sometimes, we do not add any maple syrup at all but just enjoy the natural sweetness of the figs and dates. However, we are certain you may like it a little sweeter. Both unsweetened cocoa powder and espresso granules add a punch of flavor but are not sweet. Our suggestion is to first taste test a little bit the recipe without any maple syrup or honey first. Then, add the maple syrup or honey sweetener to your preferred sweetness level. Maybe start out with 1 tablespoon of maple syrup or honey, blend, test it and then add a tablespoon at a time until you hit your target level.

We used Medaglia D’oro espresso instant coffee granules in our recipe. You could also try instant coffee as well. If you do not like coffee flavor, then just omit this ingredient.

Toasted almonds are really delicious in this recipe. Toasted macadamia nuts are also fabulous in this recipe. However, use what you enjoy and have fun with the recipe.

If you find that you did not drain the water well enough or your paste is too thin, just add a few more ground almonds until you get to that thick, easy to roll consistency. On the other hand, if your paste is just too thick to get going in the food processor, add a teaspoon at a time of water until you can get the paste to blend. Scrape down the sides of the food processor frequently and try again.

Can you exchange cocao powder for unsweetened cocoa powder? You bet. However, please start out with ½ tablespoon and increase as desired. We find cocoa powder is a little more bitter than the processed cocoa powder.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 90kcal | Carbohydrates: 143g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 37g | Sodium: 17mg | Potassium: 170mg | Fiber: 25g | Sugar: 105g

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