Goji Berry Love Bites
Need a little treat for your Valentine? Or yourself? These Goji Berry Love Bites will do the trick! They’re naturally sweet, grain-free, gluten-free and dairy-free. Plus, they’re loaded with plant-based protein and superfood ingredients that are like a big bear hug for your body. No baking required!
What’s so special about these love bites?
These energy bites are naturally sweetened with coconut (butter, oil, flour, and flakes) and dried goji berries, which lend a nice pink kick and varied texture to these bites. And in addition to being vegan, they’re also grain-free and gluten-free. If you’re trying to avoid either of those types of foods, this can be a great snack, dessert, or energy boost for you!
What are goji berries, you ask? This tiny fruit is considered a superfood, thanks to its high nutritional and anti-oxidant content. You’ll most likely find them in the health foods/supplements section of your grocery store, though I picked up some at my local organic bulk foods store. The berries have a nice combo of sweet and sour flavor that is great for adding to smoothies and smoothie bowls, and mixing in with your favorite granola or breakfast porridge- so don’t worry that you won’t use the whole bag in this recipe.
A couple tips for making Goji Berry Love Bites
These bites are pretty darn easy to make- your food processor will be doing most of the work! Still, here’s got a couple tips to keep in mind:
Use plump dates. If they’re not plump and sticky, soak them in a small bowl of hot water for about five minutes, to hydrate them a little.
Use a high quality, plant-based protein powder. I’m a fan of Four Sigmatic’s protein powder in vanilla flavor. It tastes good and comes loaded with all sorts of medicinal mushrooms (don’t worry, you can’t taste them!).
Melt your coconut oil. This is the key ingredient for getting your dough to stick together. That said, after you add the coconut oil, you may find your dough is pretty soft and tacky. That’s ok! After you fold in the goji berries and lemon zest, stick the dough in the fridge to firm up a bit before you form the bites.
Use any pink superfood powder that you like (or can easily access) for the topping. I ordered some pink pitaya powder from Unicorn Superfoods, but depending on your grocery store, you might be able to get something else more easily, such as pomegranate powder. But definitely choose a pink or red color to keep these super festive!
Goji Berry Love Bites
Makes 17-20 energy bites
Ingredients
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
2 T white chia seeds
2 T vanilla protein powder
1/2 cup coconut flour
2 medjool dates
1/2 cup cashew butter
2 T coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1/4 cup dried goji berries
Toppings:
2 T coconut butter (aka manna), melted
1/4 t pink pitaya powder (or sub a different pink superfood powder)
1-2 T shredded unsweetened coconut
Directions
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and make room for the pan in your fridge.
Add the shredded coconut through the coconut flour to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the mixing blade. Pulse a couple times to blend.
Next add the ‘wet’ ingredients: the dates through the coconut oil. Mix until everything is fully incorporated and you have a uniform dough.
Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl and fold in the lemon zest and the goji berries. Note: if the dough is too sticky to work with, put it in the fridge for a few minutes.
Next, form tablespoon-sized balls with your hands, and place on the sheet pan. You should get 17-20 balls, depending on how big you make them.
Place the pan in the fridge so that the balls can firm up. Check in about 20 minutes.
When the bites are firm, remove the pan from the fridge. In a very small bowl, heat the coconut butter in the microwave until it’s completely melted (I do this in 10 second increments until it’s melted). Then add the pitaya powder and stir to mix thoroughly. Dip the top of each bite into the pink melted coconut butter, then place back onto the sheet pan to set. Sprinkle the bites with some shredded coconut.
When all the bites are done, return the sheet pan to the fridge so the topping can completely set. Then once they’re firm and set, you can store the bites in an airtight container in your fridge, for about a week.
ENJOY!
