I was talking to my mom the other day, and she told me I had to post some paleo recipes; it’s the latest craze, she tells me.
In a nutshell the paleo diet= no grains, legumes, dairy products, potatoes, refined salt, refined sugar, and processed oils. One can enjoy fish, pasture-fed meat, fruit & veggies, nuts and eggs (thank you Wikipedia)
So of course, right after she mentioned the word paleo I could not stop thinking about paleo. Paleo. Paleo. Paleo. I scoured over my repertoire and it turns out that I actually have a few paleo recipes. Then it got me thinking about my fig + cherry bites.
And yes, they’re paleo.
What I’ve learned about this recipe is that it’s very flexible; it’s more of a method if anything. You take some sticky dried fruit (figs, dates, etc.) and blitz them up in the food processor. This is your base. Combine your base with some additional dried fruit and nuts. Finish by rolling them in unsweetened coconut flakes. It only takes about 15 minutes to put together and your food processor does most of the work. Easy peasy.
Keep in mind, you don’t have to be paleo to enjoy these little bites. They’re simply a satisfying sweet treat without the guilt. My kids even like them (they think they’re meatballs though…). They’re great for curbing that 3PM snack attack and for breakfast on the go.
They look like truffles, don’t they?
*For paleo purists, you might want to leave out the chocolate chips in this recipe. However, if you’re up for some chocolatey goodness, choose an all-natural, 70% dark chocolate free of any additives. My paleo friend recommends the brand, Enjoy Life semi-sweet mini chocolate chips (gluten, dairy, soy & nut free).
fig + cherry paleo bites
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 24 mini balls
Ingredients
- 14 dried kalamata figs
- 1 c. dried cherries (or cranberries)
- 1 c. chopped hazelnuts (or walnuts)
- ⅓ c. dark chocolate chips*
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 tbsp. maple syrup + more to taste
- 1 c. unsweetened coconut flakes or shreds
* Try Enjoy Life brand chocolate chips (gluten, dairy, soy & nut free)
Instructions
- Before you begin, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Add the coconut flakes to a large bowl for rolling. Note: if using large coconut flakes (instead of shreds), pulse them 1-2 times in a food processor for smaller pieces. They will be easier to roll this way.
- In a large food processor, add the cherries and hazelnuts. Pulse 2 or 3 times until roughly chopped. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Now add the figs, cinnamon, vanilla and maple syrup to the food processor. Run the machine until the figs form a sticky paste. If your mixture is not quite sticky enough, add a teaspoon of water or juice to bring everything together.
- Add back the cherries, hazelnuts, and chocolate chips and pulse 2 or 3 times to combine the mixture. Taste and add more maple syrup if necessary. Remove the blade and get ready to start rolling.
- Using a small cookie scoop (or 1 tbsp. measuring spoon) form the mixture into balls and transfer right into the bowl of coconut flakes. Roll them around to coat and place onto your lined cookie sheet. Repeat until you have used up all of the mixture.
- Enjoy right away or refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
* Store in an air tight container (refrigerated) for up to 2 weeks.
Comments
Adri says
Wow- these look wonderful!
Emilie says
Thanks Adri! They’re the perfect healthy treat- great for on the go, or to just pull out of the fridge when the mood strikes. I’m obsessed with figs too… :)
Barbara Bamber | justasmidgen says
A friend lost so much weight when he began eating Paleo.. I don’t have the courage to go that far for my entire diet, but I would definitely eat paleo snacks more often, well, any time if they look like these:) What a pretty recipe! xx
★★★★★
Emilie says
Thanks Smidge! You know, it’s funny because I think we eat a lot more paleo things than we realize. It’s when it’s labelled, you pay attention, right? I could never go 100% either, only because I’m a total pig and like to eat everything. Ha ha. But these are fun to snack on- they’re sweet & nutty with a hint of chocolate ;) xx
Ruby says
These look great! Do you have to keep them in the fridge?
Emilie says
Hi Ruby! Yes, store these little babies in an air-tight container in the fridge :)
Mikaela Cowles says
Your mother is a glorious woman. Thank goodness she inspired you to make and share these. What a great way to get a sweet treat without feeling completely guilty. And seeing as I’m not on a paleo diet, I plan to have all sorts of chocolatey goodness. (Maybe that ruins the healthy part, but we just won’t think about that.)
Emilie says
Oh, thank you Mikaela! Mom’s know best, right? I’m really loving these snacks because you get a little bit of everything- fruit, nuts & chocolate! You can’t go wrong with that! Thanks for stopping by :)
Sandra @ Kitchen Apparel says
You forgot to click your heels while saying Paleo!!! The diet is a little strange and yeah I have seen it all over the place now too. Paleo or not these sound like a perfect healthy snack :) LOVE that your kids think they are meatballs…hahah…too cute!!!…wonder what I could tell my boys they are because they have never had meatballs??
Emilie says
Ha ha yes I did! I think you would like these little bites Sandra. You can play around with the ingredients to suit your taste. My kids love anything shaped like a ball…they’re BOYS remember? You have to try giving them meatballs- I make organic turkey with sauteed leeks, spinach/swiss chard & raisins. Sounds totally weird, but for some reason, they eat it. And that’s saying a lot! :)
Sandra @ Kitchen Apparel says
alright so post those turkey meatballs then!!! They sound great :) We normally only have turkey at thanksgiving but that sounds like something I would try :)
Kay says
You mentioned turkey meatballs with leeks, spinach and raisins. Do you have that recipe? Thanks.
Emilie says
Hi Kay! I’m going to post the recipe soon :)