Blueberries and mixed spice make such a delicious combination and these no-cook bliss balls are a super easy snack for the whole family. Perfect for those who need to eat breakfast on the school run or at work, or need a nutrient packed after-school snack.
Little balls of goodness, packed with lots of calcium, other minerals and essential fatty acids. They are a very simple everyday snack that you can roll into balls (or sausage shapes for those needing a bit more help with their grip) and you can store in the fridge or freezer. Packed with protein, as well as natural sweetness.
I have developed this recipe to help families or individuals following a dairy free or plant-based diet to boost up their calcium. One tablespoon of chia seeds contains 95mg of calcium. Almonds are the most calcium-rich nut; oats also contain a little calcium. The dates provide some iron and magnesium as well as fibre to keep you regular.
This recipe is safe for babies from 6 months and is a brilliant option for those choosing to go down the baby-led weaning route.
- 100 g Almond Butter (unsalted and smooth for babies and fussy eaters)
- 100 g Pitted Dates (Medjool are ideal)
- 30 g Oats
- 30 g Dried Blueberries
- 15 g Chia Seeds
- 1 tsp Mixed Spice
- Place the all the ingredients into your food processor and blend them up so that the mixture starts to stick together. This takes about a minute – if the dates are a little dry it may take a little longer. If the mixture is too sticky, then add a few extra oats.
- With damp hands shape into walnut-sized balls.
- Pop into the fridge on a plate for 15 minutes to firm up, and then serve!
- Store in the fridge for up to 4 days and you can freeze for up to 3 months. These taste very yummy eaten straight from the freezer!
- For nut-free, swap almond butter for sunflower butter or tahini
- For gluten-free, use gluten-free oats
- Replace the mixed spice with allspice for a low histamine option
Hi Lucinda! I hope you’re well. Very keen to try these…where can I get dried blueberries from?! Many thanks!
Hi Eleanor, you should be able to get them in the whole foods section at Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, M&S and Ocado as well as local health food shops. They look and taste a bit like raisins.
Hi Lucinda,
Excited to try this dairy free snack recipe! Could you use fresh blueberries instead of dried? And also, roughly how many tbsp of chia seeds would you say for the 15g? I make enough mess with Chia seeds as it is without trying to weigh them out!
Hi Laura – the fresh blueberries might make the mixture a bit wet and sticky, so swap to raisins or dried cranberries instead. 15g chia seeds is about a tablespoon. I hope you love these! Lucinda
These are gorgeous! My toddler loves them so do I, I am afraid. I changed the blueberries to currants since blueberries are more difficult to find but tasted as good, thank you