These ultra-easy and fast-to-make strawberry bliss balls are the perfect healthy snack to make ahead. They combine only 6 ingredients, such as fresh strawberries, rolled oats and coconut flour, plus they are completely vegan, raw, nut-free and gluten-free.
If you enjoy energy balls or vegan truffle balls that are good for you, then you will LOVE these healthy strawberry bliss balls. They are a breeze to make, completely raw, vegan and gluten-free and they make for the perfect snack to prep ahead of a busy week.
They combine only a few ingredients, such as coconut flour, hemp or chia seeds, rolled oats, vanilla extract and maple syrup, plus a handful of fresh strawberries. The moisture from the berries paired with the stickiness of the sweetener is what holds everything together, no need for any refined oil or heavy sugar!
The mixture comes together within a few minutes using a food processor, then all you have to do is shape it into balls and roll them into your favorite topping ingredients. So quick and easy!
Also, just like these lemon bliss balls and these healthy apricot bliss balls, this is an energy ball recipe made without dates, in case this is something you were looking for. This makes for bliss balls that are a little lighter and less sweet with such a lovely delicate strawberry and coconut-y flavor. Perfect for breakfast or snack for tea time!
Let me know if you give them a try! ❤️
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❤️ Why you will love this recipe
- Easy no-bake recipe made with only 6 ingredients (+ toppings if using)
- Healthy and rich in vitamins and fiber (with a boost of plant-based protein, thanks to the hemp seeds)
- Perfect for snacking, breakfast, light dessert, and on-the-go treats for kids
- Great for meal-prep and freezer-friendly
- Amazing filling snack recipe that will give you a boost in energy
- Fits many diets: vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free and nut-free
🗒 Ingredients (+ substitutions)
- Fresh strawberries: the sweeter the better! The strawberries are what give the balls the main flavor, so try using delicious fresh berries that are sweet for the best result.
- Rolled oats: thick rolled oats (old-fashioned style) work best for this recipe, but since you will be grinding the grain anyway, you can also use quick-cooking oats. Use certified gluten-free rolled oats if necessary.
- Coconut flour: fine coconut flour (and not desiccated coconut) is the flour of choice for this recipe. It has a delicious flavor, does not require cooking before enjoying and it soaks up the moisture perfectly in this recipe. I used the coconut flour from the brand 365.
- Seeds: Hemp seeds are rich in protein, fiber and omega-3 healthy fats, which adds tremendous nutrition to these strawberry energy balls. Plus, hemp has a mild flavor that blends well with the other ingredients. You can also use chia seeds!
- Maple syrup: do not swap for granulated sugar since the syrup brings an essential stickiness to the recipe. I haven't tried using agave nectar but I'm thinking it might work!
⭐️ See below in the recipe card to get the full list of ingredients with quantities!
📝 Variations
- Flavoring ingredients: you can swap the vanilla extract for other flavoring ingredients, such as cinnamon, cardamom or almond extract. For a stronger coconut-y flavor, then try adding some coconut extract instead!
- Freeze-dried strawberries: for a deeper red color and a punch of flavor, add a few freeze-dried strawberries to the food processor as well. BUT, do not swap the fresh strawberries for freeze-dried ones as you need the moisture for the berries for the balls to hold!
🍓Covering the bliss balls
The balls are delicious as is, but you can have some fun and cover them with more tasty ingredients, such as seen in the pictures and video.
I used desiccated coconut and crushed freeze-dried strawberries to cover mine, but try rolling the balls into
- chia seeds
- hemp seeds
- finely shaved dark chocolate
- mini chocolate chips
- brown sugar
- rainbow sprinkles
Pro tips
If using freeze-dried strawberries as a garnishing ingredient, then process them before making the bliss ball mixture to avoid any moisture in the food processor (you need the freeze-dried strawberries to remain very dry for the best result). Keep processing until super fine and dusty, then transfer to a shallow plate. Then, add the bliss balls ingredients without cleaning up your food processor for a boost of red color and flavor.
🍽 How to make strawberry bliss balls
Process
Clean and pat dry the strawberries, then remove their stems. Transfer the strawberries to a food processor and add the rolled oats, coconut flour, hemp seeds, maple syrup and vanilla extract.
Process until you reach a smooth and uniform mixture, about 1 minute. Take a break halfway and use a spatula to mix the ingredients and ensure everything gets blended nicely.
Shape
Use about 1 tablespoon at a time and transfer into your hands to shape the mixture into balls. Set aside as you go until you are done with the whole batch (you should get about 22-23 balls).
Cover (optional)
You can eat the balls as is or cover them with more fun ingredients by rolling them into your garnishing ingredient of choice (see above). Enjoy!
💡Baking tips
- You want to make sure you are not adding too much extra moisture in the food processor, so be careful when cleaning and drying the strawberries and use a hand towel to remove all water from the berries before transferring to the food processor.
- I highly recommend weighing the ingredients for the best result. If you are measuring them using cups, then you might have to adjust quantities slightly as you process since small variations in measurement can make a difference.
- Taste the mixture right from the food processor! You can add a little more maple syrup if you want them sweeter.
- Press the mixture into a ball as opposed to simply rolling in between the palms of your hands (see quick video in the recipe card) to help the mixture stick together and hold better.
- For a boost in color and flavor, then feel free to add some acai powder or beet powder!
❗️Storage
Transfer the bliss balls to an airtight container and keep them at room temperature for 24 hours. Then, transfer to the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. Simply let them thaw for a few minutes before enjoying. I actually like them super cold and even still a little frozen in the middle!
❓ FAQs
No, I do not recommend it. Frozen fruit releases moisture differently compared to fresh fruit and I am worried the whole recipe would turn into a mush.
I haven't tried it, but I think blueberries or raspberries (or a combo of other berries + strawberries) might work! If you make that swap, then taste to adjust the sweetener if needed and tweak the consistency by adding a little water or more coconut flour if necessary.
I do not think this would work. Coconut flour vs oat flour vs almond flour all absorb moisture differently, and for this reason, they are rarely a good swap in baking recipes. Check out this gluten-free chocolate chip cookie recipe if you are looking for an oat flour dessert recipe!
🌱 More vegan summer berry recipes to try!
I hope you enjoy these yummy strawberry bliss balls! If you have any questions, please leave them in the comment section below. Your feedback is so helpful!
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📖 Recipe
Healthy Strawberry Bliss Balls
Ingredients
- 200 g fresh strawberries - or 1 ¼ cup
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 100 g rolled oats - or 1 cup
- 75 g coconut flour - or ¾ cup
- 2 tbsp hemp seeds - or chia seeds
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- crushed freeze-dried strawberries and/or dessicated coconut - optional (for covering), see notes
Instructions
- Clean and pat dry carefully the fresh strawberries, then remove their stems.
- Add the strawberries, coconut flour, rolled oats, hemp seeds, maple syrup and vanilla extract to a food processor and process until smooth and mostly uniform (a few pieces of oats intact are fine). Take a break to scrape the bottom and sides of the food processor.
- Use about one tablespoon at a time and shape the mixture into about 22-23 balls. To help shape them, press the mixture in your palms so it sticks well together.
- You can eat them as is or roll them in your favorite garnishing ingredients, such as desiccated coconut, crushed freeze-dried strawberries (see notes), chia seeds, mini chocolate chips, etc.
Video
Notes
- Storage tips: keep the bliss balls in an airtight container at room temperature for about 24 hours, then transfer to the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the balls for up to 3 months. Simply let them thaw at room temperature for a few minutes before enjoying them.
- If you would like to cover the balls with freeze-dried strawberries, then I recommend first crushing them using your food processor until dusty, transferring over a plate and then adding the bliss ball ingredients (no need to clean the food processor in between). This will avoid crushing the freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor that has some moisture.
- For a boost in color and flavor, then feel free to add a few freeze-dried strawberries or a small spoonful of beet powder or acai powder to the food processor.
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