These easy lemon bliss balls are full of zesty, sweet and coconut flavor, plus they come together in minutes! Perfect as a healthy snack, after-school treat or even light dessert. 100% vegan and gluten-free.
Bliss balls are perfect for busy people who like to eat healthy delicious snacks! I love making these strawberry bliss balls made with real berries or these chickpea truffles packed with dark chocolate flavor. Or these gluten-free apricot bliss balls when looking for a sweet snack. But these lemon bliss balls are a true gem and perfect if you love lemony desserts.
They are nutrient-dense and rich in healthy fats from coconut and cashews and the balance of coconut-lemon flavor is right on point. It is so simple to whip up a batch plus, they only require 4 common ingredients to make!
Let me know if you give them a try! ❤️
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❤️ Why you will love this recipe
- Easy and quick dessert recipe everyone can make
- No bake
- Healthy snack or dessert
- Loaded with sweet and zesty flavors
- Great for meal-prep
- 100% vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free
🗒 Ingredient notes (+ substitutions)
- Raw cashews: you will need raw (unroasted) and unsalted cashews for this recipe.
- Shredded coconut: use desiccated coconut that is unsweetened for the best result. Finely shredded coconut (as opposed to large flakes) also helps with the blending process.
- Lemon: you will need about one large lemon for this recipe (or 2 small ones). I highly recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice and not using bottled juice for a true fresh and zesty lemon taste.
- Maple syrup: you can also use agave nectar. I do not recommend using granulated sugar since the maple syrup helps with stickiness.
⭐️ Full list of ingredients with quantities down below in the recipe card!
📝 Variations
- More topping ideas: you can roll the balls in chia seeds, granulated sugar, hemp seeds, poppy seeds or finely chopped nuts.
- Lime coconut balls: simply swap the lemon juice and zest for lime juice and lime zest!
- Protein-packed: simply add a scoop of your favorite protein powder (vanilla-flavored pea protein would work well) to boost their protein content and make them more filling. Or try adding a spoonful of hemp seeds, then adjust the amount of maple syrup or lemon juice accordingly so the dough remains sticky enough.
- No cashews: although I haven't tried it, I think you could try swapping the raw cashews for raw almonds.
🍽 How to make lemon coconut bliss balls
Step 1: Add all the ingredients to a food processor (cashews, coconut, lemon juice, lemon zest and maple syrup).
Step 2: Process until sticky, uniform and mostly smooth with some small pieces still intact.
Step 3: Shape into small balls using your fingers (about 1 tablespoon each, a total of 15 balls).
Step 4: Transfer a small amount of shredded coconut to a small plate and roll the balls over the plate to completely cover them with the coconut. Enjoy!
⭐️ Detailed recipe (+ video) down below in the recipe card!
💡 Helpful tips
- The dough is very sticky! You can wet your hands first to prevent the mix from sticking to your hands while rolling into balls.
- When grating the lemon zest, make sure to grate only at the very surface of the lemon (or the yellow layer) and avoid grating deeply in the skin (or the white part) which is more bitter.
- Chill the dough for 10-15 minutes before rolling into balls if you can, this will help with shaping and reduce the stickiness.
❗️Storage
These lemon bliss balls are perfect for meal prep as they store very well!
Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. They thaw very quickly, simply take a few out of the freezer for about 10 minutes before enjoying them!
❓ FAQs
Usually, bliss balls are made with wholesome ingredients and make for a healthy snack. That being said, other recipes might call for too much sweetener or added oil which might make them a less healthy choice. Simply try to be mindful of the ingredients you use!
Yes, bliss balls and energy balls are essentially the same. They both are made with healthy ingredients and are shaped into small bite-sized balls for a quick snack.
Then, you can use your blender! In that case, try pulsing instead of constant blending and take a few breaks to scrape the walls of the blender.
I hope you enjoyed these lemon 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
Lemon Coconut Bliss Balls
Equipment
- Food processor
- Lemon grater and juicer
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews - unroasted and unsalted
- 1 cup dessicated coconut - plus more for rolling the balls
- ¼ cup maple syrup - or agave nectar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
Instructions
- Start by juicing and zesting the lemon and transfer a small amount of shredded coconut to a small plate (for rolling later).
- To a food processor, add all the ingredients for the bliss balls (raw cashews, shredded coconut, lemon juice, lemon zest and maple syrup). Process/pulse until a sticky and uniform mixture forms.
- About 1 tablespoon at a time (I like using a small ice cream scoop for that), roll the dough into smooth balls using your hands (you should end up with about 15 balls). Then. roll the bliss balls in the shredded coconut to completely cover them. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- The dough is very sticky! You can wet your hands first to prevent the mix from sticking to your hands while rolling into balls.
- When grating the lemon zest, make sure to grate only at the very surface of the lemon (or the yellow layer) and avoid grating deeply in the skin (or the white part) which is more bitter.
- Chill the dough for 10-15 minutes before rolling into balls if you can, this will help with shaping and reduce the stickiness.
- Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.
Very good and pretty easy!
Glad you liked them!