Caffeinated Lara-Balls
This past week my 10 month old entered a growth spurt which meant she woke up every 1.5 hours at night, for a week. This is coming off of a several day cold/ear infection. So luckily, since cutting/limiting sugar in the house, I have had significantly more energy when I am running on little sleep, But 2 weeks without a 3 hour stretch was really pushing my limit. Being so tired I really just wanted something sweet and comforting! I hate to say it, but I still LOVE a good treat and could easily have OD’d on some desserts if they were in the house. I looked around and we had done banana bread, banana pancakes, and banana sundaes so I was really banana’d out, but then I saw the box of dates. I looked at my husbands Larabars and realized I could make them, but ADD COFFEE. Let me tell you this was a game changer. Popping 3 of these, gave me a gentle caffeine rush, curbed my sweet tooth, and were just super fun to eat!
Ingredients:
For these energy bites, I really wanted to use nuts and seeds that would also add a punch of nutrition. When you are low on sleep, it can be really easy to get colds and sickness (especially with kids) so I always try to keep up with lemon and ginger tea, and add nutrition where I can.
Brazil Nuts - 2 Brazil Nuts hits your selenium levels for the day. Selenium is super important for immune health, and cell function so I really wanted to try to sneak some of these in.
Sunflower Seeds -A seed that has a good source of protein, magnesium, and healthy fat, they are so easy to eat and great for an allergy free alternative.
Oatmeal - Added this in for some extra carbs to get me through the long, tired days!
Dates - High in antioxidants and fiber, dates are a great natural sugar. Plus their natural sugar acts like regular sugar by giving you a quick energy boost when you need it most.
Cocoa - High in magnesium, I have a small addiction to adding cocoa in everything and am really working on expanding my flavors.
Coffee - Caffeine, need I say more?! Many doctors argue that coffee is actually a superfood that not only gives you a burst of energy, but also improves cognition, focus, and memory. It may even reduce the risk of neurogenerative diseases. I’ll take 3 more Lara-Balls please!
Caffeinated Lara-Balls
Perfect to keep in your fridge during the week for quick pick-me-up whenver you need it most!
Servings: About 15 balls
Ingredients
10 Brazil Nuts (optional)
1/2 cup of raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup of oatmeal
10 dates
2 tbsp cocoa
1 tablespoon of ground coffee
1 tsp of vanilla
Optional: Unsweetened shredded coconut
Instructions:
Add all of the ingredients into the food processor and process until smooth.
You want to be able to easily form about 1 tablespoon size balls, and if you can’t then add up to 2 tablespoons of water (1 tablespoon at a time) to help it get sticky.
Roll about 12 balls, and you can roll them in shredded coconut for a coconut chocolate flavor!
