I’m starting to really get into the festive spirit – first with my luscious Chai Pear and Orange Meringue Pie I made for Microplane, and now with these gorgeous Christmas Pudding Bliss Balls that totally embody the festive flavours of Christmas Pud in one single bite.
Disclaimer: Please note that this is a sponsored post. I was sent free products and compensated in return for an amazingly delicious recipe. Any payment I receive I use to purchase more ingredients and equipment to keep this blog up and running, and most importantly to keep creating quality content for you all. I am not an affiliate of Indigo Herbs and any purchases you make via them I will not be compensated for. I am not influenced by the company in any way and all opinions, ramblings, and thoughts are my own and 100% honest. If you’d like to know more, feel free to contact me.
As always, Indigo Herbs have rather kindly sent me out a mammoth selection of organic dried fruit, nuts, and seeds to make these with. Each bliss ball contains a generous portion of; dates, white mulberries, raisins, cranberries, cashews, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds. So you know with one little ball you’ll be getting a nice range of vitamins, minerals, healthy fats and fibre.
These Christmas Pudding Bliss Balls embody the festive flavours of Christmas Pud in one single bite. Packed with vitamins, minerals, healthy fats and fibre they’re a healthier alternative to most Christmas snacks.
I’ve spiced these balls up with some scrummy ground spices, some orange and lime zest, and then some almond, orange, and vanilla extracts. If you’re in a little cheeky mood then you can add up to 1 tablespoon of rum or brandy into the mixture to make them a little more authentic.
The topping for the bliss ball is a raw vegan white chocolate made using Indigo Herbs’ cacao butter buttons, coconut milk powder, cashews, and coconut oil but I’ve added a little vanilla and sea salt for a decent depth of flavour. I sweetened the chocolate with xylitol in order to make the chocolate as white as possible and sturdy but you can use agave nectar or maple syrup if you wish (just see my notes at the end of the recipe). I’ve also topped them with pumpkin seeds and chopped cranberries for the ‘holly’. You could also use goji berries for something a little more vibrant if you wanted.
Making your own raw vegan white chocolate might sound scary but I promise you that it is super easy to do if you own a bullet style blender. Simply mill the dry ingredients then heat the wet ingredients/fats over a double boiler and then blend all together. The hardest part is just waiting for it to cool down enough to be able to drip over your bliss balls. For this reason, I recommend making the chocolate first.
I really can’t get over the smell and taste of these Christmas Pudding Bliss Balls – it’s literally like sniffing up Christmas and they would make the perfect gift for a health-conscious loved one or office buddy. You could also serve these up next to your cheese board or as a little mid-morning snack whilst everyone is waiting for Christmas dinner. The world is your vegan oyster people. So, what are you waiting for? Check out my recipe below and get cracking!
Looking for more recipe inspiration using Indigo Herbs products? Why not try my Pumpkin Seed Butter Cups or Apricot, Cranberry, and Pistachio Vegetarian Stuffing Balls? Oh, and if you want to keep up to date with my deliciousness then sign up for my newsletter and I’ll love you forever – who am I kidding? I already do!
- 70g organic cacao butter buttons
- 15g coconut oil
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 80g xylitol
- 20g organic cashew nuts
- 10g organic coconut milk powder (roughly 1 heaped tbsp)
- Pinch sea salt
- 190g organic chopped dates
- 95g organic white mulberries
- 95g raisins
- 50g organic walnuts
- 50g organic cashew nuts
- 20g organic pumpkin seeds
- Zest of 1 small orange
- Zest of 1 lemon
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract
- ½ tsp orange extract
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- ⅛ tsp ground coriander
- ⅛ tsp ground allspice
- Pinch sea salt
- 75g organic cranberries
- 1 tsp organic cranberries (finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp organic pumpkin seeds
- Start by making your raw chocolate. Place your cacao butter, coconut oil, and vanilla extract over a double boiler on a low heat until just melted. Combine the xylitol, cashews, milk powder, and sea salt into a bullet-style blender and blend together until powdered.
- Pour the powdered mixture into the bowl of melted ingredients and stir together. Leave to cool for a few minutes then transfer back into the bullet blender and blend on low until smooth. Transfer into a small, microwave-proof, measuring jug and set to one side.
- Combine all of the ingredients for your bliss balls, except for the dried cranberries, into the bowl of your food processor. Blend together until the mixture forms a smooth dough. Blitz through your dried cranberries until they resemble small chunks.
- Remove the mixture carefully and roll into 25g balls. This is roughly 1 slightly heaped tablespoon. Place each ball onto a plate or Silpat lined baking tray, then repeat until all mixture has been used up. Place into your refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to firm up.
- It's now time to check your chocolate. You want it to be thick enough to cover the back of your spoon completely and to only drip from the spoon incredibly slowly. To speed up the cooling process place into the fridge for 2-minute bouts then give a stir and repeat until you get to the right consistency. If your mixture becomes too thick microwave on low for 2-3 seconds bouts and stir until it returns to the correct thickness.
- Remove your bliss balls from the fridge and spoon over roughly a teaspoon of chocolate then top with 2 pumpkin seeds and a few pieces of chopped cranberries or goji berries. Repeat until all of the balls are covered. Leave to set at room temperature then store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for 1 week.
If you can't get your hands on xylitol then use 55g or agave nectar or maple syrup instead, but be sure to heat this together with your cacao butter first.
No Comments