Apricot Coconut Date Energy Balls

Apricot Coconut Date Energy Balls

Today we are making Turmeric Apricot Coconut Date Energy Balls! These bliss balls are made with the wholesome ingredients of coconut, turmeric, dried apricots and dates to make the perfect snack!

Turmeric (curcuma longa) is a spice that has been used for ages when it comes to holistic healing and natural cures. It contains (like many spices and herbs) antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. You’ve probably also noticed that it turns anything it touches bright yellow (eg. it has stained some of my kitchen items unfortunately). The active component of turmeric that gives it all these health benefits is curcumin. This is the part that has the antioxidant properties, and can help Alzheimers, slow aging, depression, and more! Aside from all of these benefits, which exist in many of these herbs, one extra benefit is that turmeric is actually great for your skin as well.

Glow Up Your Skin

Apparently, all of these amazing properties allow it to glow up your skin. Not just in making it brighter, but even with wounds. The curcumin helps to decrease inflammation and oxidation. It reduces the response of your body to wound (and positively affects skin tissue and collagen), making them heal quicker. No wonder I see turmeric face masks everywhere!

But also – it can help heal other skin conditions. Take psoriasis or eczema, for example. Turmeric can help to control flaring up of the skin if you suffer from these. Even with acne scarring, turmeric’s qualities can calm the skin down and reduce scarring (hence the turmeric face masks). There’s a ton of ways you can use turmeric!

Bioavailability of Turmeric

But did you know that this curcumin doesn’t absorb well into the bloodstream? So eating your weeknight curries isn’t really doing as much good as you may think (I’m guilty of this too). To actually get the benefits, you would need to take it with some black pepper. It contains a compound called piperine that makes turmeric more bioavailable.

The bioavailability of a food is how much of it your body can actually absorb and use after eating – if a food is not highly bioavailable, then you may not even be reaping any benefits by eating it. A study that was done showed that taking 20mg of piperine with 2g curcumin increased its bioavailability by 2000%! This is INSANE! I don’t know about you, but I’m definitely going to start adding black pepper to all my curries from now on.

But if you’re eating these raw bites … black pepper maaaay not taste the best. So perhaps drink warm turmeric milk with a hint of black pepper in it to go with these balls!

Why You’ll Love These Apricot Coconut Date Energy Balls

The Healthiest Snack: These date energy balls contain healthy fats, natural sugars and many nutrients in all the ingredients! Dates, turmeric, apricots, cashews and coconut all provide nutrition in their own ways. They’re very easy to make in advance and take only 10 minutes. You can pack them in your purse for an easy snack to bring along on road trips, or eat as a post-workout snack!

Substitutions

Coconut Flour: Do not substitute these with another type of flour. Coconut flour is drier than other flours and works as a dry binder for the dough, along with the cashews.

Raw Cashews: Use raw nuts, not roasted or salted. Alternatively, substitute with a different nut, such as raw, blanched almonds, raw macadamia nuts or raw pecans.

Dried Apricots: These are a key ingredient here! Look for dried apricots without any added sugar. Many dried fruits contain preservatives or added sweetener. I check the ingredient label for one made with the least ingredients – ideally just one ingredient, the fruit!

Dates: For best results, use Medjool dates. These are soft, have a chewy texture and work great when blending into energy balls. These can be found in the dried fruit section of local grocery stores. Deglet Noor dates can also be a substitute.

Dates are a natural sweetener, and also amazing for healthy snacking to satisfy a sweet tooth (and get all the natural energy)! I love topping them with almond butter, natural peanut butter, hemp seeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds and so many more toppings.

Turmeric: This Indian spice contributes to making the color bright yellow. It does not provide a strong flavor, but gives health benefits. Use turmeric powder. Freshly grated turmeric will provide too strong of a flavor, and it won’t incorporate well into the dough. Turmeric powder can be found in Indian grocery stores.

Coconut: Use desiccated coconut, as it is in the smallest form to stick to the balls to roll them in. Coconut flakes or shredded coconut are larger flakes and don’t stick to the dough as well when rolling. Look for unsweetened coconut if looking to avoid any added sugars.

More Healthy Snack Recipes & Energy Ball Recipes

Dark Chocolate Pistachio Bars: This Raw Granola Bar Recipe uses dark chocolate, pistachio and matcha with coconut flour for a no bake, great snack recipe!

PB&J Oatmeal Bites: Take your PB&J to go instead, with these no bake energy balls using creamy peanut butter and dried berries! All the simple ingredients of an oatmeal bowl, wrapped into a healthy breakfast bite.

Goji Berry Green Tea Bites: This matcha balls recipe is a nutrient-packed energy ball with matcha powder, goji berries, coconut flour, dates and cashews!

Raw Key Lime Pie Bites: This basic recipe uses three Ingredients to recreate the American Key Lime Pie dessert – a buttery crust and zesty lime filling in one bite!

Nutella Energy Bites: Bring home the taste of Nutella in this Cookie Dough Balls Recipe, bursting of rich chocolate using unsweetened cocoa powder, and hazelnut flavors using raw hazelnuts! Mix in dark chocolate chips it make these Nutella flavored cookie dough power balls!

Toasted Hazelnut & Fig Balls: These sweet treats are made of hazelnuts, figs, almond meal and dates. Super healthy and full of nutrients for a great snack!

Raspberry Lamington Bites: This No Bake Lamington Coconut Balls Recipe is like a raw Lamington, an Australian sponge cake coated in chocolate and rolled in coconut!

If you make these Apricot Coconut Date Energy Balls, then leave a comment and star rating! Don’t forget to tag your photos @peanut_palate on Instagram. Enjoy!