Home Recipes Cranberry Fruit and Nut Energy Balls 5 Ways

Cranberry Fruit and Nut Energy Balls 5 Ways

by Tansy Boggon

These cranberry fruit and nut energy balls are suitable for an everyday snack and can be upgraded to create rum balls, chocolate-coated balls and mini Christmas puddings.

There’s not much new about fruit and nut energy balls, and especially this recipe—I’ve been making it for years! However, I thought it was time I share the recipe with you.

Like always, I like to keep things simple and adaptable. I created this recipe so that it can be modified from an everyday snack to something more indulgent.

I also find the approach of upgrading a recipe helpful as I don’t have to go out to buy specific ingredients but can have the base ingredients in the pantry all the time so that I can whip these energy balls up whenever the mood strikes. Hey, once you’ve given them a try, you may do too!

The basics you’ll require are:

  • dried cranberries
  • other dried fruit such as dried apricots, figs, raisins or goji berries work well in this recipe
  • shredded or desiccated coconut
  • nuts such as almonds, walnuts, cashews, pecans or pistachios
  • sunflower seeds
  • dates or prunes

Then it’s your choice if you upgrade the recipe. You have the option of creating:

1) Cranberry Fruit and Nut Energy Balls

  • a sweet snack with a hint of cranberry tartness

2) Chocolate Cranberry Fruit and Nut Energy Balls

  • add cacao, cocoa or carob powder to the above recipe for a chocolatey flavoured fruit and nut energy ball

3) Chocolate-Coated Cranberry Fruit and Nut Energy Balls

  • dip either of the above in chocolate for a more decadent snack

4) Chocolate Fruit and Nut Rum Balls

  • simply add rum (or rum flavoured essence) and roll in desiccated coconut

5) Mini Christmas Fruit and Nut Puddings

  • a fruit mince flavoured fruit and nut energy ball—think lemon, orange, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg—with a drizzle of white chocolate to give a custard or icing sugar appearance
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Cranberry Fruit and Nut Energy Balls 5 Ways

Makes 18-25 balls, depending on size.
Prep Time15 minutes
Course: Desserts & Sweet Snacks
Keyword: dairy-free, gluten-free
Author: Tansy Boggon

Ingredients

Cranberry Fruit and Nut Energy Balls

  • ½ cup cranberries (75 g)
  • ½ cup apricots, raisins or goji berries (70 g)
  • ½ cup dessicated or shreaded coconut (30 g)
  • ½ cup nuts of choice (80 g)
  • ½ cup sunflower seeds (70 g)
  • 2 medjool dates (or 4 prunes)
  • 1-2 tablespoons water

Chocolate Cranberry Fruit and Nut Energy Balls

  • 2 tablespoons cocoa, cacao or carob powder

Chocolate-Coated Cranberry Fruit and Nut Energy Balls

  • 300 g dark or milk chocolate

Chocolate Fruit and Nut Rum Balls

  • 2 tablespoons rum or rum flavoured essence
  • 4 tablespoons desiccated coconut

Mini Christmas Fruit and Nut Puddings

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or essence
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions

Cranberry Fruit and Nut Energy Balls

  • Combine all ingredients in a food processor until mixture starts to bind together. The mixture should stick together between your fingers. If it’s still crumbly add more water.
  • Roll into balls with damp hands, to avoid it sticking to your hands. It works best to lightly roll between the palms of your hands.
  • Once rolled, refrigerate for a few hours before consuming. Enjoy as is or upgrade the recipe.

Chocolate Cranberry Fruit and Nut Energy Balls

  • Make as above.

Chocolate-Coated Cranberry Fruit and Nut Energy Balls

  • Chill the cranberry fruit and nut balls for 30 minutes, or longer and line a baking tray with baking paper.
  • Meanwhile, melt chocolate on the stove top by placing in a small bowl sitting in simmering water or in the microwave stirring every 20 seconds, until fully melted.
  • Once melted dip balls, one at a time, into the chocolate and remove with a fork to drain excess chocolate and to avoid scraping into the chocolate. Place each ball onto the baking tray covered in paper.
  • Place tray in fridge for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Chocolate Fruit and Nut Rum Balls

  • Omit the 2 tablespoons of water in the cranberry fruit and nut energy balls recipe and replace with rum or rum flavoured essence.
  • Roll balls in desiccated coconut.
  • NB. You may need to dampen the balls with a little water on your hands to get the coconut to stick.

Mini Christmas Fruit and Nut Puddings

  • Follow instructions for cranberry fruit and nut energy balls, omitting the water, cacao, cocoa or carob and adding the mini Christmas pudding ingredients.
  • Roll into balls.
  • You can serve as is, without chocolate drizzle.
  • For chocolate drizzle, melt white chocolate as per instructions above. Then drizzle each ball with a little of the white chocolate and place a sliced cranberry on top before it hardens, so that each ball resembles a mini Christmas pudding.
  • Set in fridge for at least one hour before devouring.

Notes

 
Medjool dates
I have opted for Medjool dates in this recipe due to their sweetness and soft texture, which combines the other ingredients well. However, they can be quite expensive. Thus, as I’ve suggested in the recipe  2 Medjool dates can be substituted with 4 prunes.
Alternatively, you could also use 4 dried dates (which are much smaller than Medjool dates). However, soak them in warm water for 5-10 minutes, to soften them, before combining in the food processor. If you choose to use soaked dates, you are likely to require less water to bind it all together.
 
Storage
In an air-tight container the fruit and nut energy balls will keep for at least 2 weeks. Alternatively, they can be frozen and stored for months. Freezing will not alter the texture of the balls but may discolour the chocolate-coated balls. It’s best to freeze chocolate when it is already very cold. Thus, chill in the fridge before placing in the freezer.

Have you tried this recipe?

I’d love to know if you try this recipe and which flavour you try or appeals to you most. Let me know in the comments below and share any variations—there are more than 5 ways to create these energy balls!

Looking for more festive recipes?

Try my Coconut Carrot Salad with Cranberries for a festive side dish.

Or try summer fruits dipped in dark, milk or white chocolate and sprinkle with coconut, crushed nuts or sprinkles for a festive platter.

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