No-Bake Peanut Butter Pecan Balls

I’m not going to lie – these bliss balls were a total accident in the kitchen. I was trying to recreate another recipe that I often use, and realised I’d run out of half the ingredients.

 It was a foodie emergency in the Eat with Elle household, and this is where the PB Pecan Balls came to life. Easy to make and even easier to eat, these little beauties really hit the spot.

 I read somewhere today that an addiction to sugar is just like being addicted to cocaine. It’s deadly, and can prove to be just as fatal. It really made me think, I need to stop my sugar cravings.

 I’ve fallen victim, like so many of us have, to 3pmitis sugar cravings. You know the feeling – you’re sitting at your work desk, tummy rumbling and envisioning a chocolate from the downstairs vending machine. I fall into this trap weekly, and instantly regret it afterwards.

 These balls really do satisfy those 3pm cravings, and are a lot healthier than your average chocolate bar. Think of a healthy Reeces Pieces mixture/cookie dough hybrid. They’ll fill you up until dinner-time, and you only need one to do that, plus they’re seriously delish.

You’ll Need:

1.5 cups of oats

3 tbsps peanut butter

12 medjool dates

splash of milk

16 pecans

1/3 cup dark choc chips (or carob)

2 tsp cacao powder

Grab out your trusty food processor, and pulverise the dates until they form a smooth(ish) paste. If you don’t have medjool dates, don’t panic! Just chuck your pitted dates into a bowl of warm water and let them soak for ten minutes, so they’re softer to mush up in the food processor.

 Once you’ve got your date paste, add all the ingredients bar the choc chips & pecans. Crush 4 of the pecans and add to the mixture, making sure they are mixed through.

 Hand mix the choc chips in, and then get ready for the fun part. Grab about a tbsp of mixture and flatten out, then put a whole pecan in the middle. Roll into a ball so pecan is in the middle of the ball.

Continue until you have 12 balls, and VOILA. These are one of my favourites, as having a whole pecan in the middle is a fun surprise and adds great texture to these balls.

 Enjoy! Let me know if you make them, and if you changed anything at all. Please tag me on Instagram @eatwithelle – I love seeing all of your creations! X