So yeh, that name is definitely a mouthful, but I promise you, it is a very tasty mouthful! I have been craving a little something sweet for the last day or two, but for the last two weeks I have been laying off sugar, caffeine, dairy and all that stuff, attempting to give my digestion a bit of a break.

Today marks two weeks, I have no more pains, I feel less bloated, I am full of energy and I have dropped about 10lbs! I am attributing most of this to removing dairy from my diet, since that is what I believe to have caused the upset in the first place. So for now, I am continuing on this path of no dairy! I am actually quite excited about this discovery and revelation, I think my body has probably been trying to tell me this for sometime now. I really wasn’t consuming much dairy before all of this, but probably when I did have even the littlest amount, it was just too much for me. Ironically this month also marks the 7-year anniversary since I went gluten-free, so I suppose it is fitting that I make another huge dietary change. Why not, right?

So I decided as a little treat to myself to celebrate the two weeks and my new discovery and as a treat to my amazing hubby, Mark, who has been a trooper though all of this, we needed a healthy mid-day energy-boosting sweet. Who wouldn’t love that?

Since I have avoided chocolate for the last two weeks to give my tummy a break (caffeine is a stimulant and can be a bit rough on an already upset digestive tract), I wanted just the littlest taste today! I didn’t wanna go hog wild and get myself sick, so I thought adding them to a cookie ball like this, in the smallest amount possible, would be perfect. I have made many versions of these cookie balls, but I rarely measure and I usually just make do with what ingredients I have in the pantry and go with what I am craving. Since I knew I wanted to feature this recipe, I decided to measure this time. However, I still find that with a recipe like this, it is best to eye-ball it and go with texture. Some dates can be a bit drier than others, so you may have to soak yours first or add some water to get the consistency just right. I added about 2 tablespoons of water to my dough since I didn’t soak mine, but I could tell when the texture was just right for rolling. If you are ever unsure, just take a glob of the dough in your hands and feel it. You will know if it is too crumbly and dry or if it is too wet and goopy. Adjust your ingredients accordingly.

I added in chia seeds this time, but you could certainly leave them out if you don’t have them or don’t want them. I like the crunchiness that they bring and I also love that chia is a power-food known for being high in fiber and great for digestion. Chia seeds also increase your energy levels, so these cookie bites are the perfect afternoon pick me up. I love that these little treats are naturally vegan and sugar-free, they are gluten-free if you make sure to use gluten-free rolled oats and they are the perfect treat to get you through the middle of the day! Have fun with this recipe, I have made these with raisins or dried cranberries before, you can add banana and peanut butter, cocoa power, nuts, coconut, etc. These have become my go to treat when I want something sweet but I don’t want sugar and other junk.

What is your favorite mid-day snack?

 

[print_this]No-Bake Oatmeal Chia Chocolate Chip Cookie Balls (Vegan and Gluten-free)
makes about 15 cookie balls

1/3 cup Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped (about 5 dates – soak if they are very dry)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups gluten-free rolled oats (you can use regular rolled oats if you aren’t gluten intolerant)
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 – 2 tablespoons water (you could need more, you could need less, just go by how your dough feels)
1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips

Add the medjool dates and vanilla to a food processor or high powered blender (like a Vitamix). Process until a thick paste forms, you may want to add some water here if it is too dry. You will also want to take a spatula and scrape down the edges. Add in 1 cup of the rolled oats and the chia seeds, process until the oats are no longer whole and it all comes together into a thick dough. Again, add water if it is super dry (just don’t add too much water). Add in the remaining 1/4 cup of oats and the chocolate chips and pulse just a few times to bring it all together. Take a small amount of the dough into your hands to make sure it will roll and stay together. If the dough is crumbling a bit, add more water, if it is too goopy and wet, add more oats.

Taking 1 tablespoon of the dough at a time, roll the dough, in the palm of your hands, into about 15 balls. Set on a plate and place it into the fridge for about 15 minutes to all them to chill. Then enjoy!

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This recipe is featured in the Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love.