It’s the month of love and many people are treating their Valentine to sugary sweets like candy. If your Valentine is a health nut, consider making them a sweet that’s actually good for them, like this recipe for red velvet energy balls.
One of the most important ingredients of this recipe is the beet. This vegetable rarely gets its due in our culinary world, but nutritionally, it has a lot to offer. Beets, which are full of folate, manganese, fiber, and potassium, can help you improve your digestion. If you’re worried about your heart, beets may be the answer. They can improve your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease.
The beet is also well known for its distinct pink/red color. So, for the purpose of this recipe, the beet will not only add some much needed nutrients to the mixture, it will also help give the energy balls their Valentine red hue.
But the nutrients don’t stop there. Besides the beet, there are other nutritional ingredients in this recipe. For instance, there are also oats and coconut flakes. The oats are packed with fiber that will help with your digestion and keep you feeling full longer. The coconut flakes are also high in manganese and can help boost your energy levels and help with your immune system.
If you’re ready to shower your love with a healthy Valentine’s Day treat, try this recipe for red velvet energy balls from Namely Marly.
Red Velvet Energy Bites
(Recipe from Namely Marly)
Ingredients
- 1 small beet
- 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
- 4 to 6 tablespoons of water
- 1 1/2 cups of oatmeal
- 1/4 cup of hemp seeds
- 1/2 cup of ground flax seeds
- 1/2 cup of coconut flakes
- 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips
Directions
- First, peel the beet and then chop it into small cubes. Place the cubes in a microwave-safe glass dish and add one to two teaspoons of water. Microwave for about 20 seconds. Stir the beets, and then microwave for another 20 seconds. Repeat until the beets become slightly tender and can be pierced with a fork. Place a plate on top of the container to allow the beets to continue cooking.
- When the beets are ready, add 2 tablespoons of coconut oil.
- Add the beet/coconut mixture to a food processor and pulse for a few seconds. Use a spatula to push the ingredients down and pulse again.
- Add a tablespoon of water and pulse again. Continue adding 1 tablespoon of water at a time until you get a nice pureed consistency (5 tablespoons of water should work for a relatively small beet).
- Next add the oatmeal, hemp seeds, ground flax, coconut flakes, and cocoa powder. Pulse for several seconds until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
- Form the mixture into balls and store in a sealed container in the fridge.
Bonus. If these energy balls are a big hit, don’t forget to try some of our other energy bite recipes. If you’re a big fan of nutty flavors, try this No Bake Energy Snacks recipe. They are flavored with honey, almond extract, and almond butter. If you enjoy pumpkin flavor all year long, then maybe this No-Bake Pumpkin Spice Energy Balls recipe is right for you. It’s flavored with pumpkin puree as well as pumpkin pie spice.