Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Allergy Friendly, no Bake Energy Balls

We tried a new recipe a week or so ago...

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I challenged myself at New Years to try new foods... not just try but to bring in new flavors and dishes to our routine of unoriginal meals. It's challenging to cook for younger children and food allergies... there are already soo many limits to our diets and choices.

But I went out on a limb on this simple recipe. First it came from a mom of little ones;) And it was easily adaptable to our food allergies. It was pretty easy to prepare and I loved that it didn't include soy, milk products, wheat or sugar:) YAY!!

Before I give the exact ingredient list and the "how do", I want to credit Smashed Peas and Carrots for sharing this delightful treat!! And the recipe I share below is how we adapted her recipe to fit our needs, she includes many different variations of this recipe !

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No-Bake Energy Bites  

1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup sunflower seed butter
1/3 cup honey
1 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips


We mixed the first 6 ingredients together (everything but the chocolate chips). I found that it just mixes better without the big chocolate chips.

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Then we added the chocolate chips :) And there are some little fingers stealing some chips from the bowl, too!
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Stick the mixture in the fridge for a half an hour to firm up a bit:) And then make balls and enjoy!
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We made balls when we wanted them. We left the spoon in the mixture in the fridge for that purpose;)

As far as whether the kids liked them....

Well, Chris (6 yrs) scared me to death. He tried a ball and then another. He was determining whether he liked it or not when he started complaining his throat  hurt and then he started gagging and threw up.... lovely! Although I had thought it was an allergic reaction and HAD given him Benadryl, I later remembered that he had had no hives on his face or mouth. He later told me it has something weird in it that got stuck in his throat... probably the coconut.... phew! A little bit scary, especially since Brian was out-of-town that part of the week!

Anna (7 yrs)  was not a fan either :(

But Lydia (5 yrs) and Nate (23 months) LOVE them!! They will easily help make and eat them!

I also packed some for Brian's lunch one morning! He liked them and shared them with a co-worker:) LOL!!

So, 4 out of 6 isn't too bad, especially for something with healthy proteins and a treat without wheat or sugar.

Linking up to...
Tuesdays at the Table @ All the Small Stuff

Tasty Tuesday @ Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
Blessed with Grace
Tasty Tuesday @ 33 Shades of Green 
Allergy Free Wednesday
Works For Me Wednesday

4 comments:

Jenny said...

I feel that way about coconut too. I'm glad it wasn't an allergy, but that had to be super scary!

Can you make it without coconuts?

Tessa Domestic Diva said...

I agree...4/6 isn't too bad at all! Everyone has their individual tastes afterall! thanks for sharing on Allergy Free Wednesdays!

Nancy @Real Food, Allergy Free said...

Congratulations! I featured your recipe as an allergy free favorite! Check it out here: http://www.realfoodallergyfree.com/?p=6593 I hope you'll share some more.

Aliesha Caldwell | Feathers in Our Nest said...

Loved these at Bible Study last night! Do you use regular coconut or unsweetened? Going to make these soon!