I’m so excited to share these delicious and seemingly decadent bites with you all! They make an amazing afternoon snack or nighttime dessert. They’re full of healthy fats that are nourishing, satiety inducing, and hormone balancing. The maple syrup gives a nice sweetness without being overbearing, and the higher healthy fat content helps to reduce the rate of glucose absorption, creating a more steady release of insulin and no sugar crash later! (you’re welcome :P).
Healthy fats and fiber help to turn off our hunger hormone called ghrelin, helping us to naturally eat less and crave less carbohydrates. In this recipe I’ve used a basis of pecans, cacao butter, and garbanzo bean (chickpea flour) which are high in fiber and healthy fats to create a feeling of satiety and help reduce sugar cravings. Feel free to play around with the ingredients for different flavors and nutrition profiles – i.e. you can swap the cacao butter with coconut butter, almond flour in place of garbanzo flour, and any other nuts you like in place of the pecans. Cacao butter is also a great source of polyphenols, great for reducing oxidative stress in the body and relieving inflammation.
- 1 1/2 cup pecans, divided
- 1/2 cup garbanzo (chickpea) flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
- 1 cup cacao butter (I used Nativa's Naturals)
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 3 tbsp. filtered water
- dash of sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. maca powder
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, more for dusting
- Start by adding 1 cup of pecans to a food processor. Process on high until pecans resemble a meal, but not yet a flour, about 20 seconds.
- Add the cacao butter, water, garbanzo flour, maple syrup, sea salt, maca and cinnamon to the food processor. Process for about 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed until semi-smooth. It's alright if there are still some small chunks of cacao butter (yummy!)
- For the last step, add the remaining 1/2 cup of pecans and pulse until chopped and dispersed into the mixture.
- Roll the balls (about 1 tbsp. each) in the palm of your hands and place on a large plate, makes about 12. Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Dust them with cinnamon if you love it like I do!
- Eat right out of the fridge for the best texture. These will also freeze well - let thaw about 30 mins to 1 hour before eating depending on desired softness. Enjoy!
If you try this recipe, let me know how you like it by commenting below! I love to receive your feedback to make better recipes and content for YOU! I hope you have an amazing weekend!
xo
Samantha
