Chocolate, Hemp Seed, and Almond Pulp Energy Bites {Raw, Vegan, and Gluten-Free}

The beginning of strawberry season has had me on a continual smoothie kick. I’ve been freezing and blending them with homemade almond milk, honey tangerine segments, frozen blueberries, banana, and a couple of new-to-me smoothie ingredients: coconut butter and hemp seed.

Those two newbies helped to inspire these little bites, which are an easy and tasty way to use up the pulp left over from making nut milk.

Coconut butter (also called coconut manna) is different from coconut oil. Made by grinding coconut meat into a paste, the texture is closer to stiff peanut butter and tastes sweet and rich. I bought a jar of it several years ago out of curiosity, but, not knowing what to do with it, spent the next two years moving it around the fridge until I finally admitted defeat and relegated it to the compost. But then last month I was reintroduced to the stuff through a new favorite blog, Healthy Seasonal Recipes by Katie Webster, who blended it into a tropical libation. Her Monkeylada Smoothies blend coconut butter and coconut water with banana, pineapple, and cashews (how good do those look?!). Katie has worked as a food stylist, recipe developer, and contributing editor for EatingWell Magazine for over a decade, so the pictures and recipes on her blog are totally pro. She is my hero. (Also her Sweet Potato Chipotle Cheddar Soup is pretty much the best thing ever.)

So I gave coconut butter another chance (with a new jar, of course), and am I ever glad I did. Not only does a tablespoon of the stuff make smoothies extra thick and luscious, it creates a rich base for these little chocolatey bites. I was lucky enough to find Ostara’s Berkeley-made coconut butter at Good Earth Natural Foods, but there are other brands available at healthy foodie stores as well. You can also make it yourself with a sturdy food processor or blender.

The second new ingredient that has been featuring in daily smoothies are hemp seeds. My friend Lea brought some over the other night and tossed them into a green salad. Like the coconut butter, I’d written off hemp seeds long ago when I tried making hemp seed milk and deemed it inferior to nut milk – thin and slightly bitter. But mixed into a salad, they added substance and mild nuttiness. As a bonus, hemp seeds apparently contain the ideal balance of fatty acids for the human body. So I started throwing a couple tablespoons into smoothies every morning, and am now addicted to the body and uniquely nutty flavor that they add.

I have a continual influx of almond pulp left over from making milk, and there are only so many brownies and crackers a person can eat. So my cousin suggested that I turn the pulp into energy bites. Inspired by this recipe from Sweet Freedom, I stuck a cup of almond pulp in the food processor and started chucking in other ingredients – coconut butter and oil, hemp seeds, raw cacao powder, maple syrup, a dash of salt and vanilla – until the dough tasted just right. I rolled the mixture into balls, which I rolled in hemp seeds.

To my delight, they tasted a little like chocolate cake crossed with a power bar. The moisture in the almond pulp gives the bites a pleasingly soft texture, and the coconut butter and oil add richness and make the balls shape-able. The maple adds subtle sweetness, and the hemp seeds give them a nutty bite. In fact, they taste a lot like these cheesecakes, in a more portable and less creamy form. In spite of their healthy flavor, my nephew downed twelve of them in a row at a recent family gathering, much to my surprise.

I’ve made these several more times and they are always a hit, especially at parties. Healthy foodies are always psyched to learn that they are vegan, gluten-free, and sans refined sugar. They keep well in the fridge, though for how long I’m not sure – they keep getting devoured within a day or two.

Though I don’t exactly consider them a stand-in for real dessert, I like having these around for post-meal chocolate cravings or mid-day snack attacks.

And I’m pretty pleased to have something else to do with all that almond pulp, too.

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Chocophilia:

Baked Almond Pulp Brownies
Almond Pulp Chocolate Chip Cookies
Raw, Vegan Chocolate Cheesecakes

One year ago:

Strawberry Rhubarb Crème Fraîche Crumble Pie
Rustic Citrus Almond Tart

Two years ago:

Chocolate Things

Three years ago:

Blood Orange Curd Tart
Flourless Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Four years ago:

Gluten-Free Meyer Lemon Almond Cake
Vanilla Maple Almond Milk, and a smoothie

Chocolate, Hemp, and Almond Pulp Energy Bites {Raw, Vegan, and Gluten-Free}

A few notes:

The almond pulp here should be squeezed as dry as possible until crumbly but moist. I’ve given my current Simple Almond Milk recipe down below. I used straight up almond pulp, but I’m sure other nut pulps will work, too. When made with fresh nut pulp, the bites should keep in the fridge for up to a week.

I use both coconut butter and coconut oil in this recipe since I have both around, but you could probably get away with only one or the other if you didn’t want to purchase both. Coconut butter is made differently from coconut oil, and has a different taste and texture. I used Ostara brand, but you can also make your own by simply processing shredded coconut in a blender or food processor for 15 minutes. If you don’t have coconut butter, you can probably do without it by adding a little extra coconut oil, or
nut or seed butter, and perhaps more hemp seed or oats.

This is a recipe that should lend itself well to variations. Try adding cinnamon and a pinch of chile, or some finely ground coffee. Trade the oats for shredded coconut. Add other nuts or seeds.

I like these best at cool room temperature, when just slightly softened. I like the ones rolled in hemp seeds best, but rolling some in cacao powder makes a pretty contrast: the choice is yours.

All ounce measurements are by weight.

Makes 3-4 dozen 1″ bites

1 cup (6 ounces / 175 grams) packed almond pulp
1/2 cup (6 ounces / 175 grams) maple syrup
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1.25 ounces / 35 grams) raw cacao powder (or cocoa powder), plus another 1/4 cup or so for rolling the bites
1/4 cup (1 ounce / 30 grams) raw, hulled hemp seeds, plus another 1/2 cup or so for rolling the bites
1/4 cup (1 ounce / 25 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup (2 ounces / 55 grams) raw coconut butter
1/4 cup (2 ounces / 55 grams) raw coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or seeds from 1 vanilla bean)
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

Combine all ingredients (almond pulp, maple syrup, cacao powder, hemp seeds, oats, coconut butter, coconut oil, vanilla, and salt) in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine and break up the oats. Scoop into 1″ balls and roll between your palms to round. (If the mixture is soft or sticky, chill it until handleable.)

Place the extra cacao powder in a small bowl, and the hempseed in another bowl. Roll some balls in each to coat. (Note: balls rolled in cacao powder may absorb the powder, so you’ll want to re-roll them just before serving to pretty them up.) Place the bites on a tray or small rimmed baking sheet. Serve at room temperature, or chill. The bites should keep in the refrigerator for up to a week, or freeze them airtight for longer storage.

Simple Almond Milk

Makes 8-10 cups

This milk will keep, refrigerated, for up to five days.

2 cups whole, raw almonds, soaked in cool water for 8-24 hours
8-10 cups cool (preferably filtered) water

Drain the soaked almonds, rinse, and drain again. Place them in a blender with 3 cups of the filtered water. Blend on low, gradually increasing the speed to high and adding another cup of the water, until the almonds are broken down into a creamy, thick mixture. Pour the mixture through a nut milk bag and into a large bowl, squeezing the bejeezus out of the almonds until you can’t squeeze anymore. Stir in the remaining 4-6 cups of filtered water, depending on how thick you want your milk (I use 10 cups total for smoothies, but 8 cups is a better consistency for putting in coffee or tea.) Pour into jars and refrigerate for up to 5 days.