I was recently waiting in the check-out line at Winners and was feeling pretty hungry. This is NOT a great place to be when you are hungry as you are surrounded on all sides by potato chips and other salty snacks, all kinds of chocolates, gummy bears, and loads of other tempting and unhealthy snacks. Luckily, amid all this, I found a bag of something that sounded pretty healthy – matcha coconut bites. I read the ingredients, which were all healthy, so I grabbed the bag to add to my purchases and went to the next available cashier. I was shocked to learn that this little bag of 10 ‘bites’ cost $7.99, but my hunger – and curiosity – got the better of me, and I headed to the car with this new treat.
These $7.99 square bites were OK, but I immediately thought that I could make something similar that would taste better and cost me a small fraction of the price given I had all the ingredients at home – and a few more that I thought would be interesting to include (like chocolate chips and dates). I am happy to report that I have made my own version a few times now and they are a big hit.
If you love coconut and matcha and chocolate, I’m betting you will love these bites! They are super easy to make as you just measure out the ingredients, mix everything in one bowl, shape the mixture into bite-sized balls, and pop them into the fridge. No baking required. They are a great way to satisfy a craving for a little something sweet, while providing fibre, healthy fats, powerful antioxidants, and a little boost of energy! I LOVE them!
This recipe only makes 10 balls and you can whip them up in a snap. Give it a whirl, and if you love these little bites, you can double or triple or quadruple the recipe!
You Will Need
- 1 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 TBSP maple syrup
- 2 chopped dates
- 2 TBSP dark chocolate chips
- 1 TBSP coconut oil (extra virgin if possible – if you melt it first, it will be easier to evenly mix it in)
- 1 to 2 tsp matcha powder (start with 1 tsp and add more if you want after tasting the mixture)
- 1/8 tsp salt (I like Himalayan pink salt)
A great thing about this recipe is that if you’re not sure about how strong a matcha taste you’ll like, you can start with 1 tsp, taste the mixture, then slowly add more to to suit your taste before you shape the mixture into balls/bites.
Another great thing about this recipe is that all of the ingredients offer health-boosting benefits (regardless, remember variety and moderation when it comes to nutrition – more isn’t always better!):
- Unsweetened shredded coconut – high in fibre and healthy fats (medium chain triglycerides or MCTs for short). MCTs boost metabolism, help to burn fat, and support cardiovascular health.
- Extra virgin coconut oil – a great source of MCTs (benefits listed above) and lauric acid. Lauric acid has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral properties.
- Matcha powder – rich in EGCG – a strong antioxidant that protects against inflammation and oxidative stress (the cause of virtually every disease/health issue). EGCG also supports cardiovascular health.
- Maple syrup – contains minerals that are associated with immune function as well as anti-inflammatory compounds. The darker the better. Local is best too. Maple syrup is still primarily sugar so use it sparingly!
- Dates – a great natural sweetener and a source of fibre (fibre leads to a slower glucose release than refined sugar). Again, natural sugar is still sugar, so moderation is key.
- Dark chocolate – a source of flavanols and magnesium, both of which support cardiovascular health. Moderation is key!
- Himalayan pink salt – you can use regular salt if you like – or leave it out. I like sweet-salty treats, and I like using this type of salt as it is less processed than regular table salt and provides numerous important trace minerals, in addition to just sodium and chloride.
Mix It All Up
Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix them well. Ensure that the chopped up dates and coconut oil are well distributed in the mixture and aren’t in a clump somewhere! If they are, you can always use your hands to do more mixing. The coconut oil will melt with the heat of your hands and you can break up and evenly distribute any date clumps with your fingers. :)
Once everything is nicely mixed together, give it a taste and adjust as you desire. More matcha? A pinch more salt? A drizzle more of maple syrup? Some other healthy addition you’d like to add?
Portioning and Forming
Scoop the mixture out onto a flat surface in 1 TBSP measures. This should give you 10 balls/bites. I use a cookie scoop and make sure that the mixture is nicely compacted in the scoop.
Don’t worry if the scoops fall apart a bit. You still need to form and then roll the scoops into compact balls with your hands. For the best success in doing this, have a little coconut oil handy and rub some between your hands so that when you form and roll the balls, they won’t stick to your hands. I start by gently squeezing the scoops in my hand before rolling into balls. If after you’ve rolled a few balls, you find that the mixture is starting to stick to your hands, then scrape what’s stuck to your hands back into the bowl, wash your hands, reapply coconut oil, and start again. You will end up with perfect little balls that hold their shape very well.
Put the balls in an airtight container. You can keep them in the fridge for weeks. They also freeze really well.
I take an omega-3 supplement every day in the form of krill oil. The brand I take and recommend is CanPrev Krill Oil. Each 500 mg softgel contains:
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