Date, cocoa & pumpkin seed energy balls

Tasty energy balls. Photo: Jamie Oliver

Medjool dates have the double benefit of being high in both fiber and chloride, a nutrient that helps our digestion. And you get a nice hit of copper from the pumpkin seeds, too.

Related: Chocolate recipes with a twist

Makes 12 portions
70g pumpkin seeds
20g puffed brown rice or puffed quinoa
50g whole almonds
80g Medjool dates
1cm piece of fresh turmeric or teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 heaped teaspoon quality cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 tablespoon manuka honey
1 orange

Related: Healthy fish tacos

These super-nutritious, flavour-packed balls are the perfect boost to get you through the day. Enjoy two balls per snack.

1. Blitz 40g of the pumpkin seeds into a fine dust in a food processor, then decant onto a plate.
2. Place the remaining pumpkin seeds and the puffed rice or quinoa in the processor with the almonds and dates (de-stone first), then blitz until finely chopped.
3. Peel and finely grate in the turmeric, if using fresh, or add the ground turmeric, along with the cinnamon, cocoa powder and a pinch of sea salt.
4. Blitz again until finely ground, then add the vanilla, honey and half the orange juice.

WATCH: How to make homemade Nutella

5. Blitz for another 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides a couple of times, and adding an extra squeeze of orange juice to bind, only if needed – it takes a while for the mixture to come together, so be patient and let the processor work its magic.
6. With wet hands, divide into 24 and roll into balls, dropping them into the pumpkin seed dust as you go.
7. Shake to coat, storing them in the excess dust until needed. They’ll keep happily for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.