Power Up on the Road with Cranberry Orange Snack Bites

Hello friends!  I’m here to let you know that I’ll be gone from the blog world for about 3 days because my friends and I are going on a trip!

I’m so excited for this girl-time in which we’ll be sleeping together, eating together, breathing together, using the bathroom together, errr….Okay maybe that’s a bit too much.

You’re asking me where we’re going?  Ummmm I have no idea!!!  It’s not a joke when I tell you that I just don’t know where we’re headed to because it’s supposed to be a surprise for me.  Although, I have formulated several possible destinations in my mind for the past week or so.

But then it’s all good–because I love surprises and spontaneity.

So very naturally, I was put in charge of snacks for this trip.  They requested a myriad of granola, Chobani Yogurt (yay!), and too many gummy candies.  Obviously I went ahead and purchased a bunch of apples, bananas, and Justin’s nut butter packets along with a few other treats.

That’s when I received the revelation that I should make something simple, nutritious, and raw as well.  And the best part is that simple, nutritious, and raw can taste amazing.

Enter these superkalifrajelisticexpialidociously delicious Cranberry Orange Snack Bites!  You can call them balls too, if you so prefer.

Cranberry Orange Snack Bites *Vegan+Raw*

Ingredients:

• 2 C pitted dates
• 1/2 C rolled oats
• Orange zest from 1 whole orange
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 C dried cranberries
• 3 TBSP shredded coconut
• 3 TBSP creamy almond butter (I used the one on this post)
• 1/2 C toasted almonds

Directions:

1. Grab your food processor and put in the dates first.  Process/blend until it’s completely pureed, for about 1.5 minutes.  Then add the rolled oats and process just enough so that the oats are broken up.  Add the salt, orange zest, coconut, almond butter and process some more.
2. Toast the raw almonds in the oven at 400 F for approximately 5 minutes.
3. When the almonds have cooled down slightly, process them until they’re coarsely crumbled, and then add the cranberries.  I prefer to actually chew and see the cranberries, so I try to not mix it too long.
4. Grab some of the mixture and roll it into balls that are more or less the size of a golf ball.  Line them up on a flat surface that’s been covered with parchment paper.
5. This recipe makes about 12 servings.

I think that the combination of cranberry and orange is so good, especially when there are toasted nuts involved.

However, sometimes a lot of little chocolate don’t hurt nobody.

Dipping these snack bites in semi-sweet chocolate makes these into decadent, yet semi-healthy indulgences!  Kind of like truffles.

Yes, it can get very messy so make sure you lay down parchment paper first.

Refrigerating these is the quickest way to ensure that the chocolate hardens up.  The chocolate dipping is totally optional and these snack bites are just as good without it.

I’m secretly thinking, “the girls better like these as much as I do”.  Yeap, this trip is going to be fun and we will certainly never go hungry!

Have a blessed rest of the week and keep in touch y’all!

What are your favorite foods while on the road or on a trip?

Have you been on a trip where you were surprised by others?

Love,

Ellie <33

Tagged as: Chobani, Chocolate, Cranberry orange snack bites, dates, healthy snack, Justin's Nut Butter, Maranatha Honey Almond Butter, raw food, surprises, trip with friends, vegan