Energy balls often rely on cashews and dates, two ingredients that quickly weigh on the budget. These take a different path: pumpkin and sunflower seeds, much more affordable, and raisins for sweetness and binding. A small pinch of salt is enough to wake everything up, and the result has a faint air of a peanut butter and jam sandwich, without any peanuts or jam. They are made in a quarter of an hour, slip easily into a bag for the day and also suit people who avoid nuts.
Pumpkin seed, sunflower seed and raisin balls
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Ingredients
- 65 g hulled pumpkin seeds
- 70 g hulled sunflower seeds
- 195 g raisins
- 1.5 g sea salt (about 1/4 teaspoon)
Preparation
- Blend all the ingredients in a food processor fitted with the S-blade until you get a smooth paste that holds together when pressed.
- Shape balls of about 2.5 cm by rolling the paste between your palms.
- Chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator before enjoying.
Tip
To vary the recipe, replace half of the raisins with dried apricots or cranberries. If the paste stays too dry to form balls, add a few more raisins or a teaspoon of water and blend again. The balls keep for a week in the refrigerator in a closed container.
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FAQ: your questions about seed and raisin balls
How do you eat raw pumpkin seeds?
Hulled, they can be eaten as they are, with no preparation, by the handful as a snack or sprinkled over a salad, a soup or a morning bowl. They also blend very well, into pesto, a spread or the base of balls like these. If you find them hard to digest, soak them for a few hours in water, then drain them before use. Rich in fat, they turn rancid over time: store them in a closed jar, in a cool place away from light.
What are the drawbacks of raisins?
Their main flaw is their concentration: as it dries, the grape loses its water and keeps its sugars, so raisins are much sweeter and higher in calories than fresh grapes, for a far smaller volume. They also stick to the teeth, which is not ideal for oral hygiene. Finally, some store-bought raisins are treated with sulfites to keep their light color: read the label if you are sensitive. In small amounts, in a snack like this one, they remain a simple way to sweeten without added sugar.
Are there energy ball recipes without peanut butter?
Yes, and that is actually the case for most raw balls. The binding then comes from blended dried fruit, such as dates, raisins, apricots or figs, which naturally stick together, and from the fat of ground seeds or nuts. This recipe is a good example: no peanut butter, no nuts, only pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and raisins. For a softer version, a spoonful of sesame or sunflower purée can replace the peanut butter.
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