Cacao and Pumpkin Seed Energy Balls

When it's miles from dinner and you really need a snack... energy balls.  When you skipped breakfast and then worked out but lunch is still an hour away... energy balls.  When you're sitting in the car waiting for your kids to get off the school bus... energy balls.  When dinner was light and the worms start to bite... energy balls.  When you're at the movies and you're kids won't share their popcorn... energy balls.  That's pretty much my life right there.

Cacao and Pumpkin Seed Energy Balls

slightly adapted from here

Makes about 24

80g pumpkin seeds

20g puffed brown rice

50g pecans, toasted

80g Medjool dates, pitted

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 heaped teaspoon cacao powder

Pinch of sea salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons Manuka honey

Juice of 1 orange

Put half of the pumpkin seeds in a food processor and blitz until they are a fine dust.  Tip them onto a plate and set aside.

Place the remaining pumpkin seeds and puffed rice in the processor with the pecans and dates and blitz until finely chopped.  Add the turmeric, cinnamon, cacao powder and a pinch of sea salt.  Blitz again.  Add the vanilla, honey and enough orange juice to make a sticky mixture that clumps together around the blade.  

Take tablespoons of the mixture and roll into balls.  Drop them into the ground pumpkin seeds and shake the plate to coat.