Honey Cocoa Lentil Balls

These tasty, high-energy treats made the rounds during the 2015 Nutrition Month campaign, so I thought I had to share them with you! Coming from the creative minds at Canadian Lentils, this simple recipe can be easily customized with your favourite dried fruit, nuts and spices! Get rolling!

Author: Canadian Lentils
Recipe type: Snack, Dessert, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free
Makes: 36 balls

Ingredients

• ⅔ cup (150 mL) dry red lentils

• 1 cup (250 mL) honey

• 1⅓ cup (325 mL) natural peanut butter

• ⅓ cup (75 mL) cocoa

• ⅛ tsp (0.5 mL) salt

• ⅓ cup (75 mL) sesame seeds

• ½ cup (125 mL) unsweetened coconut

• ½ cup (125 mL) cocoa, for garnish

• ½ cup (125 mL) unsweetened coconut, for garnish

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan, cover lentils with water by an inch or two, bring to a boil and simmer until soft, about 15-20 minutes. Rinse very briefly, then drain and let cool in colander. Lay out a double thickness of sturdy paper towel on counter. Using your hands, and working one handful at a time, squeeze out as much water as possible out of lentils and then spread lentils out on paper towel. Cover with another two paper towels and then press or gently wring to remove even more liquid: lentils should be almost powdery in texture when you’re done. Transfer to food processor bowl.

2. Pour honey over lentils, and process until as smooth as possible. Add peanut butter and process until the mixture stiffens, about a minute. Transfer to a medium bowl and add cocoa, salt, sesame seeds and coconut, and stir until thoroughly combined. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about an hour or two (or you can place in the freezer for about 30 minutes).

3. Roll mixture into balls about 1 inch in diameter (2 tbsp/30 mL), and roll in additional cocoa or coconut to coat. Store in a sealed container in fridge for up to two weeks.