The winter holiday season is definitely a time where there are a lot of sweets, desserts, candy, etc floating around.  This is one of the reasons I put together the real food remix desserts book download to give us all some ideas on healthier dessert options we could make this holiday season.

During the holidays I get together with family each year and we do a big party on Christmas Eve as well as Christmas night party where the food & wine is flowing and desserts are abundant.  The children of the family and extended family decorate Christmas cookies while the adults are loud and laugh wholeheartedly (Italians).  This year I volunteered to be put on dessert detail because I wanted to create a healthy “Christmas cookie” platter that could be served to many, but could also sub as a healthy cookie decorating idea for the kids in the family.

Alas.. I came up with these Raw Superfood Cookie balls that are decorated with an array of superfood colors.  When I was growing up as a kid, my family did your typical butter cookie with different arrangement laid out of colored frosting, sprinkles and more (translated = processed sugar processed sugar processed sugar) that we kids would then decorate however we wanted.

This year in the spirit of the real food remix… I switched it up a bit and these raw superfood cookies were born.

Base Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup raw walnuts, soaked 4 hours minimum (you can use other nuts, see below Kitchen Notes)

6 medjool dates

2 tablespoons maple butter (raw honey or pure maple syrup ok)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground clove

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Nice pinch of pink salt

Serving:  With the amount of ingredients above, this yielded 10-12 cookie balls, depending on how big they are.

Directions:  

1. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor (except 1/2 cup of walnuts) and mix until all incorporated. I threw the last 1/2 cup walnuts in at the end and whizzed them up for about 5-10 seconds to give the cookie balls some more texture and crunch. This is optional if you want to do it.

2. Once you have your mixture, grab a pinch full and roll in the palms of your hands to make your round cookie.  Add any toppings you want to them (some example superfoods I used in picture above).  See below some different cookie varieties I did.

3.  Add desired toppings (see below) to the outside of your cookie balls.  Place in the freezer to let setup for at least an hour or so.  Keep them in the freezer or fridge thereafter.

Kitchen Notes:  The ingredients base I used above (walnuts) was me simply being resourceful with the nuts I had on hand, but you can make this recipe with any kind of nut you want really.  In the real food remix desserts book gift, I have 10+ recipes for different healthy raw desserts and cakes. So what you can do is make the crust part of any of those recipes, except instead of molding into a crust shape, simply roll the mixture into the raw cookie balls.  It’s currently free to download the 10 other versions you could use, but the book will be $15 after December 25th. 

Different recipe modifications I did to create many varieties:

Option 1:   Raw Mocha Cookie Balls

All base ingredients (see list above)

1-2 teaspoon coffee extract (depending on strength of coffee flavor you want, sample it after it’s been mixed with 1 teaspoon, then try 2 teaspoon if you want. I sampled at both and I liked it at both)

2 tablespoons raw cacao powder

1-2 tablespoon raw cacao powder (dusting on outside for topping)

Directions:  Add all ingredients to food processor and blend until incorporated.  Form mixture into size ball you want (see base ingredient directions at top).  Add each ball to a bowl with your raw cacao powder and roll around until covered to desired amount.  One you have them all done, place in freezer for about an hour to let them setup.

Option #2:  Goji Cacao Nibs

All Base ingredients (see above)

1-2 tablespoons raw cacao

1/4 cup goji berries (to blend)

1/4 cup goji berries (topping)

1/4 cacao nibs (topping)

Directions:  Add all ingredients to food processor or blender (except goji & cacao nib toppings) and mix until incorporated.  Form mixture same way into circular balls with palms of your hand.  Press in the desired amount of goji berries and cacao nibs for each (see close up picture below).  You’ll even notice in the picture I threw some shredded coconut on one.  Have some fun with it and if the children are making them, let them go at it and get creative!   Once done, place in freezer to let them setup for at least an hour.

Different topping options for your raw superfood cookies

– shredded coconut (this is a great topping for any raw cookie ball)

– raw cacao powder

– raw cacao nibs

– bee pollen (I incorporated 2 tablespoons + 1/4 cup goji berries into the mixture of one of my base ingredient varieties.  Lighter brown raw cookie on the top border in image below)

– goji berries

– spirulina crunchies (same here, incorporated 2 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder into the mixture of one base ingredient variety I did. That’s the darkest raw cookie ball pictured below)

– hemp seeds

– greens powder (this can be incorporated into the mixture like the spirulina crunchies with cacao powder.  Don’t use as dusting.  But overall great way to get high concentrated greens into your body or the kiddos bodies as a “disguised” cookie 😉 ).

These are all ideas that you can use as toppings or to add to your base ingredients mixture.  Have some fun with it though, if you have some other ideas you think would be tasty as toppings, go for it!  It’s always fun to get creative in the kitchen.

Need a last minute gift idea for the holidays?  See below! I’ll be giving many of these out for Christmas.  

Enjoy!