Breakfast bites, energy balls, protein bites, bliss balls whatever you call them they are everywhere! These strawberry bliss balls have been popular on my website so long and are so ‘pretty in pink’.
Why This Recipe Works
- Super easy to make
- Allergy-friendly, dairy, wheat, egg, and nut-free
- Low in sugar for an energy ball or bliss ball recipe
Ingredients you will need
To make these cute strawberry balls you will need: Strawberries, rolled oats, sunflower seeds, desiccated coconut, maple syrup and vanilla essence. Some of these ingredients can be substituted, you will find substitutions below.
This recipe has been on my website for a number of years, I have updated the ingredients list a little based on comments from readers about availability and how my children’s tastes have changed over time (they have gotten older and are a little more particular).
Substitutes
- Strawberries: You can use either fresh or frozen strawberries. I have also made this recipe using blueberries, (many of my readers have too) and you get a lovely purple ball.
- Desiccated coconut: This can be substituted for coconut flour, I used to list coconut flour in the ingredients, but have since realised not everyone has it in their cupboard, and most people were substituting for desiccated coconut so I switched up the recipe.
- Rolled oats: If you need a gluten-free option, quinoa flakes work as do gluten-free weetbix.
- Sunflower seeds: These can be subbed for any mild flavoured nut, I like cashews or macadamia nuts in this recipe, almonds work too. Pumpkin seeds will work but they give a slightly funny colour to these strawberry balls.
- Maple syrup: This can be substituted for honey or left out entirely. When my children were younger they were quite happy with the sweetness level with just strawberries so I could leave it out.
I am an ambassador for Countdown supermarket, they support my blog by providing ingredients for recipe creation and testing. I often use their frozen strawberries to make this recipe.
Step by step Instructions
Below are illustrated step by step instructions with pictures, if you prefer just the written instructions then head straight to the recipe card
Step one: Watch the quick recipe video before you get started. Please note in the video I use coconut flour instead of desiccated coconut and don’t use maple syrup. I also no longer suggest coconut oil in this recipe as it works just fine without it, but you should still get a good idea on how to make the recipe.
Step two: Prepare your strawberries, i.e. remove the tops and weigh or measure them. In the recipe I use 200g, this is a rounded cup of sliced strawberries, if you don’t cut up your strawberries it may be closer to 1 and a half or 2 cups.
Step 3: Place the strawberries and all the other ingredients in a food processor. Whiz, whizz, whizz, it will take some time, be patient.
Step 4: Eventually it becomes a fine paste and come together as a rollable dough.
Step 5: At this point, you may need to refrigerate the mx for a short time (30 mins) this will just make it easier to form the strawberry balls. If you have used frozen berries you can probably step this step.
Step 6: Use a tablespoon to scoop portions. A tip here is to use a damp tablespoon, this stops the mix sticking to the spoon.
Step 7: Using your hands roll the strawberry ball dough into smooth balls. Damp hands will stop the mix sticking to you.
Step 8: Roll the balls in desiccated coconut
Step 9: Refrigerate for 2 hrs or overnight before serving
Step 10: Enjoy!
Top Tips
Here is how you can make these strawberry balls perfectly every time!
- Be patient, just when you think the mix will never come together in the food processor, it all of a sudden will.
- Damp hands and equipment. No matter what bliss ball, energy bite or protein ball you are making, the mix is usually quite sticky. Use damp hands and a damp spoon and the strawberry balls will be much easier to roll.
FAQs
These bliss balls do best stored in the fridge for up to 3 days or stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
In this recipe I use traditional oats, which means the recipe is wheat free but not gluten-free. You can substitute the oats with a gluten free alternative such as quinoa flakes.
As a nut free bliss ball these strawberry balls can go to school. My kids take them in an insulated lunchbox with a cooler pack and they are fine, if you live in warm temps and can’t keep them call they will fall apart so are best eft to snack on from home straight from the fridge.
Energy Bites For Kids
Energy bites and Bliss Balls are a popular snack for kids, and my kids certainly love them, especially my no fail chocolate bliss balls. However we should be mindful as many of them are high in dried fruit which can make them not the best for young teeth.
That is one of the reasons I created these strawberry balls as they don’t contain dried fruit, I have a few other snack balls on my website that are also lower in sugar as well. Carrot Bliss Balls and my no-bake apple oat energy bites are both great recipes too.
Strawberry Bliss Balls
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 200 g strawberries 1 cup, 12 strawberries
- 150 g oats 1.5 cups
- 140 g sunflower seeds 1 cup
- 50 g desiccated coconut 0.5 cups
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 2 Tbsp desiccated coconut For coating the strawberry bliss balls.
Instructions
- Watch the quick recipe video before you get started. Please note in the video I use coconut flour instead of desiccated coconut and don't use maple syrup. I also no longer suggest coconut oil in this recipe as it works just fine without it, but you should still get a good idea on how to make the recipe.
- If you wish to see step by step photos of each image you will find these at the top of the blog post.
- Prepare your strawberries, i.e. remove the tops and weigh or measure them. In the recipe I use 200g, this is a rounded cup of sliced strawberries, if you don't cut up your strawberries it may be closer to 1 and a half or 2 cups.
- Place the strawberries and all the other ingredients in a food processor. Whiz, whizz, whizz, it will take some time, be patient. Eventually it becomes a fine paste and come together as a rollable dough.
- At this point, you may need to refrigerate the mx for a short time (30 mins) this will just make it easier to form the strawberry balls. If you have used frozen berries you can probably step this step.
- Use a tablespoon to scoop portions. A tip here is to use a damp tablespoon, this stops the mix sticking to the spoon.
- Using your hands roll the strawberry ball dough into smooth balls. Damp hands will stop the mix sticking to you.
- Roll the balls in desiccated coconut. I do this by putting a few tablespoons of deisccated coconut in a small bowl, and rolling each ball in the coconut to cover it.
- Refrigerate for 2 hrs or overnight before serving.
Video
Notes
Substitutions
- Strawberries: You can use either fresh or frozen strawberries. I have also made this recipe using blueberries, (many of my readers have too) and you get a lovely purple ball.
- Desiccated coconut: This can be substituted for coconut flour, I used to list coconut flour in the ingredients, but have since realised not everyone has it in their cupboard, and most people were substituting for desiccated coconut so I switched up the recipe.
- Rolled oats: If you need a gluten-free option, quinoa flakes work as do gluten-free weetbix.
- Sunflower seeds: These can be subbed for any mild flavoured nut, I like cashews or macadamia nuts in this recipe, almonds work too. Pumpkin seeds will work but they give a slightly funny colour to these strawberry balls.
- Maple syrup: This can be substituted for honey or left out entirely. When my children were younger they were quite happy with the sweetness level with just strawberries so I could leave it out.
Tips
- Be patient, just when you think the mix will never come together in the food processor, it all of a sudden will.
- Damp hands and equipment. No matter what bliss ball, energy bite or protein ball you are making, the mix is usually quite sticky. Use damp hands and a damp spoon and the strawberry balls will be much easier to roll.
Coconut flower..? Or flour?
Thanks for picking that up. It’s flour ?
Thank you for this recipe! I’m 13 years old and have a great passion for cooking. Instead of fresh plain coconut, I used the Dang salted Cocoa Coconut chips. Works great, very yummy!
Jacinda… really? ?
Stacey this is delicious! ?
Flour
Is there an alternative to coconut flour? My kids are allergic to coconut but this look amazingly
does your daughter have an allergy to treenuts, if not Ground almonds work well
Would substuting coconut flour for regular flour or almond work ok? I’m not a fan of too much coconut and would quite like these to snack on too 🙂
Almond flour would work
I’m sorry to ask this stupid question …but is “Desiccated” like sweetened shredded coconut flakes?
Thanks!!
It’s dried shredded coconut.. in New Zealand it’s not sweetened
Do you use roasted, salted sunflower seeds or raw sunflower seeds?
I use either! it depends on your taste preference. I find raw the texture is not quite as fine as if you roast them first… but the taste is milder. My kids prefer them with raw sunflower seeds
Oats, can you tell me what kind? Old Fashioned, rolled, steel cut, etc.?
Rolled oats is what I use
These sounds delicious can I freeze them??
Yes you can! I freeze them straight after making them and just bring out a few at a time as needed
These look amazing and i just have 2 questions 🙂
1) How long do these last in the refrigerator?
2) Could you make this with dehydrated or freeze-dried fruit?
Hi yes, you can make them with dried fruits, I store them for 3 days in the fridge, but freeze them and just take them out of the freezer when needed
Hi, can I use another flour instead of coconut flour? Can’t be a nut flour though as my daughter has a nut allergy.
Thanks
You could up the oat component
Would these freeze?
Yes I freeze them
Has anyone tried this in a Vitamixer?
I’m sorry I haven’t
I am definitely going to try making these!
Have you tried making these with fresh strawberries? How about frozen blueberries?
I havent made them with fresh strawberries but it should work
Frozen blueberries work beautifully!
Very interesting… would definitely try them. Thanku so much
Was thinking with which other fruit can we make this, as berries are available only for a very limited time here.
Well any frozen berry works, blueberries gives a gorgeous purple ball
Any idea on if I would be able to substitute sunflower seed butter for the seeds and, if so, how much? I currently don’t have sunflower seeds in the house.
Yes you will be able to. I would try 1/2 Cup.
Hi, I was wondering if you can use olive oil instead of coconut oil?
As long as it is a light flavoured oil any will be fine. Extra virgin olive oil for example is too strongly flavoured.
Hi theses look really good, I need them to be gluten free, do your know what could substitute oats as I can’t eat even gluten free oats? Thanks Mandy.
I haven’t tested this recipe with anything other than oats, but quinoa flakes should work just as well.
What could you use instead of sunflower seeds? I’m all out!
You can sub in any nuts, cashews work well
How many of these would you have if eating for breakfast?
It will depend on your appetite. I am a small breakfast eater, so around 3
I made them with blueberries today. I also used instant oats because we didn’t have the normal kind. Delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Yummo!! with blueberries they usually go a beautiful purple colour
Just made these for my 14 month old. We both love them! 🙂
Oh that’s great
Could this be made with a blender? I don’t have a food processor 🙁
I find blenders don’t do as well with this mixture as it doesn’t have a high moisture content, but then I don’t have a great bleander