Tahini Fig and Chocolate Bliss Balls (Vegan Gluten-Free)

These delicious Tahini Fig and Chocolate Bliss Balls are smooth and silky like a truffle but are packed with vegan and gluten-free wholefoods. They only need 6 basic ingredients and 10 minutes of your time.

These are the balls that have made my fall back in love with bliss balls. A few years ago energy balls, bliss balls, protein balls and everything else ball-shaped was all on trend and I think I ate my fair share. So, bliss balls went off the radar until I had some dried figs, tahini and chocolate to hand.

What makes these Tahini Fig and Chocolate Bliss Balls so special? They are:

• Smooth and silky like a truffle
• Sweet yet salty
• “Nutty” but made from seeds and oats
• Moreish and delicious
• Chocolatey but not too much
• Ready in 10 minutes
• Healthy and wholesome that is vegan and gluten-free
• Made from 6 ingredients
• A great snack or dessert

If you are convinced already by these Tahini Fig and Chocolate Bliss Balls then go ahead to the recipe card below and make these. Or, let’s talk about the ingredients that make up these blissful snack balls.

What ingredients do I need?

• Medjool dates: as with most no-bake recipes, medjool dates are best as they are the softest and jammiest. But, I like to soak mine anyway so you can use any dried dates. Submerge them in a bowl of boiling water for 10 minutes before using.
• Dried figs: there are so many varieties of dried figs out there and they will all work beautifully. I used Spanish dried figs which are much small and slightly more orange in colour but any figs are great. Like with the dates, soak them in boiling water to soften them up.
• Runny tahini: runny and smooth is best for this recipe as it creates the smoothest bliss ball texture. the higher the quality and better the taste of the tahini will result in the best balls as each ingredient shines bright.
• Oat flour: or plain oats. Blend up your oats, use gluten-free certified oats where needed, to a fine flour and then add to the blender.
• Vanilla essence: this adds a lovely sweetness.
• Salt: to bring out all the flavours.
• Chocolate: what are tahini and fig without chocolate? As the balls are naturally quite sweet I prefer a dark chocolate but any chocolate will do. I’ve just dipped the balls in the chocolate rather than coating them fully.

How do I make these balls?

The method is really very simple. Once you have soaked the dates and figs, and ground the oats to an oat flour, just add them all to a blender with the vanilla and salt and pulse to a smooth and sticky mix. You may need to stop to scrape down the blender a few times but keep going. Then, divide the dough into pieces, roll into balls and chill. This step is important so then when you dip them in chocolate, the Tahini Fig and Chocolate Bliss Balls retain their shape. Chill again to set the chocolate and enjoy.

How long will the bliss balls last?

These delicious bites last for 1-2 weeks in a sealed container in the fridge or for up to 1 month in the freezer. They are great cold as they are quite squidgy – in the best way.

Are these Tahini Fig and Chocolate Bliss Balls gluten-free and nut-free?

Yes, these are naturally gluten-free, just make sure your oats are certified gluten-free. These balls contain no nuts as tahini is made some sesame seeds.

Can I use other ingredients?

If you don’t have tahini, you could use another seed butter like sunflower seed or try a nut butter (they will no longer be nut-free) like cashew or almond. The taste will change, however, they will still be delicious. If you don’t have dates, you may try using raisins, but the bliss balls may not be quite as squidgy and smooth.

These Tahini Fig and Chocolate Bliss Balls are such a treat as they are so simple, but so delicious. They were a huge hit with my family, who were surprised at how good they were for such a simple recipe! If you are looking for other no-bake snacks, how about my:

• Salted Chocolate Coconut Caramel Slices
• Ferrero Rocher Cake Balls
• Vegan Chocolate Nougat Bars
• Coffee Cookie Dough Balls
• Ginger Chocolate Caramel Bars

I look forward to hearing what you think of these Tahini Fig and Chocolate Bliss Balls so please let me know in the comments below. If you do make these bliss balls, I’d love to see them so please tag me in your creations – I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest  – please say hello!

With bliss ball love x