Fruit balls with coconut, cocoa and hazelnut butter Calories

Blend dried fruit with cocoa and hazelnut butter until the mixture holds together, then roll it into small balls and coat them in coconut. If it seems crumbly, blend it longer or add a little more hazelnut butter.

They can be a convenient snack, with fiber from the fruit and coconut, but they are also energy-dense. Their sweetness may come from dried fruit, so a small portion is often more satisfying than eating several at once.

Not necessarily. Dates are common because their sticky texture helps bind the balls, but recipes can use dried figs, apricots or another soft dried fruit. Check the recipe ingredients if you need to avoid a particular fruit.

They usually fall apart when the mixture is too dry or has not been blended enough. Blend it further, or add hazelnut butter a little at a time until it holds its shape; chilling before rolling can also help.

Keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Their dried-fruit and nut-butter mixture holds up better chilled, and you can take out a few at a time rather than leaving the whole batch at room temperature.

Yes. Freeze the balls spaced apart on a tray first, then transfer them to a sealed freezer container. Thaw a portion in the refrigerator when you want to eat it, which helps preserve their texture.

Almond butter or cashew butter can replace hazelnut butter and help bind the mixture. They are still tree-nut ingredients, though, so they are not a safe substitute for someone avoiding nuts because of an allergy.

Yes. Use dried fruit for sweetness and leave out syrups or other sweeteners. Taste the mixture before rolling; unsweetened cocoa gives a more intense chocolate flavor without adding extra sweetness.

They can work as a small pre-workout snack when you want carbohydrates from dried fruit, but the nut butter and coconut make them fairly rich. Try one well before exercise to see how the texture sits with you.