Everything But the Kitchen Sink Bliss Balls (Gluten Free, Vegan)

Need gluten free snack ideas? Craving some easy gluten free snack recipes? Whenever I'm asked about my favorite gluten free snack, "bliss balls" is usually the answer. Not only are bliss balls tasty, but you can also easily make bliss balls vegan, gluten free, paleo, nut-free or allergy-friendly.

So what's the secret to the most scrumptious raw bliss balls? There are hundreds of bliss ball recipes all over the Internet, but today I'm sharing my "base recipe" for gluten free bliss balls. If you follow these guidelines, you'll be ready to make any flavor of bliss balls you can dream of (or drool over!).

Everything But the Kitchen Sink Bliss Balls Recipe (Gluten Free, Vegan)

The Bliss Balls Recipe Base:

Regardless of what kind of bliss balls you're craving - from peanut butter bliss balls to chocolate bliss balls - I like to start with this base recipe:

To start making your bliss balls, you need to get your dates soft and gooey. If your dates are a little hard, don't worry. Just fill a bowl with enough water to cover them, and soak the dates until tender. You can also save the date water to use in smoothies since it has a slightly sweet flavor from the dates! 

Then, mash your dates. Sometimes I use a high speed blender or food processor to purée my dates. If they're especially soft, though, you can get away with mashing them well with a fork

Everything But the Kitchen Sink Bliss Balls Recipe (Gluten Free, Vegan)

Next, add the other base ingredients for your vegan bliss balls, including the banana, nut butter and flour. Mix until well incorporated. You can also add a little water (even that date water!) or milk if your mixture seems a little too dry. This base recipe (plus the add-ins) usually makes around 20 small (around the size of a quarter) bliss balls. 

How to Make Your Perfect Bliss Balls

Now, for the fun part: upgrading your plain bliss balls with plenty of flavorings and gluten free goodies. What are some of my favorite bliss ball flavors? Well, I love adding:

I enjoy making a variety of bliss ball flavors in each batch, so I keep my base recipe in one bowl and transfer a small portion of it to another bowl. Then, I'll add my choice of one flavor combo (like cacao powder + puffed rice + strawberries for chocolate bliss balls) to that small portion. Mix, roll and repeat the process with all the other flavor options you want to try! 
Sure, making several bliss ball recipes at one time takes longer than throwing everything into a food processor. However, I like relaxing with Netflix while I'm rolling...and the "variety box" of bliss balls is definitely worth it in the end! (Am I the only one who imagined a variety box of chocolates with that last sentence? I guess I know what bliss ball flavor I'm craving....) 

I'm really sharing this bliss balls recipe to give you a starting point for making your own gluten free protein bars or balls. You can mix and match flavors depending on your cravings, the fruits in season or even the ingredients on sale at your local grocery store

And, honestly, you really can't go wrong with bliss balls. If you add too much of one ingredient, you can always add more of other ingredients to balance it out. And the best part about making vegan bliss balls? There's no reason you can't taste-test the batter as you go! 

Everything But the Kitchen Sink Bliss Balls Recipe (Gluten Free, Vegan)

Storing Your Vegan Bliss Balls

Once you've made all your bliss balls, you have two options. If your bliss balls are a little on the wet side, you can place them on parchment paper and pop them in the freezer for 10 minutes or until they've hardened. Then, transfer to a reusable container. You can then store your bliss balls in the fridge for a week or so. 

However, I prefer to store my bliss balls in the freezer. This ensures they won't go bad - not to mention, cold bliss balls are the perfect summer snack! When you're ready to chow down, just take the bliss balls you want out of the freezer, let them thaw for a few minutes and devour.


Perhaps one of the hardest gluten free food to master is the gluten free snack. After all, you can't rely on just grabbing whatever goodies are in the office break room or at 7-11. However, the next time you're searching for more gluten free snack ideas, try to keep it simple and go with an easy gluten free snack recipe like these vegan bliss balls!

Everything But the Kitchen Sink Bliss Balls Recipe (Gluten Free, Vegan)

And, I promise, these gluten free snacks definitely match their name. Because what's more blissful than having snacks on-hand that are gluten free, loaded with healthy ingredients and made exactly how you like your bliss balls? 


What's your favorite snack? What kind of bliss balls would you make? Tell me in the comments! 

Comments

  1. Thank you so much for these recipes! They look and sound delicious! I look forward to making them as I begin my journey with Hashimoto's.

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    1. Sending lots of love your way! Hope these goodies help <3

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  2. Love the details in this post. I'm a vegan-in-training, so the tip on the chocolate chip brand to buy is priceless. Thanks for another great recipe!

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    1. Enjoy Life Foods is definitely an AWESOME vegan company, as is BFree Foods and Daiya Cheese! :D

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  3. I love that you use dates, so no added sugar is needed. That's important to me as well. Thank you!

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    1. It's important to me too! Thanks for commenting!

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  4. Wow, the rainbow ones look like so much fun! I bet they're delicious, and healthy to boot <3

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  5. Another great recipe Casey! Love your detailed instructions and ingredient lists with options and especially the pretty rainbow bliss balls. Thanks again!

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    1. Another very sweet comment <3 Thanks for the love Lisa. have a fabulous weekend!

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  6. Thanks for your bliss balls recipe! These look really great and I pinned your post to make these too!

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    1. Enjoy! They're my favorite homemade snack for sure!

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  7. Love this recipe. I'm getting so bored of eating the same things. Thanks for this

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    1. Hope these help to spice up your daily menu ;) Thanks for the kind words and for visiting! Have a great week! <3

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  8. Hi Casey, first time I'm visiting your blog and saw it at the Plant-based Potluck Party. I pinned this to my healthy snacking board at Pinterest. My favorite snack is leftovers like salad, beans and rice, or a nice cup of hot chocolate. Be well and enjoy the weekend. Nancy Andres @ www.nancyandreswriter.com

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    1. Thanks for sharing, Nancy! Glad to connect with you! And leftovers are always a good idea!

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  9. These look delicious, especially in that beautiful smoothie! I love making truffles at home with dates and whatever else I have on hand. Thanks for the extra ideas for various toppings/ingredients. I'll have to try the sweet potato mash!

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    1. Thanks for the kind words, Randi! Dates are always a winning ingredient for bliss balls or truffles!

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  10. Saw this post earlier. I'll just say congrats on being featured on the Plant-based potluck. Happy Weekend and keep that smile going. Nancy Andres @ www.colors4health.com

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    1. Thanks so much for the feature! Have a fabulous week!

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