Support your immune system with these Christmas spice-rich mince pie energy balls

Fitness,

This week’s Strong Bite recipe is courtesy of ‘vegan-ish recipe’ creator and chef, Georgie Eats. This mince pie energy ball recipe is packed with dried fruits and spices – offering both sustained energy and an antioxidant boost. They’re perfect for a festive mid-morning snack.

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a shed load of mince pies. There’s nothing like a hot little pie, packed with boozy currants and encased in crumbly pastry. But if you’d rather wait a little longer before you start having a pud for breakfast, then these mince pie-flavoured energy balls are just the ticket.

Crammed with dried fruits and nuts (great for sustained energy), they’re also infused with a trio of Christmassy, antioxidant-packed spices: cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.

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Animal and test tube studies have found that nutmeg can prevent cellular damage (reducing oxidative stress) and that it has powerful antioxidant effects against free radicals. Out of 26 spices, scientists found that cinnamon was the richest in antioxidants, outranking so-called ‘superfoods’ like garlic. And cloves have been found to be five times more effective than vitamin E (another powerful antioxidant) in stopping oxidative damage.

Spices are probably the most underrated food group going; they’re so rich in vitamins and nutrients. This mince pie energy ball recipe is the perfect excuse to load up on their hero properties. 

Ingredients

150g mixed nut (almond and pecans work well)

150g Medjool dates, pitted

100g raisins

50g dried cranberries

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

To serve: melted vegan white chocolate

Method

Pulse the mixed nuts in a high-speed food processor until they resemble rough breadcrumbs.

Add the Medjool dates, raisins, cranberries, orange zest and spices, and pulse again until everything has come together to create a dough.

Use your hands to form 15 balls of the mixture, then place onto a tray. 

Freeze for an hour. 

While it freezes, melt the white chocolate.

After the hour is up, drizzle the balls with melted chocolate and refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Image and recipe courtesy of Georgie Eats (@GeorgieEats)

For more healthy recipes, check out the rest of the Strong Bites series on our Instagram (@StrongWomenUK)

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