3 Ingredient AmazeBalls
Sometimes accidents are happy.
I went into a bio shop (health food store) the other day looking for carob, which I happen to actually like. The package I bought was opaque and when I opened it at home I realized that the powder was much lighter than normal. It was only then that I noticed that on the package was written “raw carob”.
Most carob powder, made from the pod of the carob tree, is dark brown. Roasting the pod creates a strong, very distinct flavour. I like it, some hate it. Raw carob, on the other hand, is a light brown and has a much more subtle flavour.
These simple balls are more than the sum of their parts. Somehow, the three flavours mingle to create a lightly sweet, delicate taste, without any one ingredient dominating.
They are also perfect for sending outside with children who come thundering inside from their outdoor shenanigans, starving but impatient to be back in the summer sun. I didn’t time myself, but these probably take less than five minutes to put together. And only one dish is required, which in my house is a definite plus.
I have an inkling that these would be amazing baked as well, but have run out of raw carob powder.
Ingredients
- 1 banana (mine was 180g)
- 1/3 cup coconut butter (homemade)
- 2 tbsp raw carob powder
Instructions
- Mash banana with a fork. Mix in coconut butter and raw carob.
- Roll spoonfuls of dough into a ball (the dough will look sticky but it's not).
- If too soft, chilling the balls in the fridge will harden them nicely.
- Eat, and discover a new favourite food.
Notes
By coconut butter I mean pulverized coconut meat, also called coconut manna. I used homemade, so I don't know how the recipe would be with bought coconut butter.
Have you tried carob? Do you like it?
Shared at Fat Tuesday, Real Food Wednesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Paleo AIP Recipe Roundup, Pennywise Platter Thursday, Fight Back Friday
Jul 02, 2014 @ 08:37:51
I have a terrible feeling that Amazeballs has incorporated itself into my vocabulary and will involuntarily express itself, whether relevant or not.
Jul 02, 2014 @ 11:01:41
Haven’t you heard it before? It just fits here, though I never use it in general. You’re welcome for broadening your vocabulary 🙂
Jul 02, 2014 @ 13:35:04
So…Coconut butter. Not coconut oil? Pulverize? How? Fresh coconut meat or dried?
(I would be a different person if I could live quietly in the corner of your kitchen, amazing Hiroe people….)
Jul 02, 2014 @ 15:34:13
The way I make coconut butter (manna) is by first placing about 4 cups of finely shredded dried coconut in my food processor. After 5-10 minutes it will turn into a semi-liquid. Then I pour it into my Vita-mix for a few more minutes until it is really smooth. There are people on YouTube who put coconut straight into a Vita-mix and voila! it is suddenly creamy, but I never had luck with that. May be because my Vita-mix is old.
Jul 02, 2014 @ 16:52:50
I’ve only made it in a high speed blender. I’ve heard you can make it in a food processor, but it takes 10-15 min of mixing and stopping so the motor doesn’t get too hot. I just dump 500g of dry coconut in a high speed blender and mix for 2 minutes or so until it becomes smoothish and soft, almost runny. I think you can make it from fresh coconut too, but dry is more available here. You can buy it, but it’s crazy expensive compared to making it yourself. It’s so so good. Tell you what – you can come watch me in the kitchen if I can watch your knitting, homeschooling, and making-home-so-cozy magic. 🙂
Jul 02, 2014 @ 13:54:58
Are you sure that these aren’t called “wicked-amazeballs”? They sound like it! Or maybe that’s more “east coast” than “west-“.
Jul 02, 2014 @ 16:54:19
To be honest…I don’t really know slang anymore. When I come back to Canada I start speaking more slang…I think wicked is still west coast, at least it was when I was in high school 🙂 And these are wicked-amazeballs!
Jul 02, 2014 @ 15:37:21
Thanks for the recipe. I’m am allergic to chocolate so I always use carob. The raw carob has a sweeter taste, which means you do not need much sweetener.
Jul 02, 2014 @ 16:56:02
Yes, raw carob is almost like having a sweet flour substitute. Sorry you’re allergic to chocolate! Hope you enjoy!
Jul 04, 2014 @ 03:07:49
No wonder I don’t like carob…I never knew there was something other than the roasted kind. Now I’ll know to look for raw carob! Thanks.
Jul 04, 2014 @ 09:18:55
It’s very subtle and a little sweet. Hope you like it!
Jul 04, 2014 @ 07:16:10
Finally – the real definition of AMAZEBALLS!!!
Jul 04, 2014 @ 09:13:12
🙂
Jul 07, 2014 @ 09:02:12
thanks for the recipe idea, love the flavour combination and how simplistic the recipe is!
Jul 09, 2014 @ 03:35:17
Hi Naomi. So you like raw better than roasted carob? I never knew it was better.
Jul 09, 2014 @ 07:53:00
I like them both, they just have very distinct flavours. Roasted carob is quite strong, and while I like it I know many people who don’t. Raw carob is much more subtle, it almost acts like a filler, in this case giving more substance so the dough can be formed into balls.
Jul 09, 2014 @ 07:54:14
I don’t think the raw carob could be considered a chocolate substitute, although I hate to see roasted carob considered that way anyway.
Jul 10, 2014 @ 03:42:53
Hi Naomi. Your recipe was the reader favorite at the Paleo AIP Recipe Roundtable, so it’s featured this week. Thanks so much for linking up!
Jul 20, 2014 @ 16:06:17
Nice name. Haha. I looooove carob, so I’m pretty sure these live up to it. 😉
Jul 20, 2014 @ 19:33:29
I thought it was rather apropos. 🙂 I love carob too, and I always feels like it gets the short end of the stick because people expect it to be a chocolate substitute. I have one daughter who absolutely refuses to touch anything carob, but she loved these.
Sep 04, 2014 @ 09:35:05
Hi! These look amazing, just wondering how long they will keep in the fridge?
Sep 04, 2014 @ 11:55:30
Honestly, I don’t really know because they always get eaten too quickly. They should be good for at least a week, I would guess.
Jan 06, 2015 @ 06:51:45
Hi Naomi. These look great! I used raw carob for a couple of months that I found at the food co-op, but haven’t really used it since. I don’t think I could eat coconut when I was using raw carob, so I’m quite interested to see how these turn out – I’m sure they’ll be delicious =). Now to find a substitute for the banana… 😉
Jan 06, 2015 @ 14:45:38
Hmm, what kind of substitute are you looking for? The banana moistens and binds it together. My first thought was thick sweet potato puree, but that’s not raw. Pureed hydrated chia seeds with a bit of sweet something?
Jan 01, 2016 @ 11:18:10
What could work as a substitute for coconut butter? I am terribly allergic to coconut. Thank you!
Jan 02, 2016 @ 22:09:19
I’m haven’t tried it, but I’m sure any nut butter would work.
Jan 14, 2016 @ 01:06:22
Has anyone tried substituting coconut flour for the coconut butter? Think I will that this week…love your website, thx!
Jan 14, 2016 @ 15:47:57
You could add some coconut flour, but not the same amount because coconut flour is much drier. Don’t forget to add coconut oil too, or you’ll end up with a very dry not-amazeballs.
Sep 19, 2016 @ 17:47:12
I followed the recipe exactly and mine are dark, like chocolate. The picture shows a lighter colored ball with flecks. Should I have used perhaps teaspoons of carob instead of tablespoons?
Sep 20, 2016 @ 00:07:40
Did you use roasted carob or raw carob? Roasted carob, which is the norm, is quite dark like chocolate. Raw carob is much lighter and has a much different flavour. I tried the same recipe with roasted carob and didn’t really care for it much, the raw carob makes all the difference.
Mar 07, 2017 @ 21:10:24
We loved these!!! I used regular cocoa powder and they were a little soft but I put them in fridge a few minutes like you said, rolled them in coconut, and they were awesome – thanks for the recipe!!!
Mar 08, 2017 @ 10:33:07
Oh good! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Jan 18, 2018 @ 01:04:49
I’ve tried this recipe twice and have only ended up with a mushy, sticky mess. Tasty, but not able to be rolled into balls. I used store bought coconut butter, but would the consistency really vary that much?
Jan 18, 2018 @ 10:19:47
Store bought coconut butter is much smoother than homemade coconut butter, and therefore has more oil released. Maybe try chilling it in the fridge before rolling it into balls and keeping it in fridge.
Jan 29, 2018 @ 17:21:03
Hi Naomi! Thanks so much for this recipe! I am hankering for something sweet but healthy….. I’m on a vegan AIP diet at the moment. I am however allergic to coconut :O( is there any other type of healthy fat I can add instead? Thanks :O)
Jan 31, 2018 @ 16:54:00
Hmmm, I haven’t tried these with anything else, but the first thing that pops into my mind is cocoa butter. Now I want to go try that! Let me know if it works!
Jul 13, 2018 @ 06:06:43
I could only find roasted carob at the store, not raw. The first time I made the recipe the carob flavor was very overpowering and unpleasant. I tried the recipe a second time and only used 1 tablespoon of the powder instead of 2. The flavor was much better the 2nd time and I quite enjoyed it. The carob flavor was much more subtle and the flavor of the banana really came out. I also preferred the texture after being in the refrigerator. I’ll be making this again with 1 tbsp of carob. Thanks!
Jul 17, 2018 @ 14:45:53
Glad you liked it, even with the roasted carob. Roasted and raw carob are very different flavours, so glad it turned out anyway, as raw carob can be hard to find.