I tossed around a few ideas on what to call these, because admittedly ‘birdseed bites’ does not sound all that appetising. But the other options I came up with fell into a pretty similar category (Seedy balls, anyone?) so Birdseed Bites eventually won out.
These are tasty little snacks that anyone can enjoy. They are dairy, soy, nut and gluten free (provided you use gluten-free rolled oats). They also have no added sugar. I used just four dates to sweeten them, but if you did want them sweeter you could add more dates in. I find just a few dates and the goji berries are enough to sweeten them for me, but then again, Im not a huge sugar fiend – if you are, go nuts (figuratively speaking, that is).
What makes them even better is the massive nutritional punch they pack – Fiber? Tick. Protein? Got it. Antioxidants? Of course. A whole ton of vitamins and minerals? Yup.
And whats more important – they taste great!
So really, you’ve got no excuse not to make these now, do you?
Birdseed bites
Notes – You could easily use nut butter instead of the sunflower seed butter, obviously if you went down this route they would no longer be nut-free. Potentially you could also use tahini, although I find it often has a stronger flavour so you may need to play around with the dates to make it a little sweeter. Likewise, some of the seeds could also be replaced by nuts, and cranberries or dried blueberries would be great in the place of the goji berries.
1/2 cup sunflower seed butter
1 cup gluten free rolled oats
1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup linseeds
1/4 cup chia seeds
4-6 medjool dates
1/2 cup dried goji berries
1/4 cup coconut oil
Water (optional)
Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until well combined. If the mixture is too dry, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until you reach the right consistency – you want the mixture to stick together but not be too sticky that its hard to handle.
Use a teaspoon to scoop out the mixture and roll into small balls. Place on a tray and set in the freezer for half an hour.
They are best enjoyed straight from the fridge (or freezer)
These bites look and sound amazing. I love healthy snack bites. They are great when you want just a little sweet something.
Beautiful pictures! I love the back light
Thanks Josefine! I actually shot these quite late at night as it was just starting to get dark outside, I was worried the photos would turn out too dark but I quite like the light too :)
I actually like the name of these babies hehehe. They look lovely, and the ingredient list is flawless. I’m always in for a healthy snack like this! ;–)
Haha, thanks Consuelo, glad you like the name :)
These look like a perfect sweet snack for the afternoon. I always make something similar (almond cinnamon date balls) but I like the idea of adding seeds for a nice crunch- plus I’m getting pretty bored of the ones I make :) Thanks for the recipe!
Ooh, I love almonds and cinnamon, I might have to give that combination a try :) Thanks Caitlin!