Experience a taste of the tropics with our Tropical Balls. Bursting with pineapple, coconut, and ginger, they're sure to add a little sunshine to your day.
These nut-free tropical balls are ideal for lunchbox snacks. Want more variety? Explore our nut-free bliss balls post, featuring 10 recipes and a customisable base recipe for endless options.
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Reasons to Love This Recipe
- Tropical Flavour Explosion: Packed with pineapple, coconut, and ginger, these tropical bliss balls offer a burst of exotic flavours in every bite.
- Nutritious Ingredients: Made with wholesome rolled oats, linseed meal, dried apricots, and desiccated coconut, these bliss balls provide a nutritious boost of fibre, vitamins, and minerals.
- Quick and Easy: With simple ingredients and no baking required, whipping up a batch of Tropical Oat Bliss Balls is a breeze, perfect for busy schedules.
- Portable Snacking: Whether you're on the go or packing school lunchboxes, these bliss balls are a convenient nut-free snack option for any occasion.
- Freezer Friendly: Make a big batch and store them in the freezer for long-lasting freshness, ensuring you always have a healthy snack on hand whenever cravings strike.
Ingredient Information (and Alternative Suggestions)
The full list of ingredients and amounts can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post. This section gives information on each ingredient and suggests alternatives if required.
- Rolled oats: Provides fibre and complex carbohydrates for sustained energy. Alternative: Try replacing it with cashew nuts or macadamia nuts.
- Flaxseed meal (linseed meal): Adds omega-3 fatty acids, fibre, and protein. Alternative: Try hemp hearts.
- Canned pineapple chunks: Offers natural sweetness, vitamin C, and adds that tropical flavour to the balls. Alternative: Fresh or frozen pineapple.
- Desiccated coconut: Adds texture, healthy fats, and tropical flavour. Alternative: Coconut flakes.
- Ginger puree: Adds warmth and flavour. Alternative suggestion: Ground ginger powder or freshly grated ginger root.
- Dried apricot: Provides sweetness, fibre, and essential vitamins. Alternative: Dried mango or papaya.
Step by Step Instructions (with Images)
This section features step-by-step photos for visual reference. The complete recipe can be found by scrolling to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and process until the mixture is well combined and forms a sticky dough.
- Take tablespoon-sized portions of the mixture and roll them into balls between your palms.
- Roll each ball in desiccated coconut until fully coated.
Top Tips
- Soften Dried Apricots: If your dried apricots are too firm, soak them in warm water for 10-15 minutes before using. This will help them blend more easily and incorporate into the mixture smoothly.
- Adjust Consistency: If the mixture feels too dry and crumbly, add a splash of water or pineapple juice, one teaspoon at a time, until it holds together when pressed. Conversely, if the mixture is too wet, add a bit more desiccated coconut or oats to balance the texture.
- Coat Hands with Coconut Oil: To prevent the mixture from sticking to your hands while rolling, lightly coat your palms with coconut oil or wet hands with water. This will help the balls hold their shape and create a smoother surface.
- Double the Batch: Since these bliss balls freeze well, consider making a double batch and storing extras in the freezer for a quick and convenient snack option.
Storage Instructions
Store these tropical balls effortlessly in both the refrigerator and freezer, ensuring a quick and satisfying snack whenever hunger strikes.
- Refrigerator: Keep the tropical balls fresh by storing them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: For extended storage, transfer the bliss balls to a freezer-safe bag and store them for up to 2 months.
Recipe FAQs
I wouldn't recommend these balls for babies due to their high dried fruit content. Opting for fresh fruits, perhaps coated in a light dusting of flaxseed meal for extra fibre, would be a preferable choice for babies.
While tropical oat balls can be considered a nutritious snack option, featuring wholesome ingredients like oats, linseed, coconut, pineapple, and ginger, they are high in natural sugars from the dried fruit. Therefore, moderation is key when incorporating them into a balanced diet.
While a food processor is the most efficient tool for making Tropical Bliss Balls, you can also use alternatives like a high-speed blender or a thermocook appliance. However, the texture and consistency of the mixture may vary slightly depending on the tool used
More Ball Recipes To Try...
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Tropical Oat Balls
Equipment
- 1 Food Processor
Ingredients
- 1 cup (90g) Rolled oats
- ¼ cup (35g) (35g) Flaxseed Meal (Linseed Meal)
- 1 cup (200g) Canned Pineapple Chunks
- 1 cup (80g) Desiccated Coconut (+ extra for rolling)
- 1 tsp Ginger Puree
- ½ cup (120g) Dried Apricot
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a food processor and blitz until combined.
- Divide the mixture into balls of your preferred size; for reference, I used a tablespoon to create tablespoon-sized balls. Roll into balls
- Roll in desiccated coconut to coat.
Christine Sutherland
I am making oatcakes for the first time today for my zoom Robbie Burns dinner tonight.
Thanks for the powder talk and soda talk....I will leave those out also.
I will save some oats to try the fruit idea also.
I mostly eat raw and fresh so I dont have time to dehydrate and perfect it but I will experiment this week for my class that I teach on Sunday at 10 am mountain time at the Homesteaders Health Food Store in Fort St John. I have posted the classes on the website for mine and their sites.
I am finishing the series with dehydrated carrot cake and flax crackers this sunday and a review of the past three classes.
My filming is on a eating tray rolling around and not great but the recipes for tofu croutons and frozen banana ice creams and spiralled noodles are good to go on the Homesteader website.
I will get back to my oatcakes! Happy Robbie Burns!
Christine
ps thanks again for your site here.
Charlotte Hough
I just made with cranberries and dates as I realised I had no apricots and they still tasted great! Thank you! X
Amy
Oh yum, cranberries and dates sound delicious 🙂 Glad it worked for you
Deb
My 18 month old ran to the fridge saying ‘more more!’ I added in the juice from the pineapple tin as well. It did make the mix quite soft but I could still form balls and time in the fridge made them harder. Also used LSA mix as didn’t have flaxseed. Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Amy
Brilliant! I love reading comments like this! So happy they were a hit!
jessica
About how long do these tend to last? Will they last longer in the fridge?
Amy
Hi Jessica, they never last long in my house ? I'd store them in the fridge for a few days or you could try freezing them (I haven't tried that yet)
Jess
Hey these look great but what could I use instead of linseed meal, never seen that in the uk before, thank you
Amy
Hi Jess, It is called flaxseed in the UK, I think I used to get it in the major supermarkets. You could easily just add a little more oats or coconut. The recipe is pretty flexible ??
Jess
Ah thank you for the advise, I was thinking about getting chia seeds? X
Aria Smith
It looks really so good and yummy!!! Thank you
Amy
Thanks Aria, hope you enjoy ??