Leslie’s SunButter Balls – A healthy and allergen-free treat
These SunButter Balls are much better than Schweddy Balls 
and they are gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nut and peanut-free, and soy-free! The credit for this recipe goes to my sister, Leslie, who lovingly adapted it so that my daughter could eat it too. She also used healthy ingredients to give these little snacks a nutritional punch!
This is a great recipe to make with kids. They love to make the balls and roll them in the cereal! Once coated, keep them (the balls, not the kids) in the refrigerator to have as a healthy snack, to pack in lunches, or for protein on the go. The cereal on the outside, in addition to providing a little crunch, prevents them from being sticky.
Leslie’s SunButter Balls
Makes 30-40 balls
Ingredients:
• 1/2 to 3/4 cups Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice Gluten-Free Cereal
• 1 cup unsweetened SunButter (if using sweetened SunButter, see note below)
• 1/2 cup honey or other liquid sweetener
• 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
• 1/2 cup very finely shredded unsweetened coconut, like Let’s Do Organic coconut shreds, or process coconut flakes in a Cuisinart until finely chopped
• 1/2 cup Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup dried blueberries or Zante currants (you want dried fruit that is small – you could finely chop up other dried fruit if you can’t find either of these)
• NOTE: If using sweetened Sunbutter, you will need to cut back on the sweetener to your taste.
Directions:
1. Pulse cereal in food processor to turn into crumbs. Put in a medium size bowl and set aside.
2. In another bowl, stir together SunButter, honey, and ground flax seed to form a thick dough. Add the coconut, chocolate chips and blueberries and stir until well mixed. The dough should be thick but not too sticky to form into small balls. If it seems too wet or sticky, add more flax meal or coconut. If it is too dry, add more honey or SunButter.
3. Pinch off a bit of dough, about a tablespoon, and gently pat into a ball. Drop it into the bowl of cereal crumbs. Repeat with a few more balls, trying to keep them from touching. Gently toss the balls in the crumbs until they are well coated.
4. Remove balls and set on plate or tray. Repeat until all the dough is used. Refrigerate balls until firm and serve.
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Oct 20, 2011 @ 12:39:48
I have to admit that I have made them stickier than the above picture, and more crushed rice crispies stick onto the balls, giving them more crunch. The sweetened sunbutter seems to be more liquidy than the unsweetened.
Oct 24, 2011 @ 08:42:34
I love recipes like this Alison, and the dried blueberries is an unexpected twist!
Nov 05, 2011 @ 12:16:58
I used the same solid to liquid ratio but used peanut butter for my son, who is almost 2 and has a number of allergies but is fine with peanuts. I noticed that it got thicker after I let it sit a few minutes — I assume the flax soaked up some more of the liquid? They are absolutely delicious and a great way to get some fat into a little body!