Chocolate Balls (Gluten free & Blood Sugar Friendly!)
We all have our family holiday traditions, don’t we? I think a good bit of those, for me at least, are food related.
I remember my sweet Mama, Dolly, making trays and trays of treats to make gift bags at Christmas. She loved hosting a senior citizen Christmas party every year for the church and those senior citizens just loved her! She would make all of these homemade treats and then find little gifts to supplement. She would even ask businesses to donate little things like pens and office gadgets to put in the gift bags.
It was such a sweet gesture that was rewarding for her as well as everyone that got to be involved or be the recipient. My Dad and us kids got to sample all the goodies for her and it was a good thing she was giving most of it away because we all would have needed to buy bigger pants. (ha)
She would make homemade mints, reese cups, coconut candy, candy strawberries, pecan tassies, butterscotch haystacks, magic cookie bars, cheese thins, white chocolate dipped ritz crackers w/peanut butter and my personal favorite...chocolate balls!
Since going gluten free and sugar free I’ve had to work out a healthier version of this holiday favorite and I’m going to share it with you. I’ll include Dolly’s original recipe too so you can make it if you do not have any dietary restrictions.
Gluten Free & Blood Sugar Friendly Chocolate Balls
2 cups Pamela’s gluten-free crackers
½ c. Swerve confectioners sugar
½ c. Lakanto monkfruit sweetener
½ c. coconut sugar
1 c. chopped pecans
1 c. crunchy natural peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 oz unsweetened shredded coconut
2½ sticks of butter (melted)
1 bag of Lily’s dark chocolate chips
2 T. coconut oil melted
Directions:
Mix all ingredients and form into balls. Melt chocolate chips in double boiler with 2 tablespoons of coconut oil (or more for the consistency to dip balls). When thoroughly melted, dip balls and place on parchment paper.
And yes, this is the original recipe card! Typed out by Dolly herself on her typewriter!
Dolly’s Original Chocolate Ball Recipe
2½ cups graham cracker crumbs
1 lb Powdered sugar
1 c. chopped nuts (I use pecans!)
1 c. crunchy peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. crunchy natural peanut butter
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
½ package of shredded coconut (8 oz size)
2½ sticks of margarine
Directions:
Mix all ingredients and form into balls. Melt in double boiler with 2/3 stick household wax with 1 large bag chocolate morsels. When thoroughly melted, dip balls and place on wax paper.
