As the season is changing and there is a cool breeze in the air, it is quite possible we are all beginning to think about the same thing…chai. I think it is safe to say that most fall activities are enhanced with chai, no?! Apple picking, corn mazing, pumpkin searching and drives home for thanksgiving are all so much better with a chai latte in hand. Or, perhaps, a Chai Matcha Powerball!
If you have yet to experience chai and matcha infused together in the same happy little recipe, it is pretty great. Sweet and comforting spices mixed with a bold and full flavour base. And you know you are feeding your body power food!
So, what is matcha, anyways?! Matcha literally means “powdered tea” – instead of using tea leaves, which would generally be steeped and removed from the tea drink, matcha is finely ground green tea leaves, which dissolve into the tea. When you eat/drink matcha, you are literally ingesting whole green tea leaves, so your body is gaining much more nutrients and vitamins than offered through traditional steeped tea. Match also contains potent antioxidants, which protect against cancer and other diseases, boost metabolism and slow or halt the growth of cancerous cells (yay!).
Matcha does contain caffeine, however, so if you are like me and end up lying in bed staring at your ceiling for a few hours if you have caffeine too late, these powerballs makes a great morning snack or afternoon pick-me-up!
An added little bonus of this recipe is experienced in the clean up phase. All mixing is done in your food processor bowl, with no additional dishes required (except measuring utensils!). And as these powerballs are no-bake, you don’t have to worry about heating up your house with the oven during these last days of summer heat! Now that sounds pretty raw-some to me!
RECIPE: CHAI MATCHA POWERBALLS
– DAIRY FREE, GLUTEN FREE, SOY FREE
Ingredients:
- 1 cup cooked and well drained chickpeas
- 3 tablespoons agave nectar
- 3 tablespoons almond butter
- 3 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 3 tablespoon almond milk (or other dairy free milk alternative)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2″ x 1/2″ piece of fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
- 1 tablespoon matcha powder
- 1/8 teaspoon cracked pepper
- salt to taste
- 1/2 cup gluten-free oats
Putting it together:
- Combine chickpeas, agave, almond butter, coconut flour and coconut oil in food processor bowl, and mix until smooth (10-20 seconds).
- Add almond milk, vanilla, fresh ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, matcha powder, salt and pepper to bowl and mix until smooth.
- Stir in gluten-free oats by hand.
- Roll dough into 1 tablespoon sized balls, and refrigerate. Store in refrigerator and serve cold.
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