Chocolate Coated Almond Butter Crunch Balls (vegan + gluten-free)

Ingredients in Chocolate Coated Almond Butter Crunch Balls

Open the pantry and let's gather some ingredients! This cast of characters are all pantry staples in my house, which only makes this recipe easier to make when I'm craving a nutty, chocolatey treat.

• Almond Butter - Creamy almond butter is perfect for this recipe, and I like to make sure it's nice and runny so it evenly incorporates and holds each Almond Butter Crunch Ball together.
• Pure Maple Syrup - I rely on pure maple in so many of my recipes! This is different from table syrup and is made with just one ingredient: the pure sap from maple trees.
• Salt and Vanilla - I use just a pinch (about ¼ teaspoon) of each, but it perfectly balances the flavors and makes these bites taste like the perfect treat.
• Almond Flour - I buy superfine, blanched almond flour, not almond meal.
• Brown Rice Crisp Cereal - Check your ingredients to make sure your cereal is unsweetened, or maybe lightly sweetened with coconut sugar. This keeps the recipe free of refined sugar, and the cereal adds a satisfying crunch in every bite!
• Chocolate Chips - I use Hu brand, which melt beautifully on the stovetop or in the microwave!

All About Almond Butter

The glue that holds these Crunch Balls together is almond butter, and I use almond flour to add substance. Lucky for us, almonds are both delicious and really nutritious. Almonds are low in carbohydrates and high in protein.  They also offer a good source of fiber, healthy fats, vitamin E and magnesium as well as providing iron and calcium. My go-to almond butter is the raw, creamy Trader Joe's version, which is also one of the more affordable ones I've seen. I prefer raw to roasted almond butter (I just think it has a better flavor!), which makes it super easy to make your own if you have almonds and a food processor.

• No-Bake Almond Butter Crunch Bars
• Vegan Almond Butter Cups
• Almond Butter Cup Smoothie
• Vegan & Gluten-Free Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Olive Oil Sweet Potato Brownies with Almond Butter Swirl

Vegan Chocolate For Dipping

As a self-proclaimed chocoholic, I am all about finding options that are vegan (no dairy!) and free of ingredients like refined sugar that trigger my migraines. The winner by a long shot is Hu Brand Chocolate, which is vegan, paleo, and made with super clean ingredients. I love their chocolate chips for baking and they make bars that are the most delicious sweet treat! Hu's chocolate gems are perfect for melting and dipping in recipes like this one.

Gluten-Free Crispy Cereal

I recently learned about The Real Cereal Company and I've been obsessed ever since. I use their Organic Brown Rice Crisps in this recipe, which have that perfect crispy crunch texture without adding any of the refined sugar or unnecessary ingredients that are common in so many cereals. Their ingredients are non-GMO, organic, and free of common allergens. My background is in health education (I'm a Master Certified Health Education Specialist through the NCHEC!), and I'm always researching the ingredients found in food and learning more about what they do in our bodies. I love finding products that I know will make me feel nourished!