Balls Out for the Holidays: Delicious Gluten Free Recipes perfect for any solstice party! I just love making gluten free balls for the holidays, & boy do I have a couple of wildly delicious recipes! Whether you're looking for savory, sweet, or healthy, I've got just the balls for you!
This first one coming at ya, is one of my all-time favorites! I was managing Honest Tea's field marketing team in Colorado when one of my brand ambassadors told me about this amazing goat cheese ball recipe.
Goat Cheese Bacon Balls
Ingredients
crispy bacon
salt
pepper
garlic powder
11 oz. Trader Joe's Silver Goat chevre goat cheese
your choice of crushed nut - I prefer almonds, pistachios, or even an allergy-friendly corn nut (featured in the photo)
optional - top with candied jalapeno
The Process
preheat oven to 375 degrees
once preheated, place tray of bacon (about 7 slices) in for 10 minutes, flip & cook another 10 minutes
turn off oven, but let bacon remain in oven for 3 extra minutes
after 3 minutes, remove bacon from oven & let cool for 10 minutes on paper towels to sponge up the grease
once cool, crush up bacon in a bowl
add entire goat cheese log & blend together with clean hands
once well blended, roll into golf ball sized balls
roll balls around in crushed pistachios, refrigerate for 1 hour & serve!
These next deliciously rich balls came into my life during my varsity soccer career at Kent School. If you've ever played a sport, you know that parents love to bring out the post-game goodies. Well, one Kent mother used to make Oreo* balls, as she called them. I was obsessed & asked her for the recipe. I went on to make them during the holidays & then switched from Oreo's to Trader Joe's gluten-free JoeJoe's upon discovering my gluten allergy. Without further adieu, here is the recipe for my personal holiday twist on these chocolatey balls.
White Christmas Balls
Ingredients
1 box Trader Joe's gluten-free JoeJoe's cookies
8 oz. whipped cream cheese
.5 lb. of solid white chocolate, or white chocolate chips, if you prefer!
crushed peppermint candy canes
The Process
crush up entire box of JoeJoe's into small, fine pieces - I use a mallet & crush it in a bowl
scoop 8oz. of cream cheese into bowl & add .25 cup of crushed peppermint
use clean hands to combine all 3 ingredients, forming a dough
roll dough into tiny, golf ball sized balls & place on parchment paper
double-boil white chocolate to completely melt - learn how to double boil chocolate here!
once chocolate is completely melted, roll oreo balls in melted white chocolate then place back on parchment paper
sprinkle white chocolate covered balls with leftover crushed candy canes - be sure to do so before the white chocolate shell hardens so the candy sticks better
refrigerate balls for 1 hour then serve!
Last but not least, I've got some healthy balls just for you! They are delightful to your taste-buds as well as your health.
Crispy Energy Bites
Ingredients
3.5 cups organic, gluten-free rolled oats or rice cereal - I suggest Udi's Gluten Free or Bob's
.5 cup chocolate protein powder
.5 cup vanilla protein powder
.75 cup raw honey
.75 cup nut butter - I personally like almond butter, but use whatever you prefer!
The Process
dump all ingredients into bowl & mix together with clean hands
once ingredients are well mixed into a dough, roll into golf ball sized balls
refrigerate for 30 minutes & serve!
Comment with your favorite recipe below!
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Pro Tips
White Christmas Balls: crushing up a ton of candy canes can be a real pain in the ass, so I use Maggie Lyon Chocolatiers (pre-crushed) Peppermint Crunch with my recipe (I discovered it at Marshalls)
White Christmas Balls: freeze your balls for 30 minutes before rolling & covering in melted white chocolate - this prevents the JoeJoe's mixture from crumbling in the pan. I personally like the crumble, as it's not too much, & reminds me of New England (my home) & the brown snow that sticks around for spring
*Oreo now makes gluten free cookies as well