Bare with me. we’re getting a teeny bit crafty today, all in the name of Halloween. Truth be told, I kind of like kids crafts, I think it’s the former preschool teacher in me. But now that ames is 4, and super into all things Halloween, I wanted to surprise him with the little mummy monster balls.
These are a riff on my chocolate chip cookie dough balls from a while ago. And while they’re just as delicious, we made a few swaps to make these a bit more festive for fall. I love tahini with cozy, autumn spices; so pairing it with pumpkin pie spice seemed almost necessary here - it’s so good, guys! We add a few layers of dark and white chocolate, then mummy eyeballs for good measure! I wanted to make these a little more wholesome in anticipation of all the sugar bombs in the near future, so these balls are full of healthy fats, free of dairy, gluten, grains, and refined sugar (minus the candy eyeballs, of course!). We’re using almond flour for the base. From there, we use a mixture of tahini, coconut oil, and maple syrup for texture, sweetness, and binding purposes. A few dashes of pumpkin spice and a couple pinches of salt. A quick chocolate shell, and some white chocolate mummy drizzles, and we’re good to go.
They’re a super quick and fun little project that requires zero baking! I got you ;)
pumpkin spice tahini (mummy) balls | gf & v
notes:
if you don’t like/have tahini swap it for another nut butter - almond or cashew butter for a more neutral flavor, peanut or hazelnut butter for more of a distinct flavor.
don’t like/want pumpkin spice ball, swap for a different spice, or leave it out all together.
not in the festive mood, drop the eyeballs and cover your balls in your preference of dark or white chocolate. maybe garnish them with some toasted pumpkin seeds and a pinch flaky salt?
| makes 10 balls |
ingredients
1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and cooled
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
dark chocolate shell
1 bar (3.2 ounces) dairy-free dark chocolate (preferably 70% cacao)
1-2 teaspoons coconut oil
white chocolate shell
1/2 cup dairy-free white chocolate chips
1-2 teaspoons coconut oil
20 edible candy eyes
method
line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
in a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, pumpkin spice, and salt. using a rubber spatula, mix in the oil, maple syrup, tahini, and vanilla. fold together until a dough forms.
scoop roughly 1.5 tablespoons worth of cookie dough, roll the dough between your palms to form a smooth, uniform ball; place on your prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough.
freeze dough for at least 30 minutes.
while the dough balls are chilling in the freezer, make the dark chocolate and white chocolate shell. in a double boiler, melt the chocolate separately. remove from heat and stir in the coconut oil to thin it out a bit (if chocolate is too thick add more coconut oil 1/4 teaspoon at a time until it’s thick, but runs off the back of a spoon). let cool completely.
once the balls are solid, use two forks and gently dip the balls one at a time in the dark chocolate. place back on the parchment and repeat with remaining balls. freeze again for another 20-30 minutes, until chocolate is solid.
remove the balls, use a fork and drizzle the white chocolate over the the tops of the balls, making (rustic) horizontal lines. (you could also pour the melted white chocolate in a small ziploc bag, and snip the corner to make a piping bag.). plop 2 eyes on top, and gently press them down. go over the balls once again with the white chocolate drizzle, making the lines more visible.
pop the balls back in the freezer for another hour to freeze through. remove and store the mummy balls in an airtight container in the fridge. balls can stay for up to 1 week.