Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Artisana Nut Butter Power Balls


Nut butters seem to be all the rage these days. With so many different flavors available how could you not love them. I'll admit I'm hooked. I eat some sort of raw nut butter just about every day. It's a great healthy option; either spread on crackers or mixed into smoothies.

As part of Virtual Potluck I was given the opportunity to try Artisana Nut Butters. What makes Artisana Butters stand out from the rest? Well they use 100% certified organic nuts hand crafted in small batches with no added ingredients. Their butters have a smooth almost velvety taste and are amazingly delicious.

I'll be honest I've been grinding my own nuts into butter for some time now but with Artisana's wide variety of flavors I no longer need to do that. They offer Walnut Butter, Pecan Butter, Cashew Butter, Macadamia/Cashew, Cacao Bliss, and Coconut Butter.

Now that nut butters have become mainstream I really wanted to find a unique way to use them in a recipe.  I wanted to focus on turning them into an easy to reach for snack. Let's face it....we don't often have a jar of nut butter and something to spread it on just laying around.  That's when I came up with making a sort of "power" ball.  Incorporating the butters into a on the go snack.

Mixing the nut butter of your choice with other healthy ingredients like oatmeal, honey, and dried fruit and molding into bite sized balls you can have a great portable healthy snack option.

Want a chance to win some Artisana Nut Butter of your choice.  Leave a comment on this post by midnight 5/6/2012 and you will be entered to win an 8oz jar of your favorite flavor. For extra chances to win be sure to visit the roundup of VP posts.





Nut Butter Power Balls

2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup dried cranberries, or cherries chopped
pinch salt
1/2 cup raw nut butter of your choice
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup flax seeds (optional)
2 Tbsp honey


In a food processor, pulse 1/2 cup of the oats until powdery.  Transfer to a dish.  In the same processor bowl pulse the remaining oats until finely chopped.  Mix in the rest of your ingredients until combined.  Form dough into balls and roll in the ground oats to coat. Store in the refrigerator for at least one hour.




28 comments:

  1. OK, these are perfect to pack into a little baggy and go hiking, or just keep in my purse. Peanut butter or Cashew butter would be my choice. They look so great and I can't not love the healthy factor :)

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  3. What a great idea for a good snack! I could keep them at my desk but I don't think they'd last very long...

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  4. I want these right now! I'm sure my kids would love them too!

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  5. Delicious and healthy? Yes, I would like these.

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  6. These look great. I use every one of these ingredients, except the vanilla, everyday. My morning oatmeal has ground flaxseeds, cranberries and honey. These would be a great alternative, especially for a road trip!
    jlammers002@woh.rr.com

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  7. Love love love nut butters! These look fantastic. Would love to try their cashew or macadamia nut butters.

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  8. This sounds great because you're likely to have most of the ingredients on hand.

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  9. These sound great! I'd love to try cases butter. I've been trying to make my diet alot healthier along with more activity, hoping to lose 30lbs I've gained. I've managed to finall start eating breakfast ( never not even as a child) am always looking for healthy snack these would be perfect & they contain oatmeal & flax like my morning oaeal.

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  10. I love cashews! And the flax seeds are good for you: I need to eat more flax.

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  11. Yum! These would be perfect for hiking!

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  12. Yum I can't wait to try these with the pecan butter in the pantry! Looks easy to make, I should be able to do it! lol

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  13. This seems like a healthy, delicious snack that wouldn't take a lot of time to prepare and can be eaten on the go. Perfect! I can't wait to try the recipe. Awesome giveaway, by the way :)

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  14. Thanks for the recipe! I've got dried figs instead of cranberries and agave syrup instead of honey, so I'm gonna give it a go with the peanut butter I have on hand. But I would so love to try this with Artisana's Raw Cashew Butter! Superyumful power snackin' ahead! :)

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  15. Those Power Balls look really good. I would love to try the walnut butter. I already love the almond butter.

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  16. And Bonus -- they're a raw food! Healthy food in its healthiest form. You rock- Food Hunter!

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  17. I've been wanting to try some sort of power ball like this--these look great!

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  18. Yum! I need to make these ASAP!
    cereza25 at yahoo dot com

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  19. love power balls. the addition of salty yummy cashews sound perfect!

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  20. I've tried a few of artisana's nut butters and have loved all of them! These power balls sound so delicious...the perfect healthy snack!

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  21. I bet my two little boys would actually eat these, but if I made them I might not share!
    amylammers@rocketmail.com

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  22. I'm always looking for things to take on the run that are nutritious and pack an energy punch during tournament time. I wish I'd had these last weekend!

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  23. The possibilities are endless. Keep it healthy og go all out. Either way tou have a delicious snack or appetizer.

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  24. They sound so simple and delicious! Can't wait to try them! Also look forward to playing with the alternative ingredient suggestions and flavors.

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  25. yum! Love artisana nut butters! Lucky you to get a free jar and what a great recipe to use them with!

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  26. Those sound delicious! I need to try them

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  27. Macadamia/Cashew nut butter sounds too good to be true with this recipe. Gotta try it. (er get Kathy to try it.) Thanks Food Hunter!

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  28. Yummy! Thanks for the recipe

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