Cherry Almond Bites
I love to run. It’s how I counteract my desk job, it’s how I clear my head, and it always gives me an amazing sense of achievement! I have been running regularly for about four years now, and in that time I have completed four half marathons and one full marathon. I am running my next event in April, a local half marathon called Gazelle Girl, and my mileage is increasing steadily week by week.
After I had a couple of races under my belt, I realised the importance of fueling my workouts correctly with good food. Yes, you can certainly “run off” a donut or a cream cake, (and indeed my friends, family and coworkers are sometimes impressed at my calorie intake!), but running on donut fuel is going to make for a pretty miserable run, for me anyway.
My little running habit requires a supply of healthy snacks on hand at all times, and these little bites are one of my faves. The ingredients are simple and clean, the final result is delicious, and you can make them in just a few minutes. Of course it goes without saying that you don’t have to be a runner to enjoy these! They are perfect for hiking, long bike rides, skiing, any activity that necessitates a healthy dose of energy along the way.
What is your favourite way to refuel after a sweaty workout?!
- 1½ cups slivered almonds
- 16 medjool dates, pitted
- 1 cup dried cherries
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- Blend the nuts in the food processor until they resemble crumbs
- Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until everything is sticky and combined
- Take a small amount of the mixture and roll into a ping pong sized ball
- Repeat until you have rolled all of the mixture into balls and laid them flat on a plate
- Pop them all in the freezer for 10-20 minutes so that they hold their shape
- Remove and store in the fridge for up to a week
Notes:
Inspired by Cookie and Kate’s homemade Larabar recipe
I encourage you to experiment with different dried fruit and nut combinations, let me know if you stumble upon something magical!
Nice looking post Emma! I have the pleasure of eating these regularly and they are great!
Haha! Thanks Love!
These sound lovely. Definitely going to give these a go. My kind of cooking…..no oven involved so no chance of burning them 🙂
Sarah! Indeed, you can’t go wrong with them!
Well, I am not a runner (never will be, bad knees) but I love your spin on my Larabar recipe! Almonds, cherries and chocolate… yum. I’d like to have these around for when hunger strikes.
Kate, thanks for the comment and the inspiration. I’m a big fan of Cookie and Kate!
Just made these. Perfect with coffee too! 🙂