Lemon Zest Poppy Seed Bites (Grain- & Gluten-Free)

If you love the flavor of lemon poppy seed muffins, then you’ll adore these Lemon Zest Poppy Seed Bites! They’re a gluten-free healthy treat with real food ingredients. 

Can you tell I love energy bites? I think it’s my most commonly-posted recipe type. Gah, you could even say they might be my specialty?!

But, I’m having so much fun playing around with different flavors. I’m not a very good baker, so a dessert that gets whipped up in the food processor, rolled by hand, and is ready-to-eat is much more my style (i.e. no more baking disasters).

GET MY FREE ENERGY BITES E-COOKBOOK HERE!

I made these tasty bites using cashews for the base, and then sweetened them with dates. The ingredient list is:

• organic cashews
• organic pitted dates
• organic extra virgin coconut oil
• freshly-squeezed lemon juice + zest
• organic poppy seeds
• organic hemp seeds
• organic turmeric (optional, for adding color)

Using cashews as the base as opposed to a firmer nut like almonds resulted in a much softer energy bite texture, almost more like a truffle than a cookie, if that makes sense. You can kind of see in this picture how soft they are.

That lemony flavor, tho!!! The trick to the pumped-up lemon flavor is to use the zest and the juice of fresh organic lemons. I’m kind of insistent on using organic lemons for this recipe to avoid any waxes or pesticide residue on the skin. I ended up using organic versions of all the ingredients, actually (read my article on how to save money buying organic here).

Also, try to find unsalted, raw cashews for this recipe. This brand is quality and a good price.

Items recommended for this Lemon Poppy Seed Bites recipe (some affiliate links included):

• Food processor (I use a Breville Sous Chef and I adore it!)
• Raw, organic unsalted cashews
• Organic dried ground turmeric
• Organic, whole poppy seeds
• Unsweetened organic coconut shreds

This recipe would be great for a Mother’s Day gathering, or for any fun event this summer. If you like that sweet and sour combo as much as I do (pucker up!), then you will seriously adore these Lemon Zest Poppy Seed Bites.

To toast the outer layer of dried shredded coconut, just put a few tablespoons in a dry skillet and toast over low heat for a few minutes. If you want to add even more flavor to the outer coating, you can add an extra teaspoon of poppy seeds and lemon zest to the mixture.

Just for fun, here are recipes featured on my blog:

• 1 year ago: How to Make Homemade Almond Milk
• 3 years ago: Raw Chocolate Chip Brownies
• 4 years ago: Garbanzo Bean Salad with Mustard Dressing
• 5 years ago: Strawberry & Vanilla Bean Nice Cream
• 6 years ago: The Ultimate Tofu Burger
• 7 years ago: Curry Cauliflower Rice

Here’s my printable recipe for these Lemon Zest Poppy Seed Bites:

Lemon Zest Poppy Seed Bites (Grain- & Gluten-Free)

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★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Carrie Forrest, MPH in Nutrition
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 12
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Food processor
• Cuisine: no-bake, vegan, paleo, gluten-free, grain-free

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Description

A fun dessert full of flavor.

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Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted, raw cashews
• 1/3 cup hemp seeds
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric (optional)
• 1 cup pitted dates
• zest of two medium lemons
• 2 tablespoons freshly-squeeze lemon juice
• For the outer coating:
• 2 tablespoons toasted, unsweetened dried coconut
• 1 teaspoon each lemon zest and poppy seeds (optional)

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Instructions

1. Combine cashews, hemp seeds, poppy seeds, coconut oil, turmeric (optional), dates, lemon zest, and lemon juice in the base of a food processor. Process on high until ingredients are well combined, about 45 seconds to one minute.
2. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and use your hands to form the batter into energy bites. You should have enough to make about a dozen energy bites.
3. The energy bites will be pretty sticky, so it’s nice to roll them in toasted coconut. To toast the coconut, place the dried coconut in a dry skillet over low heat. Let toast for 3-4 minutes or until lightly toasted. Then, just put the coconut, lemon zest, and poppy seeds on a plate and roll the bites over the mixture. Then, place the energy bites in a glass bowl with a lid and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

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