Salted Chocolate Chia Popcorn Balls

Popcorn is food for DA SOUL.

It's a sensitive little kernal thang. It's there for you at the movies when all you want is for the hot-salty-crunchy-goodness to take over the space in your brain that your recent breakup is rudely occupying. It's there for you when you're studying and you want a healthy snack with energizing B vitamins. It can be salty. It can be sweet. It can make your life complete.

But seriously. Popcorn has got to be the simplest snack of them all. It only has one ingredient that just so happens to be packed with filling fiber and disease-fighting antioxidants. And while it's oxidizing all the damaging free radicals in your bod, you're just sitting there smiling at the crumbs in every nook and cranny known to womankind.

I didn't mean for this post to turn into a poem. Or did I?

When Bob's Red Mill asked if I wanted to do a post on popcorn, I was all like "IS THE SKY BLUE? IS HUMMUS DELISH?" But then I sat back and thought, "Wait. I've never made anything cool with popcorn." All I ever do is heat in on the stovetop with coconut oil and salt and say "mmmmm" after each bite until someone yells at me.

So naturally I got out my army of sensational superfoods (ahem cacao, almonds and chia seeds) and got to work. Popcorn and chocolate is a done deal. But popcorn and chocolate and salt? AND chia seeds?! I know you can't but can you even?

These wondrous little snacks double as dessert. And breakfast. And even dinner on lazy days. They're sweet, salty, crunchy, chewy, and quite possibly the stuff of dreams. Because I'd be lying if I said I haven't dreamed about them more than once.

I started this post having absolutely no idea what to write about. All I knew was my sincere love for all things popcorn. I swear my fingers take over my brain as soon as they touch the keys. I don't think they even need me anymore.

Say hello to the most sensational superfood snack you've ever laid mouth on. Then say goodbye because I guarantee they'll be gone in a SNAP CRACKLE POP.

Salted Chocolate Chia Popcorn Balls

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• Author: Alexis Joseph, MS, RD, LD
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 5 mins
• Total Time: 15 mins
• Yield: 15 1x
• Category: Snack

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Description

Deliciously chocolatey popcorn balls with a superfood boost!

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

For the popcorn:

• ½ cup Bob's Red Mill white popcorn kernels
• 2 tbsp coconut oil

For the popcorn balls:

• 4 cups popped popcorn (you'll have leftovers)
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 2 tbsp almond meal
• 2 tbsp raw cacao powder
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• ½ cup sunbutter (or nut butter of choice)
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup

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Instructions

1. Place coconut oil in a medium or large pot over medium-high heat. Once melted, add two popcorn kernels and cover pot with lid. Once the kernels have popped, and the rest of the kernels and cover. Shake pan continuously as kernels start to pop. After a couple minutes when the kernels stop popping, remove pot from heat.
2. Line a large plate with parchment paper and set aside.
3. Place 4 cups of popped popcorn in a large bowl. You'll have plenty of leftover popcorn for snacking! Add chia seeds, almond meal, cacao powder, and salt, tossing to combine.
4. Place sunbutter and maple syrup in a medium bowl. Microwave for about 20 seconds and then stir to combine. You could also do this in a small pot on the stove.
5. Pour sunbutter mixture over popcorn mixture. It will be thick, that's ok. Using your hands, toss everything together. This may take a couple minutes. Be sure to incorporate all the dry ingredients sitting at the bottom.
6. You will need to wet your hands in between each ball. With wet hands, start tightly packing mixture into balls the size of a golf ball. If the mixture isn't sticking together, keep wetting your hands and pressing firmly!
7. Set balls on plate lined with parchment paper. You should have about 15. Place in freezer or fridge for 20 minutes to set prior to serving. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

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Notes

Inspired by these chocolate peanut butter popcorn truffles

[Tweet "These Salted Chocolate Chia Balls via @TheHummusapien double as snack and dessert! @bobsredmill"]

Thank you Bob's Red Mill for sponsoring this post! For more delicious recipes and a coupon for $1.00 off any product, please visit BobsRedMill.com. Thanks for supporting the brands that make Hummusapien possible!