Matcha Pistachio Energy Bites

If you don't already know this about me, I love superfoods. It's basically a gimicky word used to describe foods that are nutritionally dense and tote many health benefits. I think we can all agree that Matcha Green Tea powder is the superfood of the moment. From teas, to lattes, to baking and smoothies - matcha powder is finding its way into everyone's diet, and for good reason. It is basically green tea on steroids offering loads of antioxidants and has alkalizing, energizing, detoxifying and rejuvenating properties. To see 8 health benefits of matcha green tea, check out this article by Dr. Axe.

Update: I used Green Foods matcha to make these balls the first time (as you'll see in the picture further down). Upon further investigation, I discovered this brand is not 100% matcha, and uses brown rice solids as a filler (what?!). Be very careful to read the fine print on the label when buying your matcha - I learned my lesson! I have since bought U•Matcha® Natural to use, which is 100% matcha. If you can't find pure matcha at your local store, you can buy it online here.

I'll be sure to post more recipes including matcha soon so that your new purchase doesn't go to waste. Let me know what kind of recipes you want to see in the comments below. In the meantime make these Matcha Pistachio Energy Bites to give you an afternoon pick-me-up!

Matcha Pistachio Energy Bites

Ingredients:

1 cup pecans pieces
1/4 cup raw pistachios, shelled
12 prunes (you could sub dates here if you don't like the taste of prunes)
2 tbs maple syrup (if using dates only use 1 tbs, they are inherently sweeter)
1 tsp coconut oil
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
2 tsp 100% matcha powder
3 tbs chopped pistachios, for rolling

Instructions:

Place all ingredients, except chopped pistachios, into a food processor (I used my mid sized Ninja blender) until combined, about 30 seconds. Dried fruit can vary in size, so If your mixture is too dry add a touch of water, and if it is too wet add a tsp of flaxseed at a time until you get to the right consistency. It should stick together but not to your hands.
Scrape mixture out of the food processor and form into small balls. Roll each ball in chopped pecans and store in the fridge for a quick snack! You could also freeze them if you want them to last longer!