Chocolate Peppermint (Beet) Bites!

Okay you've probably realized I have a thing for beets lately as I have been trying to sneak them into everything (Beet Brownies, Blueberry Beet Smoothie, Double Chocolate Donuts). Well I thought I would tell you WHY I love beets so much.

High in Antioxidants*: which help prevent cancer and protect eye health
Fight Inflammation: thanks to their phytonutrients
Detox the Blood: cleanses the blood of heavy metals, toxins and waste and increases circulation
Muscle Recovery & Lower Blood Pressure: thanks to the nitrates
Vitamins & Minerals: folate, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Thiamin, Manganese, Potassium, Magnesium, which help prevent disease and improve brain function

*The largest amount of antioxidants are actually found in the beet greens. I always cut them off and freeze them to throw into smoothies!

Now do you see why I love beets so much? They are also really cheap and so versatile in both cooking and baking. I had my fingers crossed that they would also work in an energy bite, and thank goodness they did! Oh ya and did I mention that these bites are only FIVE ingredients?? Cocoa powder, peppermint essential oil, beets, brazil nuts and prunes! That. Is. It. All real, all clean, no added sugar, healthy fats, loads of vitamins and minerals plus all of the benefits of peppermint oil. I use Young Living's Vitality brand which is approved for ingestion. If you don't have this oil, make sure you find another therapeutic grade oil that is safe for ingesting or you could try peppermint extract.

I created these bites thanks to a leftover beet. They always come in a bunch of 3, two of which I needed for my Double Chocolate Donuts. Well with that lonely beet I made these super moist bites that I am in love with! I obviously wanted to do a chocolate flavor because I think it always works really well with beets (not to mention high in antioxidants), and I thought peppermint would help hide the earthy flavor (and it aids in digestion!). Chocolate and peppermint is one of my fave combos. It's refreshing and not too sweet. Just five simple ingredients and SO easy to make. A great snack any time of day. They are also gluten-free, grain-free, refined sugar-free and dairy-free! See how I made these Chocolate Peppermint (Beet) Bites below!

Chocolate Peppermint (Beet) Bites

Makes: 15 bites

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup raw unsalted brazil nuts (you could sub any other mild tasting nut)
10 prunes, pitted
5-6 drops Young Living peppermint essential oil (you could sub peppermint extract, but I don't know the amount you would need to use. Start with a little and add to your taste)
2 tbs cocoa powder
1 roasted beet

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Peel and slice beet into 1 inch slices and place in a tinfoil tent on a baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes (if your'e going to the trouble, I would roast all of the beets you have to use in other recipes!).
While the beet is roasting add the brazil nuts to a food processor and pulse until very fine. If you have a strong enough food processor or blender, you can keep going until they turn into a nut butter consistency. This will make the bites really creamy!
Once the beet is roasted, add it to the food processer along with the rest of the ingredients and pulse until combined.
Roll into balls and store in an airtight container in the fridge.