These Nut Free Apricot Bliss Balls are such a great sweet treat for school lunches or to grab and go on busy days. They will satisfy your sweet tooth – but not with empty calories and added sugars. These bliss balls are full of goodness and made with no added sugar. They’re made with apricots, oats, pepitas and sunflower seeds and flavoured with orange, cinnamon and vanilla. This is a delicious no bake recipe that comes together quickly and simply in your food processor.

I happen to think that bliss balls are a perfect lunchbox recipe. They’re so simple to prepare, just chuck them all in a food processor and blitz together. What can be easier? And these bliss balls are freezer friendly too which is always a winner!

What I also love about making your own bliss balls is that you know exactly what’s in them – and what’s not in them. So you can be sure they are safe for sending to school. And these ones are great for school! No nuts here!

And these Apricot Bliss Balls are yummy! I just love the combination of the apricots with the orange and cinnamon. And they have an almost creamy mouth feel which I think is just a masterchef-y way to say texture. These bliss balls are soft and have slight chewiness from the coconut and seeds.

Ingredients and Substitutions

This bliss ball recipe uses a number of pantry items that are easily found at most supermarkets. You will find the full recipe information and quantities in the recipe card included below.

Dried Apricots – I try to use fresher, plumper dried apricots so it results in a softer, sweeter bliss ball. If the dried apricots are looking a little too dry you can always soak in hot water for 5 minutes before using. Just drain the water first!
Rolled Oats – you could make this recipe gluten free by obtaining certified gluten free oats. Alternatively substitute with nuts like almonds or cashews to replace the oats but this would not be appropriate for many school lunchboxes. If you would like to keep the recipe nut free you can also use the same ratio of pepitas or sunflower seeds instead.
Desiccated Coconut – used in the bliss balls and for rolling and sealing them too. You will find this ingredient in the baking section at your supermarket and it is finely ground dried coconut. You can replace in the recipe with an equal amount of oats or seeds.
Sunflower Seeds – they’re tiny seeds but packed with Vitamin E and minerals. They are also a good source of protein and healthy fats. You can substitute with more pepitas or extra oats. If you are substituting with extra oats you may need to add more apricots. The seeds release oils which help to soften the bliss balls. If you are changing the ratio the result will be a drier ball.
Pepitas – are full of minerals like zinc, iron and copper. If you do not have pepitas you can replace with more sunflower seeds or extra oats. If you are substituting with extra oats you may need to add more apricots.
Orange Zest and Juice – I love the orange flavour with this recipe and it adds more complexity to the bliss ball.
Cinnamon – brings out the sweetness of the apricots in this recipe and adds a lovely warmth. You can omit if you prefer.
Vanilla Extract – adding more flavour and develops the sweetness of the recipe.

How To Make The Bliss Balls

This recipe is truly simple to prepare.

In a food processor with the S Blade attached add all the ingredients into the bowl. Next blend together for around one and a half minutes until the mixture combines and balls around the blade.

Then take tablespoon portions of the mixture and roll in between your hands to form a ball. Next, roll the ball in desiccated coconut

Storage Instructions

Bliss balls store really well in the fridge or the freezer. You can store bliss balls in the fridge for around one week or freeze them for two to three months.

To freeze bliss balls place in freezer proof container in a single layer. If you need to stack the bliss balls on top of each other in the container you are using separate the layers with baking paper to minimise the risk of the bliss balls sticking to each other. Alternatively freeze on a tray and then when frozen transfer into a reusable ziplock bag.

Love the sound of these Apricot Bliss Balls? You might also love these recipes…

These Nut Free Apricot and Chia Muesli Bars are a delicious no bake recipe that is sure to be a lunchbox hit
These soft Blueberry Bliss Bites are nut free and perfect to make ahead for school lunches
My kids can’t go past these Chocolate Bliss Bites – they are freezer friendly and nut free for school lunches

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