I am not a chocolate lover. There, I said it. My entire life I?ve been the person in my family who turns up her nose at a piece of chocolate. It?s not that I don?t like it ? I?d just rather dive into a plate of fries dunked in ketchup. When my friend Michael invited me to take a bean to bar chocolate making class at his shop, Ethereal Confections, I was skeptical the experience would change my feelings about chocolate. Let?s just say I was wrong.

We made six vegan chocolate bars in the class and received a goody bag with more chocolate to take home. Michael and his sister were so incredibly generous! I figured the loot would last a lifetime, but every piece was gone within a few weeks. Oops! Now I?m buying cacao by the truckload from the bulk section and making fun, bite-sized desserts like these Raw Cacao Energy Balls. Who am I" A chocolate liker, that?s what.
These Raw Cacao Energy Balls are brimming with nutrient-packed nuts and are naturally sweetened with dates. Not a pinch of refined sugar in these treats! I actually made them because my pantry was overflowing with bits and pieces from the bulk bin I wanted to use up. Raw almonds, walnuts, and oats make up the base of these energy balls, but you can probably use any nuts or seeds you have on hand. I imagine pepitas and pistachios would be fantastic!

As if you needed another reason to eat chocolate, simmer on this nugget of knowledge: cacao has more than 40 times the antioxidants of blueberries and is an excell...