Nutty beet balls having been going down a storm in all the meals I’ve been serving lately. In this recipe, I am using raw beets, almonds, pumpkin seeds, fresh ginger and sesame seeds. But shhhhh don’t tell anyone what’s in them, because when you serve them people really have not got a clue. Well, apart from beets, which is a bit obvious given the colour haha!
Beet balls happen to make an excellent alternative to meat balls if that’s your jam. You can get creative using them in various main meals. For example, you could have them with potato wedges, beans and salad, spaghetti sauce with spaghetti, roast potatoes, veggies and gravy. Although they work cold for loads of stuff too!
What other meals are beet balls for?
Beet balls are super versatile. You can enjoy them hot or cold.
The good thing about having them cold is that you can keep them in the fridge for a few days and then enjoy them as snack attack food!
My favourite ways to enjoy these are as hiking food. Just bake them, let them cool down and they are good to go.
They also work wonders with a salad for lunch (hot or cold) too, as a lunch box snack, party food or for a snack. Remember to tell me in the comments what you decide to use them for.
Beet balls for lunch with my gardening friend Steph Hafferty with salad (Steph brought me the beetroots from her garden)
Vegan and gluten-free beet balls
Another fabulous benefit here is that this recipe (like all of my recipes) is that they are both vegan and gluten-free. That said, they work wonders for meat eaters too because they are delicious and really hit the spot.
I give them to everyone… and all I see are smiles (and mmmmmmm noises).
What equipment do I need?
You will need something to grind your almonds and pumpkin seeds with. This works best with any of the following…
- A bullet blender
- A food processor
- A nut mill
- A decent blender
And then you will also need something to squish your mixture together with. This can be any of the above. I tend to get my hand blender (immersion blender) out at that point. Alternatively if it’s already out, I’ll use my food processor.
You can see the whole nutty beet ball recipe (including equipment and tips) demonstrated in the video that I’ve made above/below.
Here is the nutty beet balls recipe in full…
Nut Beet Balls Recipe
Vegan beet balls made with beetroot, almonds, pumpkin seeds and warming spices. All rolled in sesame seed. Either bake in the oven or cook in an air-fryer.
Ingredients
- 400g (14 oz) beetroot
- 200g (1½ cups) almonds
- 100g (¾ cup) pumpkin seeds
- 1 heaped teaspoon fresh ginger (finely grated)
- 2 heaped teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Big twist black pepper
- Handful of sesame seeds (to roll)
Instructions
- Grind your almonds and pumpkin seeds in a bullet blender or food processor until you get a rustic meal. This doesn't need to be a fine blend (see video below).
- Grate your beetroot.
- Finely grate your fresh ginger. You can leave the skin on it if you want.
- Add everything (except the sesame seeds) into a mixing bowl. Mix together briefly and then pulse with a hand blender a few times until you get a squidy consistency.
- Take small dollops of the mixture and roll it in the sesame seeds. Create little balls with your hands. You will get upto about 20 beet balls out of this.
- You can then bake in the oven at around 200C or 400F for about 20 minutes until they start to tan. Or cook in an air-fryer for about 15 minutes.
- Enjoy hot or cold.
- Remember to let me know how you get on in the comments and please share this page. The world needs beet balls haha!!
Notes
Please note: if you don't enjoy almonds or nuts, or can't have them for any reason you can swap directly for either of the following...
- Sunflower seeds
- Pumpkin seeds
More gluten-free vegan beet recipes here…
I am dying to try these.
My two grown children are having food sensitivity issues.
Son can’t have almonds.
I am wondering about sub – sunflower seeds?
Hi Wilma,
Thanks for asking. Yes absolutely, you can do a direct swap for either sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds on this one and it’ll still be just as delicious. In fact your comment has reminded me I should write that in the recipe notes too.
Let me know how you and your grown kids enjoy this 🙂
Anastasia x
Oh my, Anastasia – these look fabulous!! And I love that you shared them with Stephanie!
I have been grating beets with parsnips, celariac and sweet potatoe then stir frying with some onion , garlic and greens – would add burdock if i had some fresh! Will definitely give these a try, likely with some local hazelnuts or walnuts and the pumpkin seeds.
Thanks for sharing these lovely GF and vegan recipes!
Thank you for dropping by.
Using local hazelnuts and walnuts sounds fabulous… I love your thinking!
Many of my recipes like this one are adaptable.
Warmest blessings
Anastasia
Such a unique way to use beets in the kitchen!
Thank you Crysti!