Recipe: Lavender Hazy Day Beauty Balls
Nourish your body and senses with this protein-packed snack featuring local produce
I’m lucky enough to live on a very special piece of land up in the hills of Montecito that’s surrounded by rows of lavender. Looking out from my kitchen window, I can see the pale green shoots and purple blooms juxtaposed against the blue of the ocean below—a view that never gets old. We have so much of this beautiful, abundant herb growing on our property that, technically, we qualify as a lavender farm. And as a chef, I wouldn’t have it any other way, it’s impossible to resist creating recipes that incorporate this almost magical flower into them in some way.
Recently, I walked outside to my garden and noticed some of my lavender bushes growing into the nearby Meyer Lemon tree. This natural intermingling sparked the idea to combine the two flavors into what has become one of my favorite homemade snacks. In a past life, I was a television weather anchor, both locally and nationally, but since my kids were born I chose to stay home and focus on taking care of my family. Still, my love for the weather has remained constant, even in my life outside the studio, and all my cooking is informed by the seasons and prioritizing natural, accessible ingredients like herbs from my own garden.
Lavender is one of the most popular, beneficial herbs in the world, and was even added to the Herbs de Provence mix that Julia Child helped create—yet another way Santa Barbara cooking is connected to France and the Mediterranean, and part of why this area earned its nickname as the American Riviera. Active ingredients in lavender’s essential oils, like linalool and linalyl acetate calm the nervous system, and there are countless other health benefits like improved sleep and mood, lower heart rate, and skincare support.
I always think about the new year as a chance to start fresh and pursue the hope of something better, and I love the feeling of a clean slate and the chance to lean into a new version of yourself. Resolutions, initially, were supposed to be empowering and fun intentions to help us all get closer to our goals, not mandates that condemn our flaws. For a lot of people, resolutions tend to focus on eating healthier and moving their bodies more, and as a chef, helping others access nutritional meals and snacks that are still satisfying has always been a personal focus.
Instead of thinking about what you need to take away, it’s much more beneficial to think about what you can add to your eating habits to create a more balanced life. One of the things almost every American needs to add to their diet is more protein, so I took the opportunity to make accessing that nutrient a little easier by working with my favorite ingredient to create something totally unexpected. Although meat and dairy are important sources of protein, those don’t work for everyone—especially vegans and vegetarians—and using a protein powder is actually an incredibly versatile way to boost nutrition.
Many people use smoothies as a vehicle for protein powder, but I’ve come up with protein balls because they can be made and then stored to eat later. Sometimes I call these my “beauty balls” because they’re packed with collagen, chia seeds and flax seeds. Plus they’ve also got superfoods like dates, coconut, honey, and Meyer lemon. Finished off with a hint of lavender, these little balls pack quite a punch, and are a great snack to reach for when you need a pick-me-up.
I make these every January to help kick off the New Year, and I find them more satisfying and convenient than a smoothie, which has to be made fresh each time, and can be daunting. These lavender protein balls are grab-and-go, and though lavender isn’t for everyone, it can be calming, anti-inflammatory, and even provide digestive relief. This is a snack that hits all of your senses plus the benefits are endless. Did I mention they’re delicious?
Lavender Hazy Day Beauty Balls
Makes about 15 protein balls
Ingredients
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup chopped and pitted Medjool dates
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
2/3 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 tablespoon raw organic honey
1 teaspoon ground flax seed
1 teaspoon chia seeds
1 teaspoon unflavored marine collagen
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
1 teaspoon culinary lavender or chopped fresh
Juice from one Meyer Lemon (one lemon yields about three tablespoons)
Zest from one Meyer Lemon (keep separately from the juice)
Instructions
Pulse cashews in a food processor until the nuts are very finely chopped, but not totally smooth. If you don’t have a food processor, you can also do this step by hand, chopping the nuts into a fine crumble.
Add the dates, protein powder, and half a cup of coconut (reserving the rest for later), along with the Meyer lemon juice, honey, vanilla, and salt. Process this mixture until the ingredients are well combined and start to clump together.
Once you’ve got the mixture, transfer to a bowl and work the lavender and lemon zest into the mixture with your hands until thoroughly combined. Place the balls in the freezer for 20 minutes to get firm.
Pour the remaining coconut onto a plate. Roll each ball to about an inch in diameter, then roll it over the coconut and place it on a separate plate. Once you’ve finished making all of the balls, cover them and refrigerate for at least one hour. Serve cold.
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