These Cacao, Fruit & Nut Bites are, at their heart, pretty darn wholesome. Cover ’em with white chocolate and, while they may just be a little bit naughty, they’re still a great alternative to commercially made treats.
The inspiration for these scrumptious balls of yum comes from the Raw Chocolate Cream Tarts I made almost a year ago. The tart bases, as I discovered, were so good in their own right that I knew it was only a matter of time before they resurfaced as bite-sized ‘truffles’. I debated whether or not to stay with the mixture as is, but decided in the end to pimp them up a bit with some orange zest and a good old fashioned white chocolate coating – a perfect pairing if ever there was one!
Whether you decide to stay with the wholesome bites, or get a little bit fancy with the added white chocolate, I’m pretty darn positive you’ll agree these are a winner! Enjoy!
CACAO, DATE & ALMOND BITES
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup whole almonds or any nut you prefer
- 1/2 cup soft Medjool dates (pits removed)
- 1/4 cup raw cacao powder (if you can’t access it, use cocoa powder)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp pure maple syrup (or as needed)
- Zest of one orange
- About 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted (or as needed)
- Optional: 6.3 – 7 oz bar quality white chocolate
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients (except for the coconut oil) in a food processor and pulse to blend until you’re happy with the texture (process longer for a finer texture). Taste and adjust for sweetness and saltiness if needed.
- Test the moisture of the base by spooning out a small amount of mixture and rolling it in your hands. If the ingredients hold together (this is more likely if your dates are very moist), your base is perfect. If it’s not quite there yet, add up to a tablespoon of coconut oil until the moisture level is right.
- Roll small amounts of mixture into bite-sized balls and pop into the fridge to firm up.
- While the balls are firming up, prepare the white chocolate coating (if using). Melt chocolate in a double boiler over a low heat and once melted, keep at the barest minimum heat (to avoid the chocolate setting).*
- Dip the balls, one at a time, into the chocolate – use a regular fork or, if you have one, a two pronged dipping fork that you can poke into the balls – and spoon the chocolate over top to get a good coating.**
- Lay the truffles onto grease proof paper on a tray and then put them into the fridge or freezer to set. Once set, keep the truffles in the fridge or you can freeze them.
