Cacao and Walnut Holiday Truffles

I was inspired to make these healthy Cacao and Walnut Holiday Truffles from a recipe I’ve made many times.

The inspiration came from Tabatha at the “Kitchen to Nirvana” website.

And although I normally give you balls and treats with protein and superfoods, this is just a simple, luxurious and decadent treat to enjoy for the holidays.

But not to worry…they are still clean and healthy!

I took Tabatha’s original “Raw Chocolate Tart” recipe and made them into balls.

They are super easy to make and all you need is a good food processor and your hands to roll them.

And to dress them up for the holidays, I rolled them in crushed pistachios and crushed goji berries so they have the colors of the holiday season.

If you want to add some sparkle to them, you can even roll them in raw cane sugar.

Want more healthy dessert recipes? Check out Dark Chocolate Cups with Pistachios and Goji Berries, Healthy Holiday Fudge, Clean Eating Chocolate Crunch Bars or my Clean Eating Cookbook with an entire chapter of 20 healthy, clean eating dessert recipes just like this one that you will love!

5 Fast Facts About Walnuts:*

• high quality vegan protein
• high in anti-oxidants
• rich in omega-3 fatty acids
• high in vitamin C
• improves blood lipids and other cardiovascular risk factors

5 Fast Facts About Medjool Dates:*

• natural energy booster
• high in iron content
• rich in potassium
• good source of dietary fiber
• excellent source of vegan protein

5 Fast Facts About Raw Cacao Powder:*

• contains over 300 compounds including protein, calcium, copper, zinc and iron
• super high in anti-oxidants
• promotes cardiovascular health
• contains essential fats
• can help to decrease blood pressure

5 Fast Facts About Pistachios:*

• contains 90% healthy unsaturated fat
• super high in anti-oxidants
• supports cardiovascular health
• excellent source of fiber, protein, manganese and copper
• high in thiamin, vitamin B-6 and potassium

5 Fast Facts About Goji Berries:*

• high concentration of anti-oxidants
• contains 21 trace minerals
• contains 18 amino acids
• high in essential fatty acids
• contains 13% more protein than whole wheat

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Tip #1:  These are not a really sweet treat…they are rich and intense (as Tabitha very accurately describes them).  If you prefer a sweeter truffle, you can add extra sweetener to taste to the truffle mixture.

Tip #2:  The goji berries did not roll on as easily as the pistachios but I found if you wet your fingers and rubbed them over the truffles before rolling them, the goji berries stuck better that way.

Tip #3:  Using 8 tablespoons of raw cacao powder will give them a deep, dark chocolate taste, so if  you may want to reduce the amount of cacao powder if you prefer.

Tip #4:  The recipe will make approximately 32 small truffles.

Cacao and Walnut Holiday Truffles (Raw, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Paleo-Friendly, No Refined Sugar)

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Serves	32
Prep time	10 minutes
www.thehealthyfamilyandhome.com	The Healthy Family and Home

Ingredients

• 2 cups organic walnuts
• 2 cups organic medjool dates (pitted)
• 8 tablespoons organic raw cacao powder
• 1 teaspoon organic vanilla bean powder
• 1/2 cup organic pistachios
• 1/2 cup organic goji berries

Directions

Step 1

In a food processor, process the pistachios until they are finely ground. Set aside. In a food processor, process the goji berries until they are finely ground. Set aside. In a food processor, add the remaining ingredients (walnuts, dates, vanilla bean powder) and process until well combined. Scoop out about a tablespoon at a time, squeeze them, then roll them into a ball shape in the palm of your hand. When finished, roll the balls in the crushed pistachios, ground goji berries or raw cane sugar, if desired. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Note

This recipe will make approximately (32) truffles.

Recipe inspired by:  http://kitchentonirvana.com/2013/04/23/raw-chocolate-tart/

 

 

The recipe and photographs for "Walnut and Cacao Holiday Truffles" by Karielyn Tillman of The Healthy Family and Home website are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 International License and cannot be used without my written permission.

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