Raw Chocolate Truffles

Can you call chocolate healthy? My raw chocolate truffles are rich in healthy ingredients and are also really easy to make.

On top of that these chocolate truffles are gluten-free, dairy-free and suitable for vegans.

I eat a lot of healthy food on a daily basis. I also eat a small amount of chocolate on a daily basis – minimum 70% dark chocolate though.

And sometimes I use raw cacao nibs, or raw cacao powder – which I buy at health food shops – in things like my Quinoa Pop Muesli.

Raw cacao nibs are broken up pieces from the cocoa bean, once the bean has been roasted and the husk has been removed. Raw cacao (nibs or powder) is rich in antioxidants, different minerals and fibre - but is also a stimulant as it contains theobromine, which can have a similar effect on your body to caffeine.

But hey, as long as you eat them in moderation…

I have combined raw cacao powder with coconut oil, walnuts and raw organic honey to make these raw chocolate truffles.

Coconut and coconut products, like coconut milk and coconut oil, has high levels of vitamins C, E and B and is also rich in magnesium, potassium and iron. Coconut has a high level of dietary fibre which makes you feel fuller quicker.

It does contain saturated fat but coconut is rich in medium-chain fatty acids which the body processes differently than other saturated fats. These medium-chain fatty acids promote weight maintenance without raising cholesterol levels.

Walnuts contain high levels of antioxidants and essential fats, especially omega 3. These nuts are also a good source of several minerals, including calcium and magnesium which are both really important for the health of our bones.

The honey I am using is a raw organic honey – a lovely orange blossom honey at the moment. It is still a type of sugar but a sugar that is full of minerals.

Runny honey has been through a heating up process to “clean it up” and make it easy to use. This heating process removes all the goodness of a raw honey. Runny honey has more or less the same effect on your blood sugar as ordinary, refined sugar has.

Once my raw chocolate truffles have firmed up, I dust them with raw cacao powder.

To make 12 raw chocolate truffles:

25g, 0.9oz, coconut oil

50g, 1¾oz raw honey

50g, 1¾oz raw cacao powder

50g, 1¾oz walnut halves

Raw cacao powder for dusting

1. Add the walnut halves to a food processor and pulse for about 20 seconds.

2. Place the coconut oil in a pot over a low heat and stir until melted – it won’t take long. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the honey, chocolate and the grated walnuts and mix well. Place this mixture in a bowl and place the bowl in the fridge for about 15 minutes.

3. Remove the bowl from the fridge and form 12 truffles with your hands. Place the truffles on a plate and put this plate in the freezer for a further 15-20 minutes. Remove the truffles from the freezer and dust them with raw cacao powder. Store the truffles in an air-tight container in the fridge.

“So long as you have food in your mouth, you have solved all questions for the time being.” Franz Kafka

Get delicious and nutritious tips and tidbits in my monthly Newsletter. You will get time-saving cooking tips, ideas for how to make your diet more nutritious and flavourful recipes.

Subscribe today and you will get an instant download to my Ebook “A Tasty Way to Salsa, Dips & Sauces”.

Click on Tasty & Healthy Nuggets to subscribe..

New Comments! Have your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below.