Recipe: Healthy Holiday Truffles
Truffles photo by Ryo Gokita
Holidays are synonymous with indulging—in food, holiday spirit, parties, and family time. And while indulging is good every once in a while, when you’re heading to holiday party after holiday party, the desserts start to add up.
Sweet treats don’t have to be packed with sugar and heavy cream to taste good, though. In fact, dessert can be sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, and still delicious. These raw cacao peppermint truffles, for example, take five ingredients, require no cooking, and boast a number of health benefits to boot, making them a great alternative to the usual holiday party fare.
The raw cacao powder is packed with antioxidants, which helps ward off colds and viruses, and magnesium, which regulates muscle function, blood sugar, blood pressure, and aids in the formation of proteins, bones, and DNA.
Bring these truffles to parties as a healthy holiday dessert option, and watch your friends and family drool.
Ingredients
Makes approximately 15 truffles
¼ cup coconut oil
½ cup raw cacao powder
¼ cup raw honey
2 drops peppermint extract
¼ tsp sea salt
For coating: raw cacao powder, finely shredded coconut
Directions
Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until combined. Make sure your coconut oil is soft, but not melted—otherwise, you could break your food processor. Once the ingredients are completely combined, place the batter in the freezer for five to 10 minutes, to let the coconut oil harden. This will make rolling the truffles into ball shapes easier.
While you wait, spread your cacao and coconut coatings on a flat surface. Start with 2 Tbsp of each, adding more as necessary.
Remove your batter from the freezer and begin rolling the truffles into balls slightly smaller than ping pong balls. Right after forming the ball shape, roll the truffle in one or both of the coatings. Arrange the truffles on a tray or in a storage container. For serving, use festive mini cupcake liners.
Store in the fridge until needed—or until your willpower breaks down.
