I bought a chocolate mold a little while ago, and am officially in love!! Who doesn’t love those beautifully crafted artisanal truffles you see at those specialty shops? Every time I walk by a chocolate shop window, my mouth waters and I start to think of all the ways I could turn those beautiful works of art into something healthy. I know, a healthy truffle sounds like an oxymoron, but stay with me! By swapping out the chocolate for raw cacao (which I’ll explain later) and using yacon syrup instead of sugar, these dairy free treats are as delicious as they are beautiful!!
I love the combination of nuts and chocolate. It’s a classic combo- do you know that nutella was invented by the Italians in WWII as a way to ration chocolate? They figured out that using hazelnuts could stretch out that chocolatey flavour. All nuts have this wonderful ability, due to their inherently creamy texture and smooth flavour. Cashews are full of vitamin B6, K and E, as well as copper, phosphorus, zinc and iron. They’re also full of antioxidants, making them a great preventative food for cancer. Hazelnuts are equally great for you- they’ve got a good amount of calcium, magnesium, and vitamins B and E.
Remember I told you I’d get back to the cacao vs processed chocolate issue? Well, here we are. Cacao is chocolate in its most unprocessed form. It’s full of antioxidants and beneficial vitamins and minerals; like so many processed foods, chocolate in its processed form loses many of the benefits that make it great. Raw cacao tastes wonderful, too!
I chose to use yacon syrup in this recipe, but you can use any sweet syrup you like. Maple, brown rice syrup, or even raw honey (if you eat honey) are all good options. Yacon syrup is by far the healthiest sweetener syrup, however, and a favourite of mine.
These truffles are sweet, soft, creamy, and utterly delicious! I hope you love them as much as I do! Give them a try, and stop coveting those fancy store bought truffles once and for all! Eat well to live well!
In a blender or food processor, puree all ingredients until smooth.
3. Freeze for at least 30 minutes.