I don't know about you, but when 2 pm strikes, so do my snack cravings. Maybe it's because the morning is so chaotic and busy that I don't realize until I get a breather... when the babes go down for a nap. Usually, my "free time" is spent washing the dishes, tidying up, and preparing their afternoon snack, and then if there's time, I grab a snack. So it is very easy for me to default to commercial snacks loaded with salt and sugar.
Why spend more time preparing a healthy snack when I can simply tear into a bag of Oreos? And did I mention chocolate is my weakness? Christmas has come and gone but my sweet tooth is still on overdrive. It wasn't until I attended the Milk+Confetti Event at Barre Body Studio that I tried and rather quite enjoyed some raw vegan truffles. They were sweet enough to hit the spot for my sugar cravings, healthy, and the fact that they were raw meant that there was no baking or cooking involved. That was a win-win situation.
After the event, I was inspired to try my own version. I went home and did a bit of research online to find a simple recipe which I could use ingredients I already had at home. All I needed was some almonds, dates, hemp hearts, and chia seeds. Those were the basic 4 ingredients. The hemp hearts and peanut powder are from Costco, medjool dates from Superstore, and carob powder and pea protein powder from Planet organic.
Honestly, you can use whatever combos you want like cinnamon, raisin, and oatmeal, chocolate chips and peppermint extract... this is your chance to be creative! I modified the recipe a bit to use up some other ingredients that were lying around in my fridge. I added some pea protein powder and dusted the "truffles" in carob powder and peanut powder. You can use cacao powder too. I personally enjoy the toasted "malt " like flavor of the carob. No sweeteners are required because the medjool dates are sweet enough on their own.
The only appliance needed was a blender. If you have a food processor, that is probably a better option since it is easier to scrape the " dough" out. I also found it a bit dry, so added small amounts of water to moisten it. Start to finish was only 45 minutes and you can make a large batch to last you a few days!
RAW VEGAN TRUFFLES
INGREDIENTS:
4 parts medjool dates
1 part almonds
1+1/2 parts chia seeds, hemp hearts, pea protein powder ( whatever combination you want)
Carob powder to dust
Peanut powder to dust
DIRECTIONS:
1. Pulse the almonds in the blender until coarsely chopped
2. Add the pitted medjool dates and pulse until you get a sticky "dough." Add small amounts of water or oil if needed to moisten the dough
3. Add the hemp hearts, chia seeds, protein powder of your choice and pulse until combined. You can also just mix together in a bowl with the date/ almond dough
4. Roll into small balls. If you find it too sticky to handle, add some more dry ingredients. I added more help hearts
5. Roll the balls into carob powder or peanut powder to coat
6. Store in an airtight container and keep in fridge.
7. Enjoy! Delicious and packed full of protein and fiber!