Sweetheart’s Day is quickly approaching … an awesome dessert to wrap in elegant, fun or WILD gift containers for your special someone … OR … make a pathway to a special place just for you two with these DEEEE-LISH Cocoa Nut Truffle Balls!
Belle of the Balls! Free of sugar, grains and dairy these allergy-friendly Cocoa Nut Truffle Balls are the perfect sweet treat for Sweetheart’s Day or any day.
I would like to introduce some of the most extraordinary desserts, made with just a few basic, whole-food ingredients. This is one of the healthiest, sinful desserts you’ll ever eat. They’re packed with good fats from the coconut, fantastic cocoa flavanols that help lower blood pressure, and minerals, and protein courtesy of the cashews. They’re even sweetened with a bit of rice syrup without breaking any of the rules. And it’s mind-blowingly delicious, to boot.
What are cocoa FLAVANOLS?
Cocoa flavanols are largely responsible for dark chocolate’s heart-health benefits. These nutrients – found only in cocoa and coc0a supplements -are a unique blend of phytonutrients that have been shown to promote better circulation and blood vessel health.
Makes 24 truffles 
To add variety, you can coat these balls in various toppings. Try: lime zest, orange zest, finely ground almonds, sesame seeds, finely ground candied ginger, cacao nibs, or even more dried coconut.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 20 minutes and drained well
1/3 cup brown rice syrup (or raw honey, softened)
Scant 1/2 cup raw cacao powder (or scant 1/3 cup high-quality cocoa powder)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch salt
3/4 cup dried coconut (unsweetened)
1. combine cashews and rice syrup in food processor, and process until smooth. Add cacao, vanilla, and salt, and process until smooth. Add coconut, and process or pulse until well-incorporated. Taste, and adjust seasonings.
2. Rest batter in freezer 20minutes. Remove, and form into 1-inch balls, rolling each truffle thoroughly in coating, if desired. Store truffles in refrigerator.
Per serving: 89 cal; 2g pro; 5g total fat (3g sat fat); 8g carb; omg chol; 19mg sod; 2g fiber; 3g sugars
For more variety, you can try flavoring the batter base with different extracts. If you’d like to try more than one, simply divide the batter and the suggested amounts of extract accordingly. For one full batch, you can blend in: 1/4 tsp coconut extract; or 3/4 tsp peppermint extract, or to taste. Always start with less extrct–you can add more if desired, but you can’t take it out if you over-do.
One of my favorite flavor combos is the batter base with orange extract, coated with a combination of dried coconut, curry powder, and a couple pinces of dried sweetener, such as finely ground palm sugar.
