For Valentines day I wanted to make The Chef something nice, but at the same time healthier than your usual box of chocolates. So I grabbed the blender and a heap of ‘good stuff’ and I blitzed it all until it resembled something delicious. These little babies are gluten, grain and dairy free so they are wonderful for those who have intolerances.
Be prepared, these are fudgy and gooey, but it’s just the way we like them. They are packed full of nutritious goodies, so although they are not free of calories, they are definately providing lots of healthy nutrients in one little bite. The even better thing is, they are so super fudgy that you only need one, meaning you won’t sit there and feast on the whole batch (unlike those boxes of chocolates that are so bland that you have to feast on the whole box to get any satisfaction whatsoever).
You know me by now, this recipe is a GUIDE only. Don’t be limited by the recipe you find here. Experiment with your own favourite goodie ingredients and see what you come up with. If you find these too fudgy, just add more of the dry ingredients next time. Too dry for your liking? Add more nut butter. Can’t find goji berries, then just substitute with a dry ingredient that you HAVE got. As long as you keep the amount of dry ingredients in total the same, then it doesn’t matter which ingredients you use. Taste them before you roll them all, that way you will be able to alter the recipe if you need.
Make double the batch, and you will be able to use one half to make our Goodness Bars at the same time!
What they contain:
- Antioxidants
- Fibre
- Mono and polyunsaturated oils
- Vitamin E, A, Iron and Protein among others.
DRY Ingredients
- 1 cup puffed rice (or rolled oats)
- 1 cup cocoa
- 1/2 cup flaked coconut
- 4 tbsp sesame seeds
- 4tbsp linseeds
- 4 tbsp chia seeds
- 4 tbsp coconut sugar or Rapadura sugar- a low GI alternative to sugar available from health food stores, or you can omit from the recipe
- 1/4 cup flaked almonds
- 1/4 cup goji berries (available from health food stores and Asian supermarkets)
- 1/4 cup cranberries (preferably unsweetened).
- Extra cocoa to dust
WET Ingredients
- 5 tbsp nut butter (I used peanut butter with no added sugar or salt, but any nut butter and nut butter alternative will be delicious)
- 2 tbsp rice bran syrup (available from health food stores and major supermarkets) or honey or golden syrup.
- Water
Method
- Place all dry ingredients in a blender and pulse until combined.
- Add nut butter and rice bran syrup and continue blending.
- The mixture should be starting to come together.
- Take a pinch of the mixture between your fingers, and if it comes together like a truffle, it is ready to be rolled.
- If it is still to dry, add a tablespoon of water at a time until it comes together. Be careful not to add too much water as it will make the mixture too wet and unable to form truffles.
- Use a spoon to take a portion of the mixture, roll it lightly in the palm of your hands until it forms a ball.
- Place extra cocoa on a plate. Drop the truffle lightly onto the cocoa and roll around the cocoa to coat.
- Place in an airtight container and store in the fridge.
- Makes approximately 16, depending upon size.
SUPER DUPER SIMPLE VERSION
- Take 3.5 cups of your favourite toasted muesli.
- Substitute this for the DRY ingredients listed above.
Stay happy and healthy,
The Nutrition Guru
While you are here, why don’t you take a peek at our article – The truth about coconut oil
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