Delightful Date Truffles

After I eat dinner, I tend crave a little something sweet. Lately I’ve been having some raisins, a piece of hard candy, or a few dates to satisfy my sweet tooth. They say that fruit is nature’s candy, and dates are the epitome of a fruit full of nutrient-rich sweetness. This is obviously why I love them.

While recently browsing through one of my cookbooks, The Vegan Table, I spotted a recipe for date truffles. When I saw that they were described as a lighter treat after a meal, I knew these would be a perfect little snack for me to have around as my post-dinner sweet fix.

Delightful Date Truffles 

Makes 10

Ingredients:

•  1/2 c raw almonds
• 10 large dates (pitted)
• 1/2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for rolling truffles in
• Zest from 1/2 orange
• 1 TBSP agave nectar
• 1/4 TSP ground cinnamon
• A pinch of ground nutmeg
• A pinch of salt

Grind almonds in a food processor until fine. Add dates, cocoa powder, orange zest, agave nectar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, and process until mixture forms a thick ball. (You can add more agave if mixture doesn’t stick together.)

Form 10 balls out of mixture, then roll each truffle in cocoa powder. I also think they’d be yummy dipped in melted chocolate, which I might have to try next time!

Nutrition stats per truffle: 65 calories, 3 g fat, 1 g protein, 9 g carbs

Random fact about dates: The fruit has been cultivated in the Middle East since 4000 B.C., but nowadays, 2/3 of the dates Americans buy come from the California and Arizona deserts.