Crunchy Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles

I love hazelnuts, and especially in combination with chocolate! And who hasn't?!

This Chocolate Hazelnut recipe is a perfect way to satisfy your chocolate or sugar cravings. It is super simple and absolutely delicious. These truffles are the perfect snack to take to work, school or on a road trip. Make an extra batch to keep in the refrigerator as a treat for yourself, family or unexpected guests.

This recipe is Raw, Vegan, Paleo diet-friendly, Gluten-free, Naturally sweetened.

Only 4 ingredients: hazelnuts, dates, cacao nibs, cacao powder. Sometimes I add a little coconut nectar if I don't have enough dates and modify the recipe by using different nuts and superfood powders for an extra energy boost. It always depends on what I have in my kitchen. I would also encourage you to experiment with other ingredients you might have available and add your own twist to this recipe.

For raw reasons, I would recommend soaking raw hazelnuts in warm water overnight and then dehydrating until they get crunchy. This process makes nuts more digestible and nutritious, they also taste way better than store-bought roasted nuts.

Medjool dates are naturally sweet and packed with nutrients. The impressive benefits of Medjool dates include their ability to lower cholesterol and blood pressure, improve bone mineral density, protect cognition, and boost metabolism! They are often used in raw vegan recipes for their soft and chewy texture and rich flavor.

Note, if the dates you use are a little more dried out, make sure to soak them in hot water for 5-10 minutes to help soften them up before blending.

CRUNCHY CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT TRUFFLES

by Olga Savel | September 5, 2018

Servings: about 12 balls (2 per person)

Ingredients:

1 cup Roasted Hazelnuts, Unsalted

8 Medjool Dates (pitted & soaked in warm water to soften)

1/3 cup Cacao Nibs

2 tbsp Cacao Powder

Alternative Ingredients:

Maca powder, Lucuma powder or any other superfood or plant based protein powders to add nutrients

pinch of Sea Salt

substitute hazelnuts for your choice of nuts; you can also add 2 tbsp cashew or almond butter

Vanilla extract or Vanilla powder

Instructions:

Add the Medjool dates, hazelnuts, cacao nibs, cacao powder to the food processor and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary.

Blend until well mixed together but there are still small pieces of hazelnut and nibs. Usually it takes about 20 sec and no more than a min to blend. If you blend longer, the mixture will become too oily as the nuts start releasing oils. If the mixture is too dry, add a tbsp of water to moisten it.

Use a tablespoon to make tablespoon-sized balls. Roll into balls between your hands. Place the cacao powder in separate bowl, and then roll each ball in cacao powder.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.