“Love is the bridge between you and everything.”
Since having Oliver, I have truly found that there is nothing I love more than a quick snack, especially one that I can also enjoy as a dessert!
Could I take the time to make something that takes me hours and is super complex? Sure! Do I want to? No! Like I’ve mentioned, I cannot wait until Oliver is old enough to help me in the kitchen (if he wants to, of course!), so maybe I will feel more inclined to spend over an hour+ baking. For now, I like things short and sweet! I get the bulk of my things done while he is napping, which now we are lucky if he naps 3 times per day! When he’s up, it’s constant playing, reading, going for walks, bouncing, swimming, eating…the list goes on and on! If I really need to get something done or take a break myself, sure, I will put some Moana on for a few minutes and he is SO fine just zoning out to watch them. And, who am I kidding, I’m all about it, too!
About a week ago, during a nap, I tried to make the oh-so-popular energy balls/bites, what have you and they tasted like SAWDUST. I actually thought I was going to choke with how bad they were! Must husband took 1 bite and gladly passed. Nothing helped them go down easy, so they went right in the trash! This week, I didn’t want another dry, choking hazard recipe, so I made sure to add in something other than just coconut oil to bind the nut flour. BOOM. Got it!
Nut butter for the win!
Once I perfected the recipe and ate probably half of the dough, I knew it was a winner. These babies taste like chocolate truffles!! They’re rich, creamy, satisfying, while also dairy free (!!), vegan (!!), and just SO DANG GOOD. As always, they’re nice and quick. They can be a dessert, an afternoon pick-me-up, a pre-workout energy bite—these babies have some range, let me tell you! So, while we are still all at home, spice up your date nights with them, give yourself a boost with them, treat yo’self with a few while you watch a movie on a wild Friday night, just be careful because these are ADDICTING!
ingredients
Almond Flour—4.25 oz, or 1 C
Nut Butter—4 oz, or ½ C
Dates, pitted—8
Cocoa Powder—1.5 oz, or ½ C
Collagen Powder—2 scoops
Salt—1 tsp
Cinnamon—1 TBL
Vanilla Extract—1 tsp
Coconut Oil, melted—2 oz, or ¼ C
Chocolate Chips—2.25 oz, or 1/3 C
process
In the bowl of your food processor, with the blade, combine the almond flour, nut butter**, dates, cocoa powder, collagen, salt, cinnamon and vanilla extract.
Pulse until combined.
Once combined and with the food processor on, stream in the coconut oil. Stop when all combined and forms a ball.
Add in the chocolate chips and pulse for 5-10 seconds.
Take a small scoop and scoop out the dough, placing them on a parchment lined tray or a Silpat.
Place in the refrigerator to firm up a bit.
This part is optional, but so worth it! Melt either some chocolate or nut butter, drizzle on top of the set truffles, sprinkle with salt.
Allow to set again in the refrigerator.
Once set, can all be stored together in an airtight container in the fridge.
**For the nut butter, I did a combination of peanut butter and almond butter, as I find that peanut butter can be VERY sweet! The combination here is great, it doesn’t overpower any of the chocolate in these bites, or make them overly sweet, either! Of course, all peanut butter, or any other nut butter, is perfectly fine!**
Bon Appétit!