Guests won't believe these chocolate truffles are made with dates and black beans
Traditional chocolate truffles — small balls of chocolate and cream rolled in cocoa, coconut or nuts — aren't exactly a heart-healthy snack.
But today’s recipe for cocoa truffles calls for a secret ingredient that makes these treats healthful — and no one needs to know except you.
In fact, I took these to a family gathering and watched everyone gobble them up and rave about how delicious they were — all the while knowing that I had made them with Medjool dates and black beans. Yep, you heard that right.
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Traditional chocolate truffles are loaded with saturated fat, sugar and calories. They contain virtually no vitamins or minerals.
But these sweet treats made with our secret ingredient have no saturated fat and come with 1 gram of protein and 1 gram of fiber per serving and only 32 calories.
They also provide folic acid, magnesium and potassium. Magnesium is required for energy production, bone health and the formation of DNA. . It also helps transport potassium and calcium for muscle contraction and normal heart rhythm.
So go ahead and indulge. Roll today's treats in the cocoa-sugar mixture described in the recipe or customize them to your taste with chopped nuts, finely chopped chocolate or flaked coconut.
Just be sure to share. Your friends, family and co-workers will thank you! (And don’t tell them what they’re made of until after they take a delicious bite.)
Bethany Thayer is a registered dietitian nutritionist with Henry Ford Health System. For more recipes and health information, visit henryford.com/blog and for questions about today’s recipe email HenryFordLiveWell@hfhs.org.
Cocoa Truffles
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips
14 Medjool dates, pits removed
1 tablespoon peanut oil
½ cup plus 2 teaspoons baking cocoa, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon salt
Nonstick cooking spray
2 teaspoons powdered sugar
Place the beans, chocolate chips, dates, peanut oil, ½ cup cocoa powder, vanilla and salt in a food processor. Process until blended. Remove lid, scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula, then cover and process until smooth.
Spray an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and transfer mixture to pan. Refrigerate for a minimum of two hours (or overnight).
Mix powdered sugar with the remaining 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder in a shallow bowl. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Spray hands with vegetable oil cooking spray. Scoop out 1 teaspoon of chocolate mixture and roll into a truffle with oiled hands. Roll the truffles in the cocoa sugar mixture and transfer to the prepared baking sheet . Continue to roll into truffles until the mixture is gone. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Cook’s note: Instead of cocoa sugar mixture, you can roll the truffles in chopped nuts, finely chopped chocolate, chopped cocoa nibs or flaked coconut.
From Henry Ford LiveWell.
Nutritional information per two-truffle serving.
32 calories (19% from fat), 0.5 grams fat (0 grams sat. fat, 0 grams trans fat), 6 grams carbohydrates, 1 grams protein, 6 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol, 7 mg calcium, 1 gram fiber. Food exchanges: ½ starch.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Dates, black beans are secret ingredients in heart-healthy truffles
