Salted Cashew Coconut Truffles

There are days when you just want a little something sweet AND salty at the same time.  (cough::PMS::cough)

Before I went gluten-free, I was a huge fan of chocolate-covered pretzels because, in my mind, they were the epitome of sweet and salty.  Since I’m not much of a grain-eater at this point, I don’t have the luxury of grabbing a chocolate-covered pretzel to solve my sweet/salty craving dilemma.  But, I have good news!  I’ve discovered a better, healthier substitute:  Salted Cashew Coconut Truffles!These little bites of sweet and salty bliss contain only 5 ingredients:

1. Fresh Medjool Dates
2. Cashew Butter
3. Unsweetened Coconut
4. Pure Vanilla Extract
5. Sea Salt

(Plus optional chocolate chips for topping!)  🙂My Salted Cashew Coconut Truffles require no baking and can be made in mere minutes in the food processor!  Plus, they are fruit-sweetened, vegan, paleo, and gluten-free!  I DO dip some in chocolate, but that is optional, since I know not all of you are chocolate fans or you may need to avoid the extra sugar.  These are amazing all by themselves and are INSANELY good when dipped in chocolate!If you don’t yet have a food processor, maybe these Salted Cashew Coconut Truffles might just convince you to buy one! 😉  I talked about my favorite food processors in my last post, in case you’re interested in getting one!

Before you food process all these yummy ingredients, you want to soak your pitted dates in hot water for 15-20 minutes and toast your coconut in a dry skillet for 5-10 minutes, stirring often. (You can use non-toasted coconut, but it won’t have as much flavor.)

Drain your soaked dates and add them to the food processor an pulse until they are broken up.  Blend to create a bit of a date paste and add in the cashew butter, sea salt, and vanilla.  I definitely recommend the Trader Joe’s creamy cashew butter, if you can find it!  You could also substitute almond butter or peanut butter, but the flavor will definitely change.  Pulse and blend until mixed.  Add 3/4 cup of toasted coconut last, leaving the extra for toppings.  Pulse until the coconut is well incorporated and the mixture sticks together, then scoop out the “dough” into a bowl. Prepare a plate or baking sheet with parchment.  Roll out your truffles into small balls and place on the parchment.  I made 16 truffles out of my batch.  If you plan on skipping the chocolate, you can just dip your truffles in extra toasted coconut instead.  I did that with some of mine.  The ones I saved for the chocolate, I left plain so they’d be easier to coat.  Freeze for 10 minutes while you melt your chocolate, if you decide to go that route!

Melt your chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave and stir it until smooth.  Once your truffles have cooled off enough, dip some or all of them in the chocolate.  I found that a spoon was helpful for this method.  I had a blast decorating these and tried to make some different combinations.  I did some rolled in coconut, some drizzled with chocolate, some half-dipped in chocolate, and some fully covered with chocolate and topped with extra coconut and sea salt. My personal favorite were the chocolate-covered truffles with sea salt on top!  Have fun and get creative with these!Freeze the decorated truffles until the chocolate has hardened.  Then you can sneakily eat one or two before you share them with your family and friends.Store any leftovers (if you don’t eat them all at once!) in the freezer or refrigerator, since these babies will melt a bit at room temp.  Needless to say, my photo shoot was a bit of a challenge.  I think my camera has chocolate fingerprints on it now!  BUT, so worth it.Go make a big batch of these to enjoy ALL weekend!

Salted Cashew Coconut Truffles

 

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Created by: Joanna Smith

Serves: 16 (1 truffle each)

Ingredients

• 6 medjool dates, pitted
• ½ cup creamy cashew butter (Trader Joe's brand is my fave)
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut, divided

Optional Toppings:

• Extra toasted coconut
• ½ cup chocolate chips, melted with ½ teaspoon coconut oil
• Extra sea salt

Instructions

1. Soak pitted medjool dates in hot water for 15-20 minutes. While dates are soaking, toast the coconut in a dry skillet for 5-10 minutes on low heat, until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
2. Drain dates and add to your food processor. Pulse a few times, then blend until it makes a paste. (It's okay if it's not completely smooth.)
3. Add cashew butter, vanilla, and sea salt and pulse several times, then blend for a few seconds.
4. Add ¾ cups shredded coconut last and pulse to incorporate, then blend for a few seconds until mixture binds together.
5. Scoop mixture into a bowl, then form into small round balls. I made 16 truffles out of my mixture.
6. I dipped a few of the truffles in ¼ cup of extra toasted coconut before freezing, which is optional.
7. Place on a parchment-lined plate or baking sheet and freeze for 10 minutes.
8. Prepare chocolate, if using, by melting chocolate chips in the microwave for about 30-40 seconds with ½ teaspoon of coconut oil. Stir until smooth. Dip truffles in chocolate using a spoon to coat them. Sprinkle with sea salt or extra coconut, as you prefer.
9. Freeze truffles again, uncovered for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a covered container.
10. Truffles will get really soft at room temp, so store in freezer or refrigerator.

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