A couple of weeks ago I shared a raw(ish) vegan truffle recipe, and since then I’ve been working on a date-free version. It took a little finagling, but this recipe came out deliciously!
Why no dates? After I shared my last raw truffle recipe, a couple of folks mentioned that one thing that keeps them away from raw desserts is the date base. I kind of love dates, but it turns out there are folks that can’t stand that taste! It makes sense – dates do have a distinct flavor, and if you’re not into it, it can really overpower a raw dessert.
I had a few ideas for what to use to replace the dates, and after staring at bags of dried fruit for so long that someone at the store asked me if I was okay, I decided on apricots. I love a chocolate covered apricot, so I thought the flavors would mesh nicely, and as dried fruit goes, apricots are on the more affordable side. One day, when I am feeling rich, I will give this a go with dried cherries!
Apricots are not as sweet as dates, so these truffles aren’t as sweet as the date-based ones. I’ve been trying to avoid added sugars in my recipes, but if you want these a little sweeter, you can replace some of the water (1 tablespoon should do it) with maple syrup.
Raw Truffle Recipe
Nutrition info per truffle: Calories: 61, Fat: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Protein: 2g, Fiber: 1.5g, Carbs: 8g
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder (or raw cacao powder, if you want this to be a truly raw recipe!)
- 1 cup dried apricots
- 3 tablespoons water (or you can use coconut milk – the tinned sort, not the kind in cartons), divided
- cocoa/cacao powder or raw coconut flakes, for dusting (or both!)
Cooking Directions
- Blend the cashews up in your blender or food processor, until you get a flour-like consistency. Some chunks are OK. You’re going for flour, not butter, so it’s better to slightly under-blend than to over-blend. Transfer to a bowl with the cocoa/cacao powder, and use a whisk or fork to incorporate these together.
- Throw the apricots in the blender with 2 tablespoons of the water, and blend. You don’t need to get these totally blended into a paste, but you can if you want to. It really depends if you like chunks of apricot in your truffles. I vote for chunks, but it’s all about your preference!
- Add the apricots to the bowl with the cashew/chocolate mixture, and use your fork to mix things up until they get crumbly. At this point, it’s time to dig in with your hands. Knead everything until you get a nice dough that’s slightly sticky. If the dough isn’t coming together, add that last tablespoon of water, one teaspoon at a time. If your apricots were particularly dry, you might even need a bit more water, but the 3 tablespoons worked perfectly in my trials.
- Divide the dough into 16 balls that are around the same size, and roll them in the cocoa/cacao or coconut. You can serve these up right away, but if it’s going to be a while, I’d keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to serve!
Becky Striepe
Hi there! My name is Becky Striepe (pronounced “stree-pee,” like “sleepy”), and I am a freelance writer and vegan crafter living in Atlanta, Georgia. My life’s mission is to make green crafting and vegan food accessible to everyone! Check out my new book: 40 Days of Green Smoothies!
2 Responses to Raw Vegan Truffles, Take Two: The No Dates Edition!
Leave a Reply
Let’s Connect!
Pages
POPULAR NOW:
-
Check out Vegan Feed!
I'm super thrilled to be part of this community of vegan bloggers, podcasters, and videocasters!
My Green Smoothie Book!
Sponsors
Proud member!
Yay!
Like you, I really enjoy dates. However, this version with apricots sounds lovely too, and it can be nice to mix things up.
Yeah, it was a nice change! It definitely has me wanting to try other kinds of dried fruit.