Homemade Chocolate Truffles with Dried Cherries and Dates
- 2 Minutes Read
Homemade chocolate truffles sound decadent and you may wonder why this recipe is featured as part of a weight loss blog. Even when it comes to holiday desserts, moderation and variety is my motto. The taste of even just one of these homemade chocolate truffles made with dates and dried cherries, instead of sugar, is so satisfying that you can fulfill your sweet tooth cravings by eating just one, plus there are many nutritional benefits of dates.
These truffles are quite high in calories and should be thought of as a special occasion healthy treat rather than something that should be eaten all the time. They do fit with the "total diet approach" of eating as recommended by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The total diet approach emphasizes that all foods, in appropriate amounts, can be incorporated into a healthy diet.
Bottom line:
For a healthy lifestyle, one should consume a variety of nutrient-dense foods in moderation and include regular physical activity.
If you are craving something sweet, this truffle recipe is unique because the main ingredients are dates and dried cherries. It will not only satisfy your sweet tooth but is also packed with soluble fiber, antioxidants, potassium, calcium, and iron.
Nutrition Tip: Always drink extra water when consuming high fiber foods.
The flavor and texture of even just one of these homemade chocolate truffles made with dates and dried cherries instead of sugar is so satisfying. It is easy to sstisfy your sweet tooth cravings by eating just one.
Though this premium recipe yields 20 dried cherry chocolate truffles with one truffle equal to one serving which provides 82 calories, one can make smaller truffle balls. To create a consistent and smaller truffle, I dipped my small melon baller (1" in diameter) into the truffle mixture to create mini-truffles. Normally I use my melon baller kitchen tool in the summer when forming melon balls out of watermelon or cantaloupe. However, using this method, I made 40 truffles instead of 20, which also brought down the calories per truffle to 41 instead of 82.
Yield: 20 servings (1 serving = 1 truffle)
Calories: 82, 4.4 g fat, 11 g carbohydrate, 1.2 g protein, 1.3 g dietary fiber, 18 mg sodium
1 serving = 1 truffle ball
Tips:
60% cocoa chocolate works well in this recipe. However, you can experiment with different levels of dark chocolate to find one that works best for the sweetness you prefer.
If you don't care for coconut, these truffles are great without any coating.
You can make smaller truffle balls, which I suggested above, if you prefer. Just update the Total Servings with the final number so that the calories and nutrition are accurate.
This recipe (found under the name: dried cherry chocolate truffles) is one of 200+ dietitian approved recipes that will be available with the Premium membership this winter.
Foods & Recipes->Chocolate