Vegan ‘Nutella’ Truffles

These little bad boys have received critical acclaim.

Well, my husband declared them to be ‘amazing balls’ and my friend Jacqui can’t stop raving about them so that’s kind of the same thing.

And actually they’ve come along at exactly the right time of year. With Halloween and Christmas both fast approaching we are constantly bombarded by ads for sweet treats, the shops are chocca with choccy and waistlines across the lands are feeling the pressure.

I can’t tell a lie; these indulgent treats are not low fat. They are however, packed full of nutrients which will keep your energy levels high enough to endure the coming festivities! They’re also pretty rich so should help you feel satisfied without overdoing it.

The ‘Nutella’ flavour comes from hazelnuts and cocoa powder and those are the exact ingredients I’ve used here.

You’ll need:

Half a cup ground walnuts

Half a cup ground hazelnuts

1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds

1 tablespoon ground wheat germ

1 cup dried dates

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

3 -4 tablespoons hazelnut milk

1 tablespoon maple syrup

Dessicated coconut for rolling

In a bowl mix the nuts, wheat germ, seeds and cocoa powder. Spoon the mix into your food processor and pulse with the dates, milk and syrup. If the mixture is too wet add some more ground nuts or wheat germ, too dry and you can add a little more milk. You want it to be moist enough to roll easily into little balls. Take the balls and coat them in coconut and then leave them in the fridge for an hour or two to set.

Now for the really fun part. Mix it up! There are a whole host of other ingredients and flavour combinations you could try.

How about chocolate orange, mint choc chip or rum and raisin? Or even just plain old vanilla?

Bon appetit!