Champion Chocolate Truffles

I’ve read before that the key to a balanced diet is a piece of chocolate in both hands. Consider this: Numerous studies have found dark chocolate to be highly nutritious and rich in antioxidants with the potential to improve blood flow, lower blood pressure, raise good HDL cholesterol, lower the risk of heart disease, enhance skin quality, reduce inflammation and even improve blood flow to the brain. In fact, chocolate was historically eaten for its purported healing properties. And while I can’t say that I necessarily disagree with chocolate being the “key” to a balanced diet, I do think there are some key pieces of information missing from the puzzle.

Americans spend billions (over $20 billion, to be exact) of dollars on chocolate each year. So does that equate to billions of these touted health benefits? Not exactly. You have to eat a lot of most available commercial chocolate in order to reap the benefits. And you know what comes with a lot of commercial chocolate? A lot of calories.

Chocolate (like most things) is healthiest in its most whole, pure form. Not as a bar, not as a cake, but as a bean. All forms of chocolate (dark, milk, nibs, bars, chips, cocoa powder, cacao, and yes, even white) begin their journey as a fruit on the cacao tree. A fruit! The seeds that grow inside these fruits are called cacao (also cocoa) beans. Once harvested, these seeds are fermented, dried and then roasted in order to develop flavor.

It’s the actual cocoa bean itself that carries the health benefits. The bean is loaded with flavonols (a class of flavonoids), which are like extra potent antioxidants. In high doses, these powerful compounds carry anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties and may prevent cellular damage.

The inner nibs of the beans are the true health star. They’re packed with flavonoids and antioxidants and high in protein and fiber too, with five grams of fiber and two-and-a-half grams of protein in just two tablespoons of nibs. But they aren’t sweet. The nibs are earthy and slightly bitter, with a crunch much like coffee beans. It’s the concentration of flavonols that is responsible for the bitterness of this raw and unsweetened form of chocolate.

In most familiar forms of chocolate, the nibs are ground to create a chocolate liquor (which has nothing to do with a cocktail). It is mixed together with sugar, milk powders and other ingredients like lecithin, spices and vanilla to create different flavors and textures.

The liquor is also used to create the cocoa powder we’re using in the truffles (as well as to create cacao - more on the difference, below). Cocoa butter is removed from the liquor to create the cocoa powder, making it a concentrated source of all those flavonoids and polyphenols!  A higher percentage of cocoa powder in chocolate means greater antioxidant potential and power. And unlike most other forms of chocolate, cocoa powder is super low in calories (about 12 per tablespoon). It’s also rich in minerals like magnesium, copper and iron.

(Cacao powder is very similar, but closer to its raw state than cocoa powder, as cocoa goes through an additional layer of high-heat roasting and processing. This “Dutch processing” removes some of the bitterness, but also some of the antioxidants. While both are still incredibly healthy, cacao powder is often considered to be one of the highest sources of antioxidants you can find!)

These are exciting nutritional benefits, but due to the afore-mentioned bitterness of raw nibs and both powders, most manufacturers of commonly available chocolate candies and bars add excessive amounts of sugar to make things more palatable.

So how can you work more of the “good” chocolate into a balanced, healthy diet but in a way that is delicious, too? You can start with these truffles! They’re naturally sweetened with fiber-rich dates, loaded with antioxidant-packed cacao powder and nibs, and made delightfully decadent with heart-healthy almond butter. There’s a hint of miso paste in there, too. I’m a big fan of adding a little savory to my sweets to help intensify the naturally sweet flavors. If you can’t find miso, simply substitute ¼ kosher salt.

And because we want to feel like we are indulging when we get our chocolate fix, I rolled half of the truffles in extra cacao powder and dipped the other half in a really good-quality dark chocolate, because sometimes life just needs to be dunked in a warm bowl of deep, dark melted goodness.

 

Champion Chocolate Truffles

Truffles:

• 1 cup dates, pitted and woody parts removed (if dates are extra dry, soak in warm water 10 minutes and drain)
• ⅓ cup unsweetened almond butter
• ⅓ cup cacao powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon miso paste (or ¼ teaspoon kosher salt)
• ⅓ cup cocoa nibs

Coating:

• Extra cacao powder for dusting
• 2 ounces dark 70% (or greater) cacao bar for dipping

To make truffles, combine dates, almond butter, cacao powder, vanilla, miso and nibs in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 5-10 times to combine, stopping to scrape down sides. Replace lid, continue to process until very smooth.

Gently roll into 1-inch balls. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

To make coating, melt chocolate over a double boiler until smooth. Dip half of the truffles in chocolate, using a fork to coat. Return to parchment paper until set. Roll remaining half of truffles in cacao powder.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Eat when hunger strikes.

Makes 16 balls.

Sidney Fry is a two-time James-Beard-Award-winning food and nutrition writer who loves creating simple, healthy recipes and thoughtful, actionable content for the hungry consumer. A healthy living proactivist, Sidney is also a registered dietitian nutritionist, recipe developer and mama of three based in Birmingham, Alabama.