The muffins I made on Saturday were disappearing at a rapid pace so on Sunday I decided I had to make something else to get us through the week but I wanted to stay on my sugarless path. Dates are one of the best foods to use as a sweetener and I had quite a few in the fridge. But they were rather on the hard side and I didn’t think my dear little Cuisinart Mini Processor would manage, as fabulous as it is at chopping almost anything up finely. So I soaked them for an hour before blending them with the other ingredients and that worked well. I added cocoa to make them chocolatey, coconut to make them coconutty, walnuts to make them nutty… Anyway, you get the idea – I added whatever was in my fridge, Including a bit of thickened cream to make them a little richer. But no sugar and they are definitely sweet enough. So thank you dates!
This is not a low Fodmap recipe.
- 1 cup dates - use soft ones
- ¾ cup dried cranberries
- ¾ cup of shredded coconut
- ½ cup walnuts
- ⅓ cup of dried apricots
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 2 tbsp cocoa
- ½ cup almond meal
- 2 tbsp thickened cream
- Place all the ingredients in a food processor except the cranberries and walnuts and whiz until it is a smooth paste.
- Add the walnuts and pulse a few times to break them up.
- Tip the mixture into a bowl and add the cranberries. Mix well to distribute them.
- Place extra coconut in a plate and roll small amounts of the mixture in the coconut to create the truffles.
- Place in the fridge to firm up.
Hotly Spiced says
Your truffles look lovely especially finished off with the shredded coconut. I use dates as a sweetener too xx
admin says
I guess you could roll them in nuts or cocoa too but I like the look of the coconut.
Suzanne
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
Beautiful truffles, I love the coconut!
admin says
Thanks, Laura.
Suzanne
Kelly @ Inspired Edibles says
Oh Suzanne, I just love these and make very similar variations… so much fun to play with the nut butters in combination with dried fruit. Healthy, delicious and it looks gorgeous!
admin says
I often add nut butters into my granola bars but they would work here well too.
Suzanne
SpicieFoodie says
I love dates and they are one of my treats when the sweet craving strikes. Your truffles sound so good! Love all the ingredients. They would be a really nice gift for the holidays:)
admin says
They would be a good gift. Funnily enough I’m not keen on dates alone but in something like this they take on a different life.
Suzanne
Valerie says
I think I would eat so many truffles that I’d rack up just as many grams of sugar as a half pan of brownies. 😉 They look delightful!
admin says
That can be a problem. But I only take one to work in the morning and then I have only one to eat – so no choice in the matter. It seems to work.
Suzanne
Roz says
Oh my Suzanne, i would devour these cranberry truffles in seconds! Perfect for the season! Gorgeous photography to top it off!
Ciao,
Roz
admin says
Thanks so much, Roz. I am being very restrained and only eating one a day. I am so proud of myself. LOL.
Suzanne
Roxana | Roxana's Home Baking says
I love making date treats and your combo sounds great! So many flavors and textures. Would love to pop a few in my mouth.
P.S. You could link them to the chocolate party as well
admin says
They’re easy to make too, which is a big plus. Basically everything goes in a processor, roll them around in something and that’s it. I like simple.
Suzanne.
Helene Dsouza I Masala Herb says
Hi Suzanne!
Your truffles look so pretty and perfect. I have never tried to use dates in the truffle making process. In fact I have just discovered some great uses for dates. My friend is coming down from Dubai ones of these weeks so I ll ask her to bring me some quality dates. Great recipe for the christmas time, thanks for sharing. =)
admin says
Dates from Dubai sounds like a great idea.
Suzanne
thyme (sarah) says
I’ve seen these rolling around the internet. I am so curious to try them. I saw loads of dates at the Middle Eastern market the other day. They would make such a nice alternative for the holidays to have around the house.
admin says
Get the soft dates if they are available – it makes it easier on the processor.
Suzanne
Maria says
Vow what a fab dish with so many flavors and nuts please pass me some Suzanne 🙂
admin says
Coming your way, Maria.
Suzanne
Jeanette says
These little sweet bites sound wonderful and so easy to make!
admin says
I love the ease of making and their versatility. You can use what you have in fridge to create something great.
Suzanne
kitchenriffs says
These look terrific, and dates are such a great way to sweeten things. Love the dried cranberries and coconut – really such a nice looking dish.
admin says
There are so many variations that you can make along these lines but this combination was particularly good.
Suzanne