Healthy snacking made easy! These cookie dough protein truffles are healthy, tasty and full of good ingredients; dates, protein powder, maca, nut flour and dark chocolate.

They are quick to make and delicious; imagine biting into soft caramel- tasting maca truffle centres with fragrant notes from the almond or coconut flour, coated in a crispy dark chocolate shell.

These truffles are refined sugar-free (the dates provide enough sweetness) and by using plant based protein powder and dairy-free dark chocolate, these truffles can be easily be made vegan. By using nut-based flour, these treats are also gluten-free. However, these truffles are so yummy, they will be popular with all!

I love to make these as gifts too; just pop some in a jam or Kilner jar with a ribbon around the lip and a tag to personalise them. They also make great healthy portable snacks (I love taking some in Tupperware to fuel long walks, to have as snacks at work when I have the munchies or as work out snacks).

A batch of these truffles can be whipped up in under 40 mins and they freeze well too! I have also given variations to this recipe; by omitting the maca and adding some spices, you can add a different flavour dimension!

Makes: 12-14 truffles

Preparation time: 35-40 mins

Ingredients:

For the dough bites:

• 10 Medjool dates (approx. 130g, pitted)
• 100g coconut or almond flour
• 3 tablespoons of protein powder (pea or soya bean if vegan)
• 2 tbsp. of maca powder
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1 tbsp. of the date water (to help bind)

To decorate:

• 80g dark chocolate
• 10g grated chocolate

Variations:

Omit the maca and substitute with:

• ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon, 1 cardamom pod grounded for chai-flavoured truffles
• or ¼ tsp. chilli powder for chilli truffles

Make chocolate maca cookie dough truffles by using 20g less coconut or almond flour and adding 20g of cacao powder instead.

Method:

1. Soak the Medjool dates in boiled water for 5 mins to help soften.
2. While the dates are softening, add the remaining dough bite ingredients into a blender or food processor. Add the softened dates and 1 tbsp. of the water from the soaked dates. Blend to combine the ingredients together to form a soft golden paste.
3. Using your hands, shape the mixture into balls or domes. To shape into domes, I use a tablespoon measure, dipping the measure in water between each dome to prevent the domes from sticking.
4. Once all the domes are made, melt the dark chocolate in the microwave for a few mins or using a bain-marie.
5. Dip each dome into the melted chocolate and place on a plate lined with greaseproof paper. Decorate with grated dark chocolate sprinkles and place in the fridge to set. Enjoy!

Don’t forget you can find my favourite recipes in my FREE eBook here.