A Healthy Halloween: Chocolate Coconut Truffles

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Happy Halloween! The fall is finally upon us – a chill is in the air, the colorful leaves have mostly fallen and we’re starting to crave big pots of hot soup and mugs of tea. Despite the influx of healthy squashes and root vegetables we’ve been buying at the markets, those darn bowls of Halloween candy are tough to resist! As nutritionists we understand that everybody needs a little sweetness sometimes, but when the treats are full of GMO sugar, artificial coloring and other unpronounceable ingredients we have to ask – Is it really worth it? So this Halloween, we wanted to give you our idea of a worth-it treat. Halloween doesn’t have to mean leaving your health (and taste buds) to the whims of the office candy bowl. These chocolate coconut truffles are full of antioxidant-rich cocoa and are sweetened with naturally low-glycemic agave nectar. They also happen to remind us of one of our other favorite coconut treats (Chocolate Coconut Zing Bars, of course!). They are naturally vegan, gluten and dairy free. Can you imagine bringing out these little beauties for your Halloween party? Enjoy! Chocolate Coconut Truffles (a.k.a Zombie Eyeballs) Makes 40 small or 20 medium-sized truffles
  • 1/2 cup unrefined coconut butter/oil, warmed to soften
  • 3/4 cup amber agave nectar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 cup dried finely shredded coconut
  • 2 1/4 cups organic fair-trade cocoa powder, sifted
In a high-speed blender or food processor, blend the warmed coconut butter/oil, agave nectar, vanilla, and salt. Add the shredded coconut, 1/2 cup at a time, and blend until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in 2 cups of the sifted cocoa powder until thoroughly combined. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes or more to set slightly. Coconut oil melts at low temperatures, so a cool mixture means less will stick to your hands when rolling. Place the remaining 1/4 cup cocoa powder onto a small plate. Spoon heaping tablespoons of the chocolate mixture and roll them into balls. Roll these in the cocoa powder. Store the finished truffles in the refrigerator. Adapted from a recipe by Sarma Melngailis from Living Raw Food Christine Weiss MS, RD is a dietitian and Bastyr University graduate who counsels people dealing with food allergies, diabetes and digestive issues. She enjoys working with Zing Bars to raise awareness about healthy living through online media. She can be found at Eating It Up online.
  • ANTI-INFLAMMATORY
  • ANTIOXIDANTS
  • COCONUT
  • DAIRY FREE
  • DARK CHOCOLATE
  • DIETITIAN
  • FAIR TRADE
  • FAIR-TRADE CHOCOLATE
  • GLUTEN FREE
  • HALLOWEEN
  • HEALTHY COOKING
  • HEALTHY EATING
  • LOW GLYCEMIC
  • NUTRITIONIST
  • ORGANIC
  • RECIPES

Aubree Deimler