Does anyone else feel like they can’t run errands lately without seeing Girl Scouts selling cookies at the store entrance?! It’s yet another time of year where sweets are everywhere you go. Don’t get us wrong we LOVE the Girl Scouts and their cookies. Mom (Christina) was even a Scout! But the cookies aren’t good for you and let’s be real it’s hard to eat just one. So we made our own heart-healthy version of our favorite Girl Scout cookies, Samoas. We turned them into bite-sized, poppable Samoa Truffles made with just 6 ingredients.
How to make Samoa Truffles
This recipe starts with one of the main ingredients we use when making healthy treats, Medjool dates. When blended, the dates turn into a paste and have a caramel-like taste. Start by soaking whole dates in a small bowl of warm water for about 10 minutes or until they have softened. While the dates are soaking prep the coconut for toasting. We used shredded unsweetened coconut for this recipe. Simply heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and evenly lay out the coconut onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the sheet on the center rack of the oven. Keep a watchful eye over the coconut because it can easily burn so 3-5 minutes should be plenty of time. Toasting the coconut adds so much flavor, you definitely won’t want to skip this step!
Remove the pits from the soaked dates and add them to a food processor along with the toasted coconut (reserving some for later), nut flour, coconut oil, and pure maple syrup. The blend we used was a mixture of walnuts, almonds and pecans but any nut flour will work. Next, blend all of the ingredients together until a slight paste is formed. Chill the mixture for at least 20 minutes or as long as overnight. Cooling the mix makes it easier to form and stick together. Once the mix is ready, form 1 inch balls using your hands until all of the mixture has been used up. It should make 12 truffle balls.
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In a small bowl add the dark chocolate chips and ½ teaspoon of coconut oil. Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 15-second intervals stirring in between so that the chocolate doesn’t burn. Use a fork to dip each truffle ball into the melted chocolate and place on a parchment-lined dish or baking sheet. Once all of the truffles have been coated in the chocolate sprinkle each one with some of the remaining toasted coconut. Place the truffles in the refrigerator for the chocolate to harden. Then all that’s left to do is enjoy them!
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Samoa Truffles
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Medjool dates
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut
- 1 cup nut flour of choice
- 1 tbsp melted coconut oil plus ½ tsp
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Soak dates in warm water for about 10 minutes.
- Layer parchment paper on a baking sheet and add coconut and bake for 3-5 minutes on the middle rack.
- Remove the pits and add the dates to a food processor along with the toasted coconut, nut flour, coconut oil and maple syrup. Blend until all ingredients are incorporated and then refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
- Once the mixture is cool form the balls with you hands portioning out enough to make 12.
- In a small bowl add dark chocolate chips and ½ tsp coconut oil and microwave until all of the chips have melted.
- Lay out a piece of parchment paper on a dish and dip each of the balls into the melted chocolate using a fork. Place them on the parchment lined dish. Sprinkle the tops with the rest of the toasted coconut and place them in the refrigerator for the chocolate to darken.
- After about 20 minutes they are ready to eat! Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or the freezer.
Notes
- The nut flour we used was a blend of walnut, almond, and pecan but you can use whatever nut flour you choose.
- To make this recipe vegan, use dairy-free chocolate
