Chocolate sugar cookie truffles that are easy to make, a delight to bite into, and loaded with energy-boosting protein, fiber-rich oats, and dairy-free, vegan and gluten-free! Healthy chocolate truffles for breakfast, yes!
Chocolate Sugar Cookie Truffles
These chocolate sugar cookie truffles can be made in one bowl with five simple ingredients. And here I finally share my secret chocolate-coating method to achieve perfect chocolate-coating results!
First, I'd like to clarify something. These chocolate sugar cookie truffles aren't made from the traditional sugar cookie empty-nutrition ingredients such as white flour and white refined sugar.
Instead, these chocolate sugar cookie truffles are made with nutrient-rich oat flour, cashew butter and maple syrup.
Why does this make a difference? Well, you'll feel great after eating these.
These truffles are so powerfully nutritional, they are even fine to eat as a breakfast booster or a 3pm keep-going-the-rest-of-the-day snack.
Read on as to why these ingredients are so highly nutritious.
Why Use Oat Flour in This Recipe?
You probably already know that oats and oat flour are naturally gluten-free. Still I suggest to take care when buying either oat flour or rolled oats to choose a gluten-free brand. That's to ensure that the flour hasn't been processed on gluten-contaminated equipment.
Not only is oat flour gluten-free, but it is loaded with vitamins and nutrients. In fact, some experts say oats are among the most nutrient-dense foods in the world.
High in fiber and protein, oats are known to support weight-loss, balanced blood sugar and reduce the risk of heart disease. Specifically they are high in essential vitamins and nutrients such as iron, zinc, folate and B vitamins.
And oats help one feel more satisfied and full. Therefore experts say oats are really the best meal for a breakfast - leading to more energy and a feeling of fullness until lunch. Since oat flour is merely processed rolled oats, all these benefits apply to the oat flour used in this recipe.
Can I Make Substitutions in This Truffle Recipe?
Yes! You can substitute oat flour for almond flour. The flavor will be even more buttery.
Now should one eat these chocolate sugar cookie truffles for breakfast? Well, why not?
Not only are they primarily oats with all those benefits, they are coated in dark chocolate. And I know you know that dark chocolate is also super healthy, an energy booster and more. I used 85% dark chocolate on this coating. You can go lower on the cacao, and it will be a bit sweeter but still healthy. And you don't have to use a chocolate bar, quality chocolate chips work fine too!
Also I used cashew butter here, and cashew milk in these truffles. But can use your favorite nut butter and favorite milk. I choose cashew because the flavor is closest to sugar cookie batter. Plus cashews are incredibly healthy!
What nutrients do cashews contribute to these truffles?
How Healthy are Cashews
Pretty healthy! Cashew nuts are one of the most consumed nuts in the world. They are rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber and various other nutrients.
And experts say they can actually support weight loss. To eat for weight loss, however, take care to eat only 2 tbsp cashew butter a day to not take in too many calories. Twelve of these truffles share 1 tbsp of cashew butter so no worry that we are going over the calorie limit there.
Nutritionally, cashews contain high levels of iron and zinc. And they are high in "HDL" or the monounsaturated fatty acids that promote healthy levels of good cholesterol.
What I like best about cashews - because my daughter has sleep issues - is that they are high in magnesium, which supports healthy sleep. She eats a few before sleep and not only fills full (hunger can keep you up at night), but the dose of magnesium is perfect for helping her go to sleep and stay asleep. The magnesium in cashews also supports healthy muscles and bones and protects against high blood pressure.
So we have established that this recipe here is nutritious. It's also fairly simple, right? Oats, cashew butter and cashew milk. Of course vanilla. And a sweetener. I used maple syrup.
In fact, I use maple syrup as the sweetener in a lot of my recipes. I would never use white processed sugar or agave, both of which are devoid of nutrients and have harmful ingredients. I also don't use stevia or sugar alcohols because the former is too sweet and sometimes leaves an after-taste, and the latter are processed. There are some who do like those choices though so realize this is only my opinion.
Anyway, that is why I take the maple syrup route, and sometimes molasses..
Is Maple Syrup Healthy?
I explored this question today. Why now since I have been using maple syrup for years?
Because today I read people saying - okay, one Amazon reviewer for a vegan dessert cookbook, haha - that "maple syrup and honey are every bit as unhealthy for us as refined sugar. Honey is basically fructose, and we all know that high fructose corn syrup is something to be avoided at all costs"
This reviewer didn't provide any evidence for why maple syrup should be avoided, so I decided to do the research for her. After all, as I said, I do turn to maple syrup a lot as a sweetener in my recipes.
The lowdown is if you want to sweeten a recipe, nutritionally dark maple syrup or molasses are the best options.
Why do I say this? Because, unlike table sugar, honey or agava, also popular sweeteners, studies show maple syrup and molasses are high in nutrients. And they have antioxidants that fight off disease-causing free-radicals. In fact, maple syrup alone has 24. Both are high in potassium and calcium, and have a lower glycemic index than sugar, thus raise blood sugar much slower.
And they both supply the body with vital nutrients such as zinc, magnesium, calcium and potassium.
Flavor-wise, in this cookie truffle, maple syrup adds the 'sugar cookie' flavor, much like the unhealthy traditional recipe.
I am glad maple syrup and molasses are considered healthier sweetening options.
I will however continue also using fruits and veggies as sweeteners when I can - sweet potatoes, dates, apples, pears, mangos, watermelon, cherries and more are all excellent sweeteners in the right recipes. Let me know what natural sweetener you suggest in comments!
How to Make this Chocolate Sugar Cookie Truffle
It's pretty easy actually to make these chocolate sugar cookie truffles.
Just mix up the oat flour, cashew butter, cashew milk - or your favorite milk, maple syrup and vanilla. I added 3 tbsp of maple syrup and actually they were pretty sweet. Next time, I think I'll replace one of the maple syrup tbsps with a tbsp of milk.
Use a hand-mixer and processed the batter in a mixing bowl.
The final dough needs to be sticky so you can roll it. If it is too wet, add a bit more flour, a tbsp at a time. If it is too dry, add a bit more milk, a tbsp at a time.
Let the batter sit covered in the refrigerator overnight.
The next morning, if the batter is dry-ish, microwave for 30 seconds, and re-hand-mixed.
Roll them, melt chocolate in a pyrex measuring cup for 30 seconds. Add a tsp of avocado oil to the chocolate before melting to help keep the chocolate the perfect texture for dipping.
AND I learned a NEW secret trick to keep the chocolate smooth and shiny until the last truffle is dipped. And I will share that with you!
My Secret Trick to Coat Truffles with Chocolate
My secret trick to keeping chocolate warm and liquidy while you dip a dozen truffles is to do this:
1. Put an inch of water in a small frying pan.
2. Set that water to boil.
3. Turn off the stove.
4. Put the pyrex measuring cup of melted chocolate in the water. Stir and begin dipping truffles.
5. I used a nifty truffle dipper here, but a fork or two would probably also work.
The point is, sitting the cup in the hot water, keeps the chocolate uniformly melted so you can dip and the final truffles look coated exactly like the first truffles.
If you want to use this trick after melting chocolate chips instead of a bar, do it!
Oh and here are a few of my favorite quality chocolate brands..you probably want to use a 70% or 85% cacao, but these brands offer that and much more. You seriously need to get to know them if you love chocolate..
Enjoy Life, Theo Chocolate and Hu Chocolate.
Well, enough chit-chat! I hope you love these chocolate sugar cookie truffles.
If you like my truffles, here are two awesome truffle recipes my viewers love:
Two Date-free Bliss Ball Recipes
Black Pepper Chocolate Truffles
And if you like sugar cookies, try my 2-ingredient holiday sugar cookie recipe.
And here is another delicious cookie recipe, No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies.
Another excellent way to stuff truffles is to make my homemade marzipan recipe. Also known as Almond Paste.
And here are other truffle-like recipes:
- Chocolate Spice Truffles
- Vegan Cookie Dough
- Easy Truffles Recipe
- Protein Ball Recipes
- Chocolate Covered Chickpea Snack
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Chocolate Sugar Cookie Truffles
Ingredients
Truffles
- 1 ¼ cup gluten-free oat flour Make oat flour by blending or processing rolled oats; or use another non-traditional flour such as almond, hazelnut, or even quinoa flour.
- ¼ cup cashew milk not chilled, or your favorite milk
- 1 tbsp cashew butter or your favorite nut butter
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla
Coating
- ½ (3.5oz/100gms) dark chocolate bar (or ½ cup chocolate chips)
- 1 tsp avocado oil or coconut or even olive oil
- 1 tbsp decorative sparkling sugar for topping
Equipment
Instructions
Prep
- Line a quarter-sized cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Place a cooking rack on top of that.
Make Truffles
- In a medium bowl, stir together the oat flour, cashew milk, cashew butter, maple syrup and vanilla.
- The mixture should be sticky but not too sticky,and rollable. If it's too wet, add flour 1 tbsp at a time; if it's too dry, add milk 1 tbsp at at time. The variation will occur by how you measuring the flour or what brand you used.
- If you are not ready to roll, cover the mixture in an airtight container and refrigerate. If it is hard and cold, loosen it up by microwaving 30 seconds and re-hand-mixing, or even adding a tbsp or two of milk.
Roll the Truffles
- If you are ready to roll, do so. Each ball should have about 1 tbsp of mixture. I get anywhere from 12 - 14 balls.
- Place the balls on a cooling rake that sits on top of the parchment-lined baking pan.
Coat the Truffles
- Chop half of a chocolate bar.
- Place the chocolate and oil in a 1-cup pyrex measuring cup and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir for 1 minute. If you use chocolate chips, do the same.
Secret Trick to Perfect Chocolate Coating
- Set a frying pan on the stove and add one inch of water. Turn on the heat and boil the water. Once it begins boiling, turn off the heat. Set the pyrex measuring cup with melted chocolate into the water.
- Dip the truffles one at a time with either a dipper (see equipment in ingredients) or use 2 forks.
- Set each coated truffle on the cooling rack.
- Once all are dipped, wait a bit until the coating is not freshly wet, and sprinkle with sparkling sugar.
Store the Truffles
- Store in the refrigerator until ready to eat, although the chocolate will begin to lose sheen once chilled. These can be frozen as well for about 1 month.
Nutrition
Dee Dine is founder of Green Smoothie Gourmet, a plant based recipe blog, and author of the recent cookbook, Crazy Healthy with 4 Ingredients and another immunity-boosting smoothie shot book, 4-Ingredient Smoothies + Juices , due out in January 2021. On this blog you'll find incredibly easy recipes with hidden veggies for anyone wanting to eat healthier, regardless of diet. Dee has graduate degrees in sciences and journalism, editor at The Feedfeed and a nutritional expert at WikiHow. More about Dee Dine here.
Cassandra
I am planning on making this recipe because it just looks SO GOOD! Question though. Are the cashew milk and butter a must, or can they be substituted? Very excited to try this 🙂
Dee Dine
Hi Cassandra, that's great news. Any nut butter will work, it adds creaminess. And any milk is fine. I choose cashew only because it's flavor is closest to sugar cookie batter. Good luck! Dee
Ela
PS: I will pin them for later! Thanks. 🙂
Dee Dine
That's really great, thank you Ela!
Ela
These cookie truffles look amazing and I love that they contain so many healthy ingredients such as cashews and oats! And yes, I also think that maple syrup is a better choice when it comes to sweeteners, much better than refined sugar, agave or honey. Great recipe, Dee!
Dee Dine
Thank you Ela! I agree about maple syrup. Thank you for reading, Dee xx