Healthy Dessert: Pistachio, Fruit, and Nut Truffles Recipe

by Sylvie Shirazi on February 15th, 2019 | 1 Comment »

Truffles, petite in size, are usually made with chocolate, cream, assorted flavors, and are coated with either cocoa or chopped nuts. They are a great sweet treat to have on hand due to their size and ability to satisfy cravings.

If nuts aren’t already a regular part of your diet, you may be missing out on some really powerfully benefits. Nuts are a nutritionally dense, heart-healthy food we should all be enjoying more of regularly. Packed full of healthy nutrients such as monounsaturated fats, fiber, protein and a host of vitamins and minerals like vitamin E (an anti-oxidant) and magnesium, they are especially helpful in taking the edge off your appetite so you can make better food choices overall. By providing a sense of satiety incorporating nuts into your day may mean you more easily pass up those less nutrient-dense foods we are all tempted by and make it easier to stick to a heart-healthy diet.

Wholesome and easy to prepare, my fruit and nut truffles can be made in less than 15 minutes with a food processor. These no-bake, make-ahead healthy treats can also be stored for weeks in the refrigerator, perfect for an anytime snack. They are naturally sweetened with dried fruit and a little orange juice; a sweet and convenient twist on traditional truffles that you can feel good about indulging in and a nutritious mouthful.

Almonds, dried cranberries, orange zest, and dates are finely chopped and held together by a bit of orange juice and finished with a light coating of chopped pistachios. At first bite, a meltingly subtle sweetness leads to a fragrant, almost floral, taste of orange peel which is swiftly followed by the tartness of cranberries. These may be simple in content but are complex on the tongue.

Needless to say, if you were to choose to drizzle these with a little chocolate or add a few dark chocolate chips in the mix I would not be opposed. I’ll leave that up to you.

Pistachio Fruit and Nut Truffles Recipe

Ingredients:

½ cup raw pistachios
¾ cup raw almonds
Pinch of fine sea salt
6 large, soft pitted medjool dates
Zest of half an organic orange
1 tsp freshly squeezed orange juice
¼ cup dried cranberries

Instructions:

Place a ¼ cup of the pistachios in a food processor and process until finely ground. Set aside in a small shallow bowl.
Put the almonds and remaining ¼ of pistachios in the food processor with the salt and process until finely chopped.
Add the dates, orange zest, and orange juice and process again until the mixture begins to clump together. Add the dried cranberries and pulse briefly until just mixed. Small chunks of cranberries should still be visible.
Scoop about 1 Tablespoon of the mixture into the palm of your hand and squeeze and roll into a ball. Repeat until all the mixture has been formed into “truffles.”
Roll each ball in the ground pistachios and chill for at least 1 hour before serving to firm.
Store in a sealed container for up to one month in the fridge or a few months in the freezer.

Makes about 20 small truffles

What recipes do you like to make that are heart healthy?

Featured photo on homepage courtesy of Flickr.

Sylvie Shirazi is a freelance food photographer and food writer. On her blog, gourmandeinthekitchen.com she shares simple, wholesome everyday recipes that celebrate the joy that food brings to our lives. Sylvie hopes to inspire others to follow their instincts, trust their taste buds, and find a sense of confidence in the kitchen as well as behind the camera. You can follow Sylvie on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest as well.