I am excited to share a wonderful – and healthier – alternative to the traditional flourless chocolate cake dessert. This dish can be served as small round tortes topped with whipped cream (or homemade ice cream) and chocolate sauce or you can simply turn the recipe into little individual chocolate truffles. I have a big sweet tooth so there’s rarely a day my fridge doesn’t have some of these in it! They are the perfect way for me to get my chocolate fix when I need one. Plus the chocolate sauce is not only good with this dish, but I’ve also drizzled it on homemade vanilla ice cream and used it to make hot chocolate for my girls as well. When you are doing the “100 Days of Real Food” pledge you must make do!
Chocolate Tortes (or Truffles)
Serves: about 4 cakes or 12 – 14 truffles
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 cup pecans
- 1 cup dried pitted dates
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened powdered 100% cacao (I recommend Hershey’s brand “Special Dark” 100%)
- 1 – 2 teaspoons water, as needed
- Optional: Unsweetened coconut (either plain or toasted) for coating the outside of the truffles
Instructions
- Using a frying pan, melt the butter on medium-low heat and add the pecans to the pan. Pour in the honey and cook until the nuts brown slightly, about 3 – 5 minutes. Be very careful not to overcook the nuts because they can go from perfect to burnt very quickly.
- Once the pecans are done blend them in a food processor with the pitted dates and cacao. Add 1 – 2 teaspoons of water or just enough to help the mixture stick together a little.
- For tortes: Take out the chocolate mixture with your hands and flatten it out into one ½” thick piece on a cutting board. Using a round cookie cutter or drinking glass turned upside down cut out circular shapes for the tortes.
For truffles: Roll the chocolate mixture into little ball shapes with your hands and coat them with plain or toasted unsweetened coconut if desired. Keep them in your fridge for whenever you need something chocolate!
Whipped Cream
Ingredients
- ½ cup whipping or heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon 100% pure maple syrup (optional)
Instructions
- Using an electric mixer whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Whip in the maple syrup if sweetness is desired. Yes, it is that easy.
Chocolate Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened powdered 100% cacao
- 2 tablespoons 100% pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Simply blend the powdered cacao and maple syrup together with a spoon until the mixture looks “wet.” It may take a few minutes to achieve the right consistency.
[...] few cookies, ice cream (Magnum’s are irresistible, especially when they are on sale) and some Homemade Chocolate Truffles. My eating lately has been horrible. Absolutely. [...]
[...] Healthy chocolate powerballs (adapted from this recipe) [...]
[...] Combine all ingredients into a food processor and blend. Form into balls (makes about 10 – 12 depending on size) and serve immediately or keep refrigerated. For a slightly different variation without peanut butter check out the chocolate torte recipe. [...]
[...] from 100 Days of Real Food. Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this. This entry was posted in [...]
I made the chocolate sauce this morning, but didn’t have the website up and forgot the ratio, so I ended up making a 1:1 ratio instead of 1:2. It’s definitely dark, but it flavored my coffee very well. I’ll make sure to use the 1:2 later (when I run out of what I made this morning) and let you know which one I like better. (^_^)
Have you attempted using the chololate sauce for chocolate milk? I’d like to find an alternative to ovaltine.
Hi Amy. I have not, but, it would probably work. You could probably also make a syrup like I do for hot chocolate with just cocoa and maple syrup. Jill
Are those regular cupcake liners in the picture or some smaller version? If smaller version, where did you find them? Thinking of doing these for a Christmas party. Thanks!
Hi Margaret. I use the smaller ones. You can pretty much find them anywhere – I usually get mine at The Container Store…they have a lot of really cute ones. But, you can get them at Michaels or Target as well. Jill
My child has a nut allergy, what would you recommend to use to sub out the pecans? Thanks!
Hi Teresa. I think I would probably just omit them. Jill
I really want to make these, NOW, and am out of dates…do you think raisins would work?!
Hi Melissa. I’m guessing I didn’t make it to you soon enough
. So, did it work? I’m not sure raisins would substitute well but maybe you found out differently. Jill
these were fantastic and my daughter (6) loved decorating them the coconut (and seas salt, and cocoa powder) we used hazelnuts as that is all we had
I used honey instead of the maple syrup and added a little vanilla. It was really good, even the daycare kids loved it to dip their graham crackers in!
I don’t know if they would taste any different from the recipe above but I used medjool dates. Pitted them and used those. DEEEEFREAKINLICIOUS,,
I have the fancy medjool dates from Trader Joes. Are these the same as dried dates? They don’t say dried, so I wasn’t sure. Thanks for your help!
Hi Kristy. Yes, I use those dates from Trader Joe’s and they work just fine. Jill
Substituted raisins for dates (because that’s what I had) and walnuts for pecans (because that’s what I had). Yummy! Hoping these satisfy my chocolate sweet tooth!
When you use maple syrup or honey do you buy it organic?
Yes, Katrina, whenever possible. ~Amy
I made just the chocolate sauce and coated almonds with it and roasted them. (Was craving chocolate almonds.) My girls, and even the neighborhood kid (who had never had an almond?!?) loved them!
SOOOOO excited to try this! I just started cutting out processed sugars (and have been avoiding soy for a while) and I’ve been DYING for chocolate. Thanks!
[...] Homemade whipped cream and berries (optional) for decorating [...]
As I was going through the recipe index I noticed the chocolate sauce recipe. I wondered what was actually in the Hershey’s syrup that I have been buying for years and to my surprise (or not rather) I found high fructose corn syrup. Long story short I just made the chocolate sauce and I was absolutely amazed!!!!! I can’t tell the difference, and better yet my son can’t either… Thanks!!!!