I thought I would post a cacao recipe with Valentine’s Day around the corner…an excellent excuse to remember to bring more chocolate into your life!!! But raw chocolate - not the kind with processed sugar and pasteurized dairy. Sorry!! Kit Kat bars and Mars bars and stuff like that are NOT acceptable. But trust me, with this recipe you won’t want that crap anyway! Your cravings will be totally satisfied and you’ll feel great. 
Cacao promotes feelings of love and joy and opens up the energy of the heart chakra. It contains the neurotransmitter anandamide known as the “bliss chemical.” In yoga, ananda means bliss. Even better- cacao ALSO contains anandamide inhibitors, keeping the compound from breaking down quickly and the feeling of cacao anadamide lasting longer, so we feel great longer!
This is not to say that we should eat cacao often- and certainly not every day! It is a very occasional treat. Cacao contains caffeine, and toxic compounds such as theobromine. It has taken off in the raw food world because it tastes good and people want so badly to believe it is good for them, since it is a tasty treat. But the reality is that we do not need it at all in the diet for nutritive value- it is a treat and must be treated as such!
That being said, here is the recipe for your occasional truffles, for special times like this- Valentine’s Day!
¾ cup raw cacao powder (available at health stores)
2 cups ground raw almonds (preferably sprouted then dried first)
1/2 cup raw organic honey
1 Tbs. organic coconut oil
Pinch of Celtic sea salt
1 cup shredded, dried unsweetened coconut flakes
Combine all the ingredients except for the coconut flakes in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Roll up your sleeves, take a small amount of the mixture, and roll small balls between your palms. Add your love! Dip each ball in a separate smaller bowl containing the coconut flakes.
Freeze overnight to harden the truffles. I keep them frozen until they are ready to serve.
Make for your loved ones, friends, and yourself.
Lots of love!
Kimberly
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Hello!
I am making these for my sister for Christmas, which is one week away. How long would you say these last in the freezer for storage, and still turn out good once thawed?
Thanks for your reply : )
These are amazing! Used walnuts and also pecans in another batch since my boys have sensitivity to almonds. Turned out perfect! A sweet treat they can actually have and I feel good about giving them as they are gluten and dairy free also. They loved them.
Hi Kimberly,
I made these for the very first time a few months ago and am now OBSESSED with them! I reckon I would have made at least ten batches or so since my first attempt! I have changed ur recipe up a bit as I have fructose malabsorption and dont tolerate honey well so instead of honey I use one banana to help it all stick together which works great! I also add in chia bran and ground up pepitas and sunflower seeds! So yummy! Only problem is they never last long enough!! Thanks for your awesome blog. LOVE IT!!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your comment!!!! My daughter has fructose malabsorption and she suffers a lot especially since she started college. She is trying to be good, but it is so hard to keep up. Everything has fructose. She uses stevia a lot, but when i tried to bake with stevia it did not go very well
. I am not sure if she can eat bananas (she refuses to eat any fruit except some berries), but i will try. I assume that not that much banana goes in one little truffle. If you don’t mind to answer, how many bananas you use instead of honey. Thanks in advance.
Ooops! Sorry! after I read you post again I found my answer
. If you have any other suggestions for the problem I would appreciate it.
Thanks again.
I bought these from a raw foods website and loved them. I knew that I could hand make these myself and I did!
I am allergic to coconut. What can I use in place of it?
Thanks!
Allergic to coconut!!! That is so sad
I am such a fanatic and canot imagine my life without it!
Just made these and love them Kimberly!
I love these!!! Just made them, they are so yummy!!
How do you ground the almonds? Food processor? Also, how do you “sprout” the almonds?
Thanks!
Yes I use the Vitamix or you can use a food processor for grinding. Soak the almonds in water overnight, then rinse well, change water, and ideally soak for a full 24 hours, then rinse a final time. If you have a dehydrator you can dehydrate them to dry them, otherwise you can spread them over a baking sheet and turn your oven on to the lowest temp, and crack the door open, just to let them dry out a bit.
Hi Kimberly! I just discovered your book the other day at barnes & nobles. I couldn’t get my eyes off of it!! I decided to order it. I am so looking forward to it. Now tonight I was craving something sweet and discored this truffles. They are decilious!!!! Thank you for everything that you post on this blog. It is so helpful
.
Hi Kimberly-
Looking on your site for any info on palm oil. It’s in quite a bit of things that I buy at Whole Foods, specifically nut butters. What do you think of it?
Meg
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Hi Kim,
My husband and I can not wait to make this recipe
Quick Q: When you use the term “sprouted” for the almonds, do you mean to soak them first and then dry them?
Thanks Kim
Hi Kimberly -
I recently purchased Wholesome sweeteners organic zero seetener to substitute for the splenda that I was using (until I did more research!).
Is this substitute ok? It has a GI of zero…
thanks
Jessica
Try stevia!
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Wow Kim! I LOVE this recipe! I love chocolate and am also looking for more ways to snack healthier..this is PERFECT!! Thank you thank you thank you:)
Hi Kimb!
I’ve been eatin raw cacao and I have been loving it! However, I was searching on internet about raw cacao and I found several web sites where they say that raw cacao is not as good as it is being promoted and can be dangerous! The fact of being stimulant (countaining caffeine and theobromine), the bitter taste being “due to the presence of poison” etc. ??
Is this true? I thought that raw cacao was healthier than processed chocolate. What is your opionion about this subject?
Thank you!
Kind regards,
Susana
Hi Susana!
Yes it is true that cacao has caffeine, and in some levels theobromine. I think it is fine in moderation. For me, raw cacao is the only source of caffeine in my diet, and I don’t overdo it. Having some in my life keeps me incredibly satisfied, and I don’t reach for things like milk chocolate or gluten-filled cookies.
Moderation is the spice of life!
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hi kimberly!!
thanks so much for this recipe!! i tried it and mine came out a little chewy. is there a trick you use for making them so truffle like?
big smiles!!
brook
Hi Kimberly,
I finally decided to go out and buy the ingredients for this recipe, but I could not find cacao powder–only nibs. Should I grind them up? And I tried a nib, and it was delicious!! couldn’t believe it! I mixed some in with some raisins, delicious snack!
Thanks for all the great info!
Yes, nibs are great! Grind them up in a spice grinder.
xx Kimberly
So I finally found cacao powder, and I get home and notice it says ‘low temperature processed’–is that ok??? The ingredients still says raw cacao…
Yes! If it is labeled that way it should be fine. xx Kimberly
Hi – I am new to the raw/vegan lifestyle. Can you explain how to use the coconut oil. I tried to make to cacao truffles but the coconut oil was solid and did not incorporate well. Is there a trick to it?
Hi Penny! You don’t have to refrigerate your coconut oil. If you leave it out, it will usually turn liquid. If you live in a colder place and your house doesn’t warm up a lot, try keeping your jar near your oven or stove, so it is in a warm place. Once it is liquid, it will mix throughout the raw truffle or raw cookie recipe, etc., spread in drops, similar to vanilla extract.
xx Kimberly
I have some cacao nibs from Scharffenberger – could I throw some of these in, and if so, how much do you think? Thanks!
Hi Beth,
Yes! I love the nibs and I throw them in myself too sometimes! I don’t know that brand, but as long as they are raw that is great!
xx Kimberly
Hi Kimberly,
After months of easing into the raw food lifestyle (thanks to you) I had this urge to try these tonight but i had very little cacao powder. After seeing the segment with Carol Han (I love her!) I just had to have them!
So I used what little cacao I had left (about 2tbs) with about 2tsp of agave nectar, a little bit of almond butter. then I dipped the four little balls in unsweetened coconut flakes. I did not want to wait until tomorrow so I had the “raw” version.Yummmmmmmmmmy!!!! yummy! And good for me! Sometimes improvising and listening to one’s body is quite rewarding.
Merci!
These sound yummy! I saw you on My Fox La this morning and came to check out your site. Love it. I have a question about this recipe-I have a bag of Bobs Red Mill almond flour in my cupboard never used-is this the same thing as the ground almonds?
Hey Kim,
Yay! Glad you found the site! Yes, almond flour is the same as ground almonds! (Just make sure it is still good! Which it should be if you never opened it). Now all you have to do is get the raw cacao, coconut oil and sea salt.
These truffles are the yummiest things in the world! I always roll them when I’m listening to music so I always have them in my fridge!
Let me know how you do!
xx Kimberly
Hi Kimberly-
I was wondering, do you ever use dates in your raw desserts? I’ve heard agave, while being low-glycemic, is pretty heavily processed and far from its natural form. But then, dates must have a pretty high GI, although they are in their natural state. What’s you take?
Hey Kimberly,
those truffles sound delicious! I have to make them some time (I love treats hehe).
I’ve been following your blog for a little while. Your pictures are beautiful and I really enjoy your writing!
All the best and happy Valentine’s day!
Eva
Hey Eva,
Glad you are enjoying the blog! Yes, the truffles are so yummy and amazing. I make them all the time.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
whoa…i shall certainly try this, my husband loves dark chocolate which always has real cacao…at least..well it’s less processed
thanks Kimberly!
Charlene- You will FREAK OUT when you taste how freakin’ awesome these truffles are. I like the Nutiva brand of cacao. I know it’s sourced free-trade.
Happy Valentine’s Day!!