That’s right – I said truffles for breakfast! I am on such a high from an amazing workout this morning, and these truffles are partly responsible (I’d like to take some of the credit myself.)
I’m the kind of person who has to work out in the morning, or I just won’t do it at all. But I’m also the kind of person who can’t workout with much food in my belly or I get a massive side ache. So finding the right snack before my workout that will give me enough energy to get through whatever I’m doing without weighing me down is a challenge. I’ll usually resort to a handful of nuts, some dried fruit, a spoonful or two of peanut butter (don’t judge, it works perfectly!), or my favorite – cherry pie Larabar.
These delectable truffles are my homemade (therefore cheaper and customizable) spin on the cherry pie flavored Larabars. They’re calorie-dense with dried fruit and nuts to help fuel a workout – and because of miraculous super sweet dates, there’s no added sugar. Dates are a wonderful little treat, and they are so sweet that they make up for tart dried cherries and bitter unsweetened cocoa powder. You’d never know there isn’t any sugar added to these!
yields 7 truffles
1/2 C toasted sliced almonds
1/2 C dried tart cherries (unsweetened)
10 deglet noor dates (medjool would work just as well, but they’re a little bigger so start with 8)
1 T unsweetened cocoa powder
a little extra ground almonds or cocoa powder for coating
If your cherries and/or dates aren’t very soft, soak them in hot water for a few minutes until they’ve softened; then drain them well. Grind almonds to a coarse meal. Then combine all ingredients in a food processor. A few chunks are okay, just make sure the mixture will stick together. Spray your hands with a little cooking spray, then roll mixture into 1-inch balls (a small ice cream scoop helps measure them). Then roll in powdered sugar or ground almonds. That’s all!
Now maybe it was a fluke, maybe it was the awesome new minimal-cushioning shoes my boyfriend bought me, or maybe it was breakfast truffles – but I beat two PRs on my run this morning! I logged my fastest mile ever (beating my long-standing 8th grade pre-asthma time), and I ran 5 miles at a pace I can’t usually maintain for longer than 2 miles. (Now neither of these times are actually very fast at all, but they’re fast for me. That’s what matters.) So I recommend these breakfast truffles in a BIG WAY.
Dessert alternative: if you want to make these for an actual dessert truffle instead of a morning snack, add a tablespoon and a half of mini chocolate chips before rolling, and coat in shaved chocolate, powdered sugar, or chocolate sprinkles.
Nutrition facts per truffle (not including coating): Calories: 114.3; Calories from Fat: 31.6; Total Fat: 3.5g; Saturated Fat: 0.3g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 2.3mg; Total Carbohydrates: 20.2g; Dietary Fiber: 4.9g; Sugars: 12.9g; Protein: 2.1g
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