By Amy Barton
Peanut butter has long been one of my favorite food groups. It's not a food group, you say? Shut your trap! In my world, it's most certainly a food group - an important one, at that. Ice cream and sushi are other important food groups here in Amyland, but I digress.
It's also no secret that I'm not a big chocolate fan. I know, it's weird. But put down your pitchforks for a moment! While I don't love chocolate in and of itself, I do like it in certain instances. I like it with and in things. I like it in chocolate chip cookies. I like it in chocolate milk. I love it with marshmallow, caramel, mint, or peanut butter. BINGO! PEANUT BUTTER! That's why these truffles are great. They're also great because they're 'raw', which the paleo and vegan crowds tend to be a big fan of.
This recipe comes from Raia's Recipes - a great resource for anyone seeking simpler eats, allergy-friendly treats, and less refined foods. You can view the original recipe here. Click "Read More" to see the recipe and pics. You won't be disappointed with this super simple treat.
It's also no secret that I'm not a big chocolate fan. I know, it's weird. But put down your pitchforks for a moment! While I don't love chocolate in and of itself, I do like it in certain instances. I like it with and in things. I like it in chocolate chip cookies. I like it in chocolate milk. I love it with marshmallow, caramel, mint, or peanut butter. BINGO! PEANUT BUTTER! That's why these truffles are great. They're also great because they're 'raw', which the paleo and vegan crowds tend to be a big fan of.
This recipe comes from Raia's Recipes - a great resource for anyone seeking simpler eats, allergy-friendly treats, and less refined foods. You can view the original recipe here. Click "Read More" to see the recipe and pics. You won't be disappointed with this super simple treat.
RAW PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES
A quick disclaimer before we get started: I used natural, unsweetened, organic peanut butter in this recipe. You don't HAVE to use that kind. You can use any kind. Because I chose the type I did, my truffles came out slightly softer and stickier. They're just as tasty, and I kind of like the softer quality. If you opt for a "regular" peanut butter, your truffles will come out more stiff and will hold their shape even better when they're not in the fridge. This is a smaller recipe and only makes 12 truffles - double or triple if you need more!
INGREDIENTS
- 1/4 cup peanut butter (or nut butter of your choice - almond or cashew would be great as well)
- 3 TBSP honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or maybe try almond extract if you're using almond butter!)
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting/rolling
DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, stir together peanut butter, honey, and vanilla. If you're using regular peanut butter and it's very thick, feel free to microwave it for a few seconds to first to make it easier to work with.
- 1/4 cup peanut butter (or nut butter of your choice - almond or cashew would be great as well)
- 3 TBSP honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or maybe try almond extract if you're using almond butter!)
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting/rolling
DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, stir together peanut butter, honey, and vanilla. If you're using regular peanut butter and it's very thick, feel free to microwave it for a few seconds to first to make it easier to work with.
Peanut Butter/Honey/Vanilla mixture.
Peanut butter and honey can be a little finicky when you're trying to combine them. Just keep mixing and I promise you, they'll combine beautifully.
Stir in cocoa powder and continue mixing until your mixture becomes a soft doughy-ish ball. At this point, you can start forming it into individual balls if you have absolutely no patience (like me). It's much better to throw it in the freezer for a few minutes first, though. The mixture will stiffen up quite a bit and be much easier to work with.
After you let the mixture chill a bit, take it out and break off small pieces. Roll in your hand to form 1-inch balls. As you can see, mine are softer and shinier than yours might be because of the softer, stickier peanut butter I used. The higher level of oil in my peanut butter also accounts for the massive amount of shine.
Stir in cocoa powder and continue mixing until your mixture becomes a soft doughy-ish ball. At this point, you can start forming it into individual balls if you have absolutely no patience (like me). It's much better to throw it in the freezer for a few minutes first, though. The mixture will stiffen up quite a bit and be much easier to work with.
After you let the mixture chill a bit, take it out and break off small pieces. Roll in your hand to form 1-inch balls. As you can see, mine are softer and shinier than yours might be because of the softer, stickier peanut butter I used. The higher level of oil in my peanut butter also accounts for the massive amount of shine.
Rolled truffles, pre-cocoa.
Dust your truffles with cocoa powder. Or, if you'd like them to be extra rich (and have a touch of a bittersweet quality), you can completely roll them in the cocoa powder. I dusted mine for initial serving (see below), but ended up rolling them when I stored them because I didn't want them to stick together. Store these in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
These little babies are a perfect addition to a Valentine's Day spread - you HAVE to have something chocolatey in there, don't you? It's also a major winner for anyone you're serving that may have issues with gluten. You're gonna be the V-Day superstar with the peanut-butter-chocolate cape. Bravo!
Peanut Butter Chocolate Truffles
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