Raw, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, Vegan
There’s something about chocolates in the shape of a ball that is seriously addictive. It’s like eating grapes. Who ever saw a bunch of grapes and thought, oh…I’ll just have one. I’ll just have one grape please. Who does that? No one. It’s obligatory that you have at least five. I feel the same way about chocolate balls. Maltesers, M&Ms, Smarties, Jaffa Balls, all the balls. It’s impossible to show any kind of self control and just have a single malteser! Plus, people would think you were weird. Who only eats one ball! Ok, time to move on from the subject of balls… these chocolate orange truffles are pretty much where it’s at with addictive chocolate.
I go all kinds of crazy in Christmas season (who doesn’t, please.) and bake/ice/eat at a velocity of 1000x more intense then the rest of the year. Last year I made three kinds of ice cream, a Christmas fruit cake, gingerbread men, custard and sugar cookies all for Christmas Day. And I was not assigned to dessert. Christmas lunch at my family’s house is always an intense eating marathon that we all look forward to for the entire lead-up.
Lunch is always AMAZING! Heaps of seafood and ham and prawn cocktails. But I never fill up on these trivial things. I just sip my water and eat my tasty salad patiently, waiting for the big guns. Dessert. Oh my gosh. I dream about it. My grandma always makes a multi-layered trifle covered in cream and passionfruit that makes me weep with joy. We always have a prune pudding (do not judge! It is the food of the Gods!) and ice cream and fruit skewers and more cream and custard and wow. It’s really a beautiful moment.
And at the end of the day there’s always a box of chocolates on the table, usually one of the many Christmas gifts received over the previous weeks. These chocolate truffles are for that moment. They’re the perfect Christmas gift because they’re full of Christmassy flavours like cinnamon and orange, and they look nice and ‘rustic’ and homemade. You can feel the love right?
Christmas is a little bit sad this year because I’m not with my family to celebrate. I’m going to miss seeing all my beautiful cousins and aunts and uncles! And my hilarious grandpa wearing his cute little Christmas paper crown. But then again, hopefully by that point in my travels, I’ll be celebrating Christmas with my boyfriend in an apartment in Paris! So I doubt I’ll be that sad.
These chocolate truffles are super healthy and easy to make for all your family and friends this year. They’re similar to the chocolate coconut balls I made, but with a seasonal twist. Made out of dried organic apricots and walnuts, they are packed with protein and potassium and vitamin C from the orange juice! Way healthier than the usual standard truffle, keep these in the fridge or freezer for a yummy snack or wrap them up in cellophane and send around the Christmas cheer 🙂 
Orange and Cinnamon Chocolate Truffles
1 cup walnuts
1 cup dried organic apricots
juice of 2 oranges
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting
Soak the apricots for half an hour in the orange juice. Drain them, reserving some juice, and cut into strips. Pound up the walnuts and throw in the blender with the cinnamon, cocoa powder, and apricots. Blend until smooth, adding a teaspoon or two of orange juice as you go if the paste is too thick. Scoop into a bowl and use two teaspoons to roll out even balls. Pour a little cocoa powder in a small bowl and drop the balls in the bowl. Use your fingertips to roll the balls around until evenly coated. Once dusted, place in a container and keep in the fridge until they firm up. Happy holidays!
There is only one thing wrong with these: they are there, I am here… 🙂
That’s how I feel looking at the empty box 😦 we’ll both have to make some!!
Same here!!! Can you post some?? They look like my kind of thing absolutely ☺️
They’re so easy to make but they never last five minutes! It’s always so sad when they all run out 😦
I can imagine!! I don’t eat chocolate so do you think they’d work without the cocoa?
If you like the flavour of Carob if replace it with carob powder. If not they’ll still turn out great, especially of you add a few tablespoons of finely desiccated coconut to make them stick together like the cocoa. They’ll just taste sweeter 🙂
Okay, thank you ☺️
Let me know how they turn out
Will do ☺️
Ooh, great combo for truffles!
Thank you!
These truffles are beautiful, I would have thought you bought them at the store great recipe 🙂
Thank you!
walnuts+apricots+cinnamon spiced orange is a heavenly food combo and along with cocoa….pure bliss in every bite…these truffles will surely make this time of the year even merrier…thanks so much for this no cook, no fuss and sensational tasting sweet treat 🙂
Thankyou! Happy holidays 🙂
The Christmas lunch with your family sounds beyond amazing! Because food is an important part of christmas. We kind of do the same – just with totally other kinds of food 😉
I love healthy snacks for christmas, though. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks! Merry Christmas 🙂
Love the combination of apricots and nuts and then you added chocolate and I am totally sold. Can’t wait to try them.
Me too! Tell me how they go 🙂
These look so delicious!! Perfect for Christmas time!! Thanks for sharing!! And I love how they are raw and gluten free and all that good stuff!! YUM!
You’re right: ball-shaped food is 457385 times more amazing! I wish I had a million of these truffles right in front of me right now, they look delish!
I hope you and your boyfriend have a lovely tie in Paris! Merry Christmas! x
I wish I hadn’t eaten them all! Merry Christmas for tomorrow 🙂 thanks!
They look so delicious ! Very good combination , Yum!
Thank you!
Oh gosh…these look so decadent. I think my family is going to start getting mad at me soon for all the desserts I’ve been tempting them with.
Thank you! My problem is I end up eating it all myself because my family don’t want any haha!
These look delicious and..well..truffley. I follow you on instagram too, and I would like to nominate you for a leibster award 🙂 find out more here http://allyouneedishummus.wordpress.com/2014/04/28/leibster-award-say-whaaaat/ and keep posting mouth watering pictures! Xx
Oh thank you Jess! I will have a look 🙂
These sound amazing!! Only problem is is that my brother is allergic to nuts so is there anything I could substitute in for the walnuts?