There's really too much sugar going on in my life right now. Two days after Christmas and all I still see around my house are Kourabiethes and Melomakarona which don't get me wrong taste AMAZING, but...
Wouldn't it be nice if you could just eat something as nice but still be healthy, so you can enjoy guilt-free?
And that's when I remembered a recipe I got a few years ago. It was just another version of Greek Karioka an old fashioned Greek dessert made with walnuts and coated in chocolate. So I twitched it a little to make a sugar-free version of it and ta-da! Here we are...
Truly delicious, moist and soft Walnut Bites that are sugar-free (+gluten-free). Oh, and soo easy to make!
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What Are These Walnut Bites Made Off
Lots of finely chopped walnuts, desiccated coconut, cocoa, orange juice, honey, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and a little bit of scotch to give them a more festive feel (you can skip this or add your favorite liqueur instead).
The best thing about truffles, in general, is that it's one of the easiest & stress-free desserts to serve on gatherings. You can make plenty of them in one go. Also no need to cut and serve individually, as everyone can help themselves out.
Oh, and don't forget to add some fancy napkins on the side = fewer dishes for washing (my holiday nightmare)!
Different Coatings
What suits these Walnut bites best is an unsweetened dark chocolate coating. But I also used some leftover ground walnuts and cocoa. Since variety always looks more Wow-ish.
See How TO Easily Melt Chocolate →
You can also use desiccated coconut since it's one of the ingredients that's used in the truffles. Or white chocolate which is another great option but with a small addition of sugar.
Want to make truly healthy truffles? Go all the way using these ⬇
- 100% Pure Raw & Unfiltered Honey
- Organic Cocoa Powder (Gluten-free, Non-GMO)
- Organic Desiccated Coconut (Raw, Non-GMO)
- Natural Raw Walnuts (Gluten-free, Non-GMO)
Healthy Walnut Bites - Greek Style Truffles
Ingredients
- 500 grams / 17.6 oz walnuts (can use pecans instead)
- 55 grams / 1.9 oz desiccated coconut
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 170 grams / 6 oz fresh-squeezed orange juice
- 350 grams / 12.3 oz honey
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅓ teaspoon ground clove
- ⅓ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon scotch or brandy
For Coating:
- 500 grams / 17.6 oz unsweetened bakers chocolate cut in small pieces
- OPTIONAL: unsweetened cocoa powder
- OPTIONAL: +extra finely chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Blend the walnuts in a food processor or blender, until finely chopped.
- Add all of the ingredients except the orange juice and honey in a large mixing bowl.
- Add orange juice in a saucepan and heat over high heat. Cook for about 2 minutes (to remove some of its acidity). Remove from heat and pour in the honey. Whisk well.
- Pour the mixture into the bowl with the remaining ingredients and mix until everything combines well.
- Refrigerate mixture for half an hour. Just so it cools down enough to be able to work it with your hands. But don't let it get to cold as the difference in temperature will make the warm melted chocolate thicken quickly.
- Shape into small round balls (about 38) and place them in a pan or large dish. It's easier if you have them all rolled and ready to be dipped into the chocolate.
- Melt the chocolate in a bowl using the microwave. Make sure temperature is set to some middle level. Stir every 1 minute until so it won't burn on the sides.
- Or use a stovetop double boiler and melt the chocolate like a pro. Place a small saucepan half-filled with water on your stovetop and wait until the water starts to simmer. Keep the temperature low so the water won't get to the boiling point. Place a stainless steel bowl with the chocolate on top. And stir using a silicone spatula until chocolate is melted. Just make sure the bowl doesn't get in touch with the water, and also that you scrape the sides of the bowl well.
- Dip 1-2 balls in the melted chocolate using 2 forks and then transfer on a cooling rack. You can place a piece of parchment paper at the bottom of the cooling rack to collect the dripping bits of chocolate.
- Sprinkle a few extra pieces of finely chopped walnuts on the truffles while the chocolate is still hot. Let them reach room temperature and then refrigerate.
Nutrition
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