Chocolate bunny truffles without chocolate – dairy free – vegan

I’m always looking for new catchy healthy snacks. Kids love snacking and moms love healthy snacks that will not ruin the appetite for lunch or dinner 😉

Luca has developed an insane passion for everything that is or resemble chocolate (if you consider that my husband has a “secret” chocolate bag hidden in his closet, you can imagine where Luca’s passion comes from…). I try to respect his chocolaty desires but at the same time I also try not to exaggerate and to keep him on the healthy side.

That’s why I usually have a jar of homemade Nutella in the refrigerator (if you want to check the recipe click here) and that’s why I was very excited to test on him this “chocolate without chocolate” truffles recipe. Alex helped me preparing the truffles. He loves pressing the food processor 😉

In order to have more fun we shaped the truffles like little bunnies and we gave them some coconut flakes fur 😉

You will only need 4 ingredients and you will not need to bake at all. The  main ingredient that gives natural sweetness and body to the recipe is dates. Sweet and delicious fruits from the tropical oasis, packed with an impressive list of essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that are required for normal growth, development and overall well-being. I would say a must for kids 😉

To give the chocolate taste I added cocoa. Unsweetened as the dates give enough sweetness to the recipe. Last ingredient for the truffles is vanilla extract, just a teaspoon to add more flavor. As I shaped the truffles like bunnies I needed a creative coating, that’s why I used coconut flakes to create a furry effect.

Here you are the quantities to create 20 small bunnies:

And that’s how simple the recipe is:

– Soak the dates in some lukewarm water for few hours (even overnight if you have time). The more the dates are submerged by water the softer and moist they get.

– Place the coconut flakes in a food processor and mix for 1/2 minutes. You want to transform them in a kind of coconut flour. Set it apart

– Using the same food processor add the dates (remember to take out the pit!!), the unsweetened cocoa powder and the vanilla extract

– Let the food processor work for few minutes in order to transform the dates mix in a thick paste. If you need to stop and scrap the sides of the food processor with a spatula to better cut the dates, do it!

– Sprinkle some coconut flakes on a flat surface and place on it two teaspoons of cocoa/dates mix. Sprinkle some coconut on top too and flat the mix with your fingers. The coconut will prevent the mix to stick to your hands. Using a bunny shape cookie cutter cut a bunny truffle.

Keep playing with the cocoa/dates paste creating cute little bunnies or other shapes you like!

Even if it is not needed I decided to store the truffles in the refrigerator and serve them cold. That was a very good move. The taste is even better when cold.

Also, the tiny shape of the bunnies is perfect as a kids’ snack size or an adult’s bite size: enough to be satisfied but not to much to be overwhelmed.

The bunny truffles can be stored outside or in the refrigerator in an air tight container for 7/10 days, even if I’m sure they will not last more than three 😉

Enjoy!