Look…they look like fudge inside!
If you’re trying to avoid regular (read: sugar-coma-inducing) candy, this recipe will be your saving grace on Halloween night.
Halloween at my mom’s house is like a free-for-all when it comes to sugar. She always has an insanely huge amount of candy on hand for giving away to kiddos trick-or-treating. She fills a stockpot (which is about four times as big as my normal big soup pot!) to the point of overflowing, and then it’s a frenzied dash for stuffing your bag (and your face) with candy.
It is so hard to avoid that evil pot of temptation.
This year when I show up to help her pass out candy I will be armed with these little lovelies. They’re deliciously decadent in a healthy way…just take a look at their superfood roster of ingredients.
About the sweetness level of these truffles….I generally don’t like my sweets too sweet; instead, I aim for a balance of flavors, which I think is really achieved in this recipe. (Plus, if I’m trying to make something healthier it stands to reason that it shouldn’t be cloyingly sweet.) That being said, I know that the subtle sweetness in this candy won’t be sweet enough for some people (ahem, Hi Mom!). But no problem – taste the dough before you roll it out into truffles to see if it’s sweet enough for you. If not, feel free to add stevia (or your favorite powdered sweetener) to taste. (I don’t recommend adding a liquid sweetener like maple syrup or honey because that will change the consistency of the truffles and may prevent them from setting properly.)
- 8 pitted Medjool dates (about 4 oz), chopped (about ⅔ cup chopped, lightly packed)
- 4 tablespoons roasted unsalted sunflower seeds
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree (canned is fine; look for solid-pack pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil, melted
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 pinch ground cloves
- 1 pinch salt
- Chopped nuts, such as walnuts, almonds, or pistachios
- Seeds, such as sunflower seeds or sesame seeds
- Unsweetened shredded coconut
- Cocoa powder
- Melted dark chocolate (if you want to dip the truffles)
- Pulse together all ingredients (except toppings) in a food processor until it comes together to form a ball.
- Scoop the dough into 1 tablespoon-sized truffles, roll into balls, and then coat in any topping(s) you like.
- Store the truffles in an airtight container up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
Joanne says
October 27, 2012 at 6:03 amI foresee these being the only thing that gets me through this holiday season without gaining ten pounds! Delicious!
Rosa says
October 27, 2012 at 6:14 amDivine! Spicy truffles are so addictive.
Cheers,
Rosa
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
October 27, 2012 at 6:23 amOh wow, these are packed with goodness! Love this recipe!
Amy (Savory Moments) says
October 27, 2012 at 6:39 amThese look delicious! What a great treat for Halloween or anytime. They remind me of sugar plums, which I made last Christmas for the first time and were a big hit!
Parsley Sage says
October 27, 2012 at 10:58 amWoo hoo! Dates are one of my favorite sneaky ingredients but I never thought for an instance to use them in a truffle. Halloween superness :)
Jessie says
October 27, 2012 at 7:13 pmWhen I was a kid, I remember gobbling down as many candies as I could for Halloween, especially the chocolate ones. Now, I can’t even imagine doing that. These truffles look like the perfect grown0up (and kiddie!) alternative! I’d much rather have these in my trick-or-treat bag now :)
Alison says
October 27, 2012 at 8:03 pmThis time of year, I spend most of my time resisting the urge to buy candy corn! These look fantastic; thanks for sharing.
Tina says
October 27, 2012 at 10:27 pmAmazing and healthy recipe :) I’ve been watching what I’ve been eating lately, and yes you are right, sometimes foods that become over-sweet that it is really sickly sweet is really not tasty at all. I find that a super-dense gourmet cake slice often makes my stomach hurt due to the demand of breaking down all that glucose! Indigestion thanks to indulgence, no thanks!!
Once again, thanks for sharing this healthy delicious recipe!
Lisa says
October 28, 2012 at 7:40 amThese look amazing! I’d much rather have these than candy!
Alyssa (Everyday Maven) says
October 28, 2012 at 10:12 amGreat flavors Faith and so much better than all that crappy Halloween candy!
Erica (@Cannella_Vita) says
October 28, 2012 at 9:45 pmWOW these look so delicious! Plus no dates! That’s so unique for a recipe like this!
Faith says
October 28, 2012 at 9:59 pmErica, Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment! These little beauties definitely were delicious — date is actually their main ingredient though (dates act as both binder and sweetener here).
Bren @ Flanboyant Eats™ says
October 29, 2012 at 11:29 pmGorgeous truffles! These are perfect for a fancy fete! :) So thrilled for you and your book! Just a week away! Congrats
Heidi @ Food Doodles says
October 31, 2012 at 6:26 pmOooh, I love truffles like these! I love the pumpkin and all the spices in these. Yum!