This past week, I hosted my monthly pop-up dinner locally at the Jackrabbit Club. It’s always such a fulfilling night getting to meet people in person, push myself creatively, and feed everyone delicious (and healthy) food. It’s become my absolute favorite thing to do and I truly cannot wait to maybe have a space of my own one day.

These dinners help to stretch my “recipe rolodex” and make me think outside the box when it comes to food and menu creation. It’s easy to get in the same rut of making the same kinds of meals, but since I want to change it up every month– this event forces me to keep things interesting! This time around, I leaned more toward Indian/Middle Eastern flavors, which I could truly never tire of (think curries, coconut yogurt, or dates in a salad). As I was planning the menu out, dessert was proving to be a little tricky. You normally want longer-style meals to feel somewhat unified, or at least have a natural flow/progression.

And maybe it’s because I grew up and live in the U.S, but all the dessert flavors I’d normally land on didn’t seem to fit with the rest of the menu. Curry coconut soup followed by a raspberry lemon vegan cheesecake just felt (and might taste) strange. SO I started with tahini, added in some complimentary flavors from there, and ended up with these delicious chocolate tahini truffles with orange and pistachio.

I’m so happy with how they came out! They’re such a refreshing take on dessert, without being too “out there”. The warm spices, dark chocolate, and hint of orange just marry perfectly with the outside crunchy topping. All of this to say: you’ll want to make these chocolate tahini truffles ASAP! Oh, and they’re gluten free, vegan, grain free, and naturally sweetened– because that’s how I like to roll with dessert (or snack or breakfast) items.

Prep Time 20

Servings 18 truffles

Equipment

1 food processor

Ingredients

2 cups pitted medjool dates
1½ cups almond flour
½ cup tahini
½ cup cacao powder
2 tbsp melted coconut oil
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp fresh squeezed orange juice
½ tsp orange zest
½ tsp salt
⅛ tsp cardamom

For topping:

¼ cup dark chocolate chips
1 tsp melted coconut oil
⅛ tsp sea salt
pistachios, coconut flakes, sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions

Soak pitted dates in warm water for 5 minutes to soften. Pulse in the food processor until broken down into small pieces.
Add in the rest of ingredients and mix until combined very well. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides to help it along.
Add in 1-2 tsp of water + pulse again to help it form a sticky dough if you need to. I almost always add a little water to these recipes.
Form into truffles by rolling between the palms of your hands. Place on parchment-lined sheet.
Make the chocolate glaze by melting the chocolate with coconut oil. Either microwave for 30 second bursts or use a glass bowl over a double boiler on the stove (to prevent burning).
Drizzle over the truffles and sprinkle the nut/coconut/sesame seed mixture on top. I also add flaky sea salt here as well. Place truffles in the freezer for 10 minutes, until chocolate hardens. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.