January 30, 2014

Coconut Oil Peanut Butter Truffles

The SEA SALT Desserts, Recipes chocolate peanut butter balls with coconut oil, Coconut oil, coconut oil peanut butter balls, healthy peanut butter balls, Peanut Butter Balls, peanut butter balls with coconut oil, SEA SALT 9 Comments

Peanut Butter and Chocolate is a cliche pair for a reason. It is the most delicious combination in the world.

If you don’t agree, we can still be friends but don’t expect us to have anything in common.

These simple, 4 ingredient truffles don’t have any butter or cream and are made with coconut oil. My friend Kim turned me on to coconut oil last summer when I had these funny little white spots on my arms that wouldn’t go away (I’m pretty sure they were from surfing in dirty water). She is in nursing school and loves to heal people, so every time I rode my little beach cruiser down the street to her place she would grab her tub of coconut oil and rub it my arms. The spots totally disappeared! I kid you not!

Coconut oil is a staple in my pantry (and bathroom). I love to cook with it, use it as skin lotion and a hair conditioner, feed it to my dog to help with his breath, and just eat it plain. Coconut oil is an anti-fungal and can help our body to increase resistance to bacteria and viruses. What’s more, coconut oil can help to keep your weight balanced because it has special fats that help to burn energy efficiently. I read about a study of women who took 2 tablespoons of coconut oil a day, and didn’t gain weight but actually LOST abdominal fat.

If I haven’t sold you on the health benefits of coconut oil, then you should make these truffles and I think the taste will definitely win you over. The beautiful thing about coconut oil in these truffles is that it melts really nicely, and it gives them such a silky, melt-in-your-mouth texture. I could eat them all day!

Coconut Oil Peanut Butter Truffles

Makes about 16-18 truffles

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Natural Salted Smooth Peanut Butter (I love Trader Joe’s)
• 1/2 cup room temperature coconut oil, plus 1 Tbs
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 and 1/4 cup Dark Chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer combine peanut butter and coconut oil.
2. Using the whisk attachment, and on the highest setting, beat together until combined and lightened in color.
3. Using a sifter set over the bowl, add 1 cup of powdered sugar and combine again for 30 seconds.
4. Refrigerate for 1 hour until firm.
5. Make small balls by rolling 1 Tbs of the mixture between the palms of your hands. (Coconut oil melts really easily so do this quickly, and rinse your hands when you need to.) And set balls on a baking sheet lines with parchment paper or a nonstick mat.

1. Freeze for 45 mins to an hour, or until you are ready to coat them.
2. When you are ready to take out the PB insides, melt chocolate and 1 Tbs coconut oil in microwave for 30 second increments (or less depending on your microwave). *The coconut oil helps to keep the chocolate smooth, and makes the chocolate shell a bit softer.
3. Remove truffles and dip in chocolate (A helpful suggestion from my friend who made this recipe was to use toothpicks).
4. Refrigerate 30 mins or so for the chocolate to set.
5. Keep in fridge until you are ready to eat them!