There’s no other root vegetable I love more than sweet potatoes, sweet, ooey-gooey soft and caramelized sweet potatoes. Cinnamon Sweet Potato Truffles captures the versatility of sweet potatoes as this dish is primarily a dessert instead of the familiar savory preparation we normally see with this root vegetable. These truffles are deliciously simple to make containing only natural, gluten-free, dairy-free and nutrient dense ingredients; mainly almonds, dates, oats, and of course sweet potatoes!
Word on the street (a.k.a. my kitchen?) is sweet potatoes are no longer just for savory dishes, they’re also great in desserts! I love using them in dessert recipes to add a natural sweetness with a starchy yet creamy texture, take sweet potato pie or sweet potato casserole for example. Sweet potatoes are highlighted best when they’re baked in the oven long enough that the natural sugars from the center start oozing out of the crispy potato skin, creating a dark sugar caramel. My favorite part of baking sweet potatoes is the moment when you scrape them off the baking sheet and see a string of caramel connecting the sweet potato to the baking sheet still- that is until I quickly take my finger and scoop up the sugary sweetness and eat it!
Nutrient breakdown of SWEET POTATOES |
- Vitamin A } 1 cup (200g) contains about 770% DV of vitamin A!
- Vitamin C
- Potassium
- Magnesium
- Manganese
- Vitamin B6, B5, B3
- Fiber
- Copper
- Antioxidants } mainly beta-carotene
Remember when we talked about carrots, the beta-carotene is more readily absorbed by our bodies when they’re cooked- same with sweet potatoes! Both the absorption of antioxidants from carrots and sweet potatoes are enhanced when eaten with healthy fats such as the nuts and seeds used in this recipe.
These truffles remind me of a big scoop of sweet potato pie/casserole formed into truffle sized balls. If you’re entertaining this holiday season and for Thanksgiving in particular, this is a perfect recipe for a sweet appetizer or a savory/sweet dessert option because the ball size will dictate the party- meaning you can create 6 large balls (which can either be made very large and simply eaten with a spoon or do what I do and take a giant bite or you can bring this to a large party and make about 24 smaller sized truffle balls, the choice is yours! This recipe was inspired by several southern style cooking recipes from Food Network and also Southern Living magazine that I saw for sweet potato pie balls- this is my healthier spin and interpretation on those recipes (sans butter and refined sugars).
GARNISH OPTIONS |
- Dried fruits // Goji berries, raisins, dried cranberries, apricots, blueberries, etc.
- Nuts // pecans, almonds, walnuts, almond, brazil, hazelnuts, cashews, etc.
- Seeds // sunflower, hemp, chia, flax, pumpkin, sesame, etc.
- Chocolate // raw cocoa powder, cacao nibs, dark chocolate chips
- Unsweetened shredded coconut
- Crunchy homemade granola
- Chocolate ganache (recipe below)
- 3 cups sweet potato (1 very large or 3 small), baked
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 1 cup dates, pitted
- 3/4 cup rolled oats, gluten free
- 1 tablespoon organic coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
- GARNISH //
- pumpkin seeds
- goji berries
- sesame seeds
- raw cocoa powder
- Wash sweet potatoes (you have the choice to leave skin on or peel- I like the skin on).
- Bake sweet potatoes at 350 degrees F for 30-40 minutes, continually checking by sticking a knife in the middle. You’ll know these are done when they’re very soft and all the natural sugars start to caramelize on the outside.
- Allow sweet potatoes to cool at room temperature.
- Then add all ingredients into a high speed blender/Vitamix/food processor until the mixture is smooth and brought together, similar to a dough.
- Divide the mixture into 6 large portions or you may roll these into 24 smaller ball truffles.
- Roll each divided portion into a ball in the palm of your hands packing to form a ball; note these will be soft.
- Chill in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes until cool.
- GARNISH OPTIONS //
- Roll each truffle, one at a time, in any garnish you like (goji berries, raisins, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, raw cocoa powder, coconut, etc.).
- GANCHE //
- One at a time, roll each truffle to coat completely.
- Set on parchment paper (not touching any other ganache covered truffle).
- Chill for about 20 minutes or until chocolate coating is hardened.
- Serve while still cool to ensure the chocolate coating is still hard.
- Keep in an air tight container and store in the refrigerator until serving.
- Enjoy!
- 1 cup cocoa powder, organic unprocessed
- 1 cup organic coconut oil, melted
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- pinch of sea salt
- Take melted coconut oil and stir to combine with maple syrup and cocoa powder until a thick chocolate sauce is created.
- More coconut oil will create a thinner sauce, less coconut oil while create a thicker sauce; adjust to your needs.
- Store in the fridge.
- Enjoy!
I hope you all love these as much as I do and I’d love to hear how you all garnish these! Share below with your ideas and creations and be sure to share with your friends and family- everyone deserves this recipe at their holiday table this year!
Have a sweet day,
xo McKel
