No-Bake Cocoa Truffles

Dear Friends,

I decided to try to avoid eating sugar this semester, because out of all the problematic food groups, a lifetime sweet tooth is one I succumb to the most. Personally, I subscribe to the belief that sugar isn't all that terrible for you compared to aspartame and other sweeteners, with the exception of plant-based Stevia and its derivatives, but it's been enjoyable experimenting with no-sugar-added recipes to satisfy my demanding sweet tooth (or teeth, in my case).

Here's one of my favorites, because it's easy, filling, and sweet. It's also healthy (everything in moderation). I adapted it from another amazing recipe on this blog: http://theshiksa.com/2012/10/19/peanut-butter-honey-truffles/, which I also recommend trying.

Ingredients:

1/2 c. raw crunchy almond butter (I get mine from Trader Joe's)
1-2 tablespoons cocoa powder (depending how chocolatey you want it)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons honey (depending how sweet you like it)
Sprinkling (or 1-2 drops) Stevia
Coating of your choice: cocoa beans, coconut, cocoa powder, powdered/brown/granulated sugar (if you want), crumbled nuts, ground oatmeal, sesame seeds, mini chocolate chips, or whatever you have on hand.

Directions:

Mix all ingredients, roll into balls, and roll each ball in a coating of your choice.  Leave in refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Store in refrigerator. Enjoy!

Note: if your almond butter is newly opened, you may need to refrigerate it first in order to make it easier to work with.

Let me know how yours turn out, and feel free to comment/post adaptions or results.