Coconut Pistachio Energy Truffles + Almond Coconut Butter
Happy St. Paddy's Day!!
Do any of you forget small holidays like this? I woke up and wasn't even aware that it was today until my mom tried to pinch me for not wearing any green-- which I was by the way-- after almost yelling at her for randomly pinching me I realized what day it is...
I'm pretty sure the same thing happened on Valentine's day...
I mean minus pinching part.
The point is, these holidays that are just celebrated for one day with no real party or break surrounding them always creep up on me without me even knowing.
To somewhat celebrate St. Paddy's Day, I wanted to make a green dessert! But before I did that, I wanted to try to whip up some pistachio-coconut butter to have on hand. I'm a huge fan of nut butters and I run through them WAY too fast, so it's always fun to have some different homemade ones on hand-- and they are SO easy to make! All you need are a few types of nuts, or one type, oil/liquid to blend (let's be honest... it takes way too long and too much patience without using a liquid to blend, but if you have time, go for it!) and a high-powered food processor... and a lot of patience! Once the butter is formed you can add in whatever flavors you like; agave, honey, maple syrup, vanilla, cocoa powder, cinnamon, sea salt, flavored exracts, etc. You can even add in things like chocolate chips, dried fruit, and granola for some texture! They're just so fun to make and customize-- and SO incredibly delicious! My favorite one to make is probably
as you can probably tell by how many posts I have featured the recipe in...
Anyways, the one thing you don't want to do with your homemade nut butters is add in the liquid part too quickly (if you are using liquid- for this recipe you need it). I actually prefer not to use oil in my nut butters because it does tend to separate as it sits out. The only time I usually use it is in my "Nutella" recipe. But if you are using liquid, whether it be oil, milk, or even water, you have to wait until the nut butter is 90% formed or else it will get REALLY messy and separated and gross. Take my word for it.
That's actually how these "truffles" or energy bites were formed. My impatient-self added in coconut oil a little too soon and ended up with a really oily and sticky mess. So, sometimes the worst messes can turn into REALLY good things! I call them truffles because they are SO SO SO sweet and delcious, I think I can get away with calling them a dessert. I usually don't post many recipes like this on here because of how simple they are to make, but these were too good not to!
Okay, so I admit the color is the least bit appealing, but they taste like the sweetest pistachio cookie you will ever eat. I promise.
Energy bites are so easy to make, too! All you really need are nuts, seeds, dates/liquid sweetner, dried fruit, and any other add-ins you like; protein powder, chocolate chips, any of the other add-ins I listed earlier. All you have to do is blend them up and form them into balls/bars!
After I messed up the first batch of nut butter and made them into energy balls, I ended up trying to remake the coconut butter, without coconut oil, and it turned out so decadent, rich, and the perfect blend of sweet & salty. With the addition of almond extract, it seriously tastes better than candy.
And if you're feeling like taking these guys to the next level... try dipping the energy balls into the butter and letting them set until it firms up. It's pretty amazing...
Oh, and I never got around to actually making a true green dessert. My bad? But these are seriously just as good as any dessert I could've come up with. Trust me on this one!
Coconut Pistachio Energy Truffles
2 cups flaked coconut
1 cup roasted, unsalted pistachios (if using raw- toast lightly first)
1/3 cup agave OR honey
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup metled coconut oil
1 cup oats
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. sea salt (omit if pistachios are salted)
Pulse the coconut, pistachios, and oats in a food processor until they are roughly the same size. Add in all other ingredients and pulse until it forms into a ball, adding water 1 tbs. at a time to form one big ball, if too crumbly.
Roll into smaller bite-sized balls, place on a wax-lined baking sheet and refrigerate until firm. Move to a container or zip lock bag and keep in the refrigerator.
Almond Coconut Butter
3 cups flaked coconut
2 tbs. maple syrup OR agave OR honey (maple preferably)
1 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 cup coconut milk*** (any other milk/cream will work just as well but I love the extra added flavor)
In a high-powered food processor, pulse the coconut for 10 minutes straight, scraping down the sides when needed. Add in all other ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy (small bits of coconut will still be present).
Pour into a mason jar and keep in a cool/dry place.
***Canned or boxed coconut milk that hasn't been chilled yet
NOTE: If you make any nut butter using milk of any kind or coconut oil, keep in refrigerator. If you use no oil/any other oil besides coconut oil it is okay to keep in a cool/dry place.
