I’m starting a new series this week. I’ve already posted a few recipes from the archives, so you may already get the idea, but I’m posting sweet treat recipes you can give as gifts this holiday season! And I’m starting with these simple, delicious, and fun to make Mexican chocolate cookie dough truffles! Sweet, no-bake and easy to make cookie dough enrobed in sweet, cinnamon-scented chocolate—they are obsessively good and anyone you gift these to will be delighted!
I’m late to the no-bake cookie dough party. I knew it existed, of course, but I didn’t really “discover” it until a few months ago when I found a container of gluten-free cookie dough at Whole Foods that you could either make into cookies or eat as-is. I was so excited! I’ve never been one to eat raw cookie dough. I think going to culinary school and having to take so many courses on food safety made me a bit too anxious about eating anything with raw egg.
So, as I was planning holidays for the blog and thought, what better to give as a gift than a no-bake cookie dough truffle? And then combine it with one of my favorite treats ever—Mexican chocolate. Cinnamon is one of my favorite spices, and combining it with chocolate? The best!
You will need a double boiler to melt the chocolate, but don’t worry, it’s simple to do and I have a double-boiler how-to on this blog!
In this recipe, I do not add the traditional red chile to the recipe because I’m not a fan of chile and chocolate, but if you prefer it, then certainly add it!
Finally, this is definitely not the healthiest recipe of all time. However, one of the big things I believe in is moderation and treats. Yes, this is the season of treats and I take the time to enjoy myself because it’s important for me not to deprive myself of fun. And these truffles are fun.
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) of unsalted butter, softened
- 1 pound of good-quality semi-sweet chocolate
- ½ cup of miniature chocolate chips or dairy-free chocolate chips
- ½ cups of brown or coconut sugar
- ⅔ to 1 cup of almond flour
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- ½ tsp. salt (this is important)
- In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar together until light and creamy, about 4 minutes.
- Add the vanilla, salt, and flour to the mixture and mix until combined. If the mixture seems too buttery, add more flour ⅛ of a cup at a time until it takes on more of the consistency of chocolate chip cookie dough.
- Add the chocolate chips and mix on low until thoroughly combined.
- Scoop out tablespoon-sized balls of the cookie dough and drop it into the chocolate, pushing them around the bowl until fully covered. The easiest way to do this is with a small cookie/ice cream scoop. Put in the fridge for thirty minutes to help firm the cookie dough up before coating with chocolate.
- Melt the chocolate with the cinnamon in the double boiler until melted.
- Once the chocolate is melted, carefully take it off of the double boiler and roll the dough balls until they are coated. If the chocolate gets more difficult to work, you can put it back on the double boiler and stir for a minute to loosen it up.
- Place the truffles a paper- or Silpat-lined sheet and place in the fridge when finished to firm up.
It’s fun to decorate these truffles, too! I’ve used sprinkles, sanding sugar, and even very small dragées or sugar pearls would look especially pretty.
And there you have it! Easy to make no-bake cookie dough balls covered in cinnamon-flavored chocolate for the perfect, craveable holiday gift!
Keep checking back for more edible holiday gift ideas!
‘Till next time!