These super nutritious little bites of sesame sweetness remind me of the halva I used to devour as a child. They’re easy to make, vegan, dairy-free and of course, gluten-free. Don’t let all those labels scare you though, more than anything else, they’re just plain old delicious.
Sesame Truffles
Ingredients
- ½ cup cashews, raw
- ¼ cup tahini (I used roasted though raw will probably work just as well)
- ¼ cup agave nectar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup sesame seeds (I used raw though you could toast them for a stronger flavor)
Instructions
- Place cashews in food processor and pulse until the texture of coarse sand
- Add tahini, agave and vanilla and pulse until smooth
- Transfer mixture from food processor to a bowl and refrigerate 2 hours
- Roll into 1-inch balls and coat with sesame seeds
- Serve
Equipment
Several readers have commented that they will be making truffles or one of my other candy recipes as presents for the holidays this year. Adding a personal touch to your gifts by making things from scratch not only saves money, it offers the recipient something from the heart.
When I was a child I made cookies and candy for family friends, packed the treats in take out containers that I bought at the local Chinese restaurant and tied them with colorful ribbon on the handle. I had so much fun doing this every year.
What gifts are you thinking of making for the holidays?
Miche says
Raw cashews aren’t really raw — they’re steamed. If they weren’t, they’d be poisonous.
What people who sell cashews mean by “raw” is “not roasted.”
kristina antolin says
I love this recipe, but the truffles got so mushy at room temp. I filled dates w/ them and sprinkled sesame seeds on top…problem solved.
Haley says
I just found your website from Tasty Kitchen. I’m so glad I stumbled upon it. You have so many delicious looking recipes! I especially want to try the raw chocolate fudge and the chia seed tapioca pudding. Thanks for sharing all these recipes! :)
elana says
Nicole,
Glad to hear you liked this. You are very welcome.
Elana
Nicole says
Hi Elana:
I made these truffles today and they are incredible. They are the best thing I’ve eaten in the last seven months since becoming a gluten-free vegan.
Thanks so much for the recipe. So yummy!
Now I’m going to make the orange chocolate truffles.
elana says
Penny,
Great additions to the prune truffles, however if you are going to add more liquid ingredients (tea and agave) then they will definitely get gloppy unless you also increase the dry ingredients as well. Good luck in your experiments!
Elana
Penny says
Elana,
tried the choc prune truffles and the sesame truffles today. Used brewed chai tea with a bit of agave (just the tea, not the milk, sugar, etc.) as the liquid, and added in a few more spices such as cardamom, cinnamon and a pinch of chile. They are fabulous tasting but so soft. I’m worried that too long out of the fridge and they’ll be gloppy. The seseme truffles are also a success — so delicious. I wanted to tell you I added a bit of lemon zest and sea salt, which added a little zing to them. Thanks again,
elana says
Stephanie,
That sounds delicious and thanks for the link to your site.
Enjoy the take out containers! They’re fun and easy.
Elana
Stephanie says
I am making this killer recipe for Mexican Chocolate Bark. My batch will be dairy/gluten free of course, but I can’t afford to make everyone’s DF, so they get the regular old recipe. But seriously, this is so yummy! I love the idea of the chinese take out boxes! I might have to steal that :)
http://nograinnopain.blogspot.com/2008/10/mexican-chocolate-cake-fiasco-with.html
elana says
Cakespy -I hope you enjoy them as much as we have.
Foodeater -Thanks!