I was walking around the aisles of Trader Joe’s the other day and stumbled upon something I hadn’t noticed before. It was peanut flour, in a fun little orange package. I peeked around the bag and decided to bring it home to experiment with. First I put it in a blender with almond milk and ice cream and made a peanut butter milkshake, which was amazing. Then I did some more research on it and found out that it is actually pretty good for you…if you don’t put it in a milkshake. Peanut flour is created through the process of pressing peanuts to make peanut oil. The peanut oil is taken away to be sold, and the dry remnants of the peanuts are churned up into a powder.
Peanut flour is good for you because most of the fats have been removed through the pressing process and a lot of the vitamins and proteins are left behind. Since I have been trying to eat less unhealthy carbohydrates and more protein, I decided to try and make some truffles with it. I was very pleased with how the truffles turned out, nice and rich and creamy with a crunchy little peanut inside! They’re a really healthy dessert option, and, more importantly, quite delicious. I did, however, put a wee bit of sugar in them because without it the cocoa mixture would have been too bitter for my taste. If you like it extra sweet, you can throw a few more teaspoons of granulated sugar into the cocoa. I also added flax seed meal for some extra fiber.
Cocoa Peanut Truffles
Ingredients
Peanut Layer
- 1/2 cup peanut flour
- 3 tablespoons whole milk or nut milk
- 2 tablespoons peanuts
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cocoa Layer
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon whole milk or nut milk
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter or coconut oil
- 3 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons powdered sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons flax seed meal
Coating
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
Instructions
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To make the peanut layer, mix together all of the ingredients, except the peanuts, in a medium-sized bowl until they create a thick paste. To make the cocoa layer, mix together all of the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl until a thick paste forms as well. To make the outside coating, simply mix the ingredients together in a small bowl until they are evenly combined.
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To start making the truffles, take a teaspoon of the peanut mixture and flatten it slightly so that it makes a very tiny pancake, about 1/4 of an inch thick. Place a peanut in the middle of the pancake, and pull the edges up around the peanut. Gently roll the ball between your hands until it is smooth and the peanut is completely covered in the peanut mixture. Repeat this process until all of the peanut mixture is gone.
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Then take a teaspoon of the cocoa mixture and flatten it into a small pancake in the palm of your hand that is about 1/8 inch thick. Place the peanut truffle on the little pancake and curl the edges up around the truffle. If it doesn't cover the whole truffle, grab a little bit more of the cocoa mixture and spread it around to cover any existing gaps. Repeat this process until all of the cocoa mixture is gone.
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Then, take the truffle and roll it around in the coating mixture so that it won't be sticky on the outside. Shake off any excess powder, and set on a serving plate. Repeat this process with the remaining truffles. If you used dairy-based products, keep the truffles refrigerated. Enjoy!
How fun! I'd love to experiment with peanut flour. And, your truffles look delicious!
Thanks so much! They are kind of addicting, haha 🙂
Well that looks like all kinds of awesome. Great job!
How cool is that to have peanut flour? I can just imagine peanut cookies, peanut pastry base… mmmm…. and i love how u rolled the truffles in such dark chocolate. Yummy.
I can tell from the pictures that I would not be able to stop eating these!
I've never heard of peanut flour, but will have to keep my eyes out for it the next time I visit Trader Joe's. The truffles look delectable!
Lovely recipe! I always love visiting your site because its not just great recipes, its visually stunning as well. So glad you found and played with this peanut flour…I'm desperate for a peanut butter milkshake now 🙂
Such an amazing idea! I always see peanut flour as an ingredient, but I've never seen it sold on its own. Hmmm. I've got to keep an eye out. These truffles look amazing. Adding protein and peanut bits to ANYTHING sounds good to me, especially when wrapped in cocoa!
I like my chocolate with nuts and what can be better than the versatile peanut- I think you have represented this combination in their best form in these truffles- they look soooo addictive 🙂
US Masala
Those look fantastic! Would coating them in a layer of chocolate ganache be all right? I've always been curious as to how pastry chefs get that hard chocolate shell on the outside and then the smooth chocolate on the inside.
Thanks everyone!
@Kartik: I think that would probably work well. You might want to refrigerate the truffles first before you coat them in the ganache so that they're more firm and less likely to become mushy when they come in contact with melted chocolate.
I dislike truffles, for whatever reason, so I thought I was safe from these, but then, as an experiment, I rebranded these in my head as peanut butter cookie dough bites AND NOW I WANT THEM SOOO BAD. Curse you!
Those truffles looks simply irresistible and fantastic..
Peanut flour…I'll definitely have to pick some up and try this recipe!
I love the look of your truffles, they look how truffles really should look, like the mushroom (rather than perfect little balls). I must keep my eyes out for peanut flour.
*kisses* HH
These look AMAZING…I love those adorable packages at Trader Joe's next time I am totally buying it JUST to make these.
I've never heard of peanut flour before… Those truffles must be really addictive.
Cheers,
Rosa
Thanks guys 🙂 The peanut flour wasn't too pricey either, only like $3.50 for the package.
@Melanie: Haha! I am glad they could change your mind 😉
Chocolate and peanut go well together. These look all sorts of yum. I'd be curious to play with peanut flour 🙂
I'd love to find this flour in Australia, I'll have to go hunting now!
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