Kids "Truffles"

Sometimes I can't believe the amount of food we go through at our home. It especially seems to pick up during vacation time, when there seems to be a lot of "boredom eating" going on between my three kids.

My first line of defense is always to point them to a piece of fruit or vegetable and while they all enjoy eating those, it usually cures their "hunger" immediately. Every once in a while though I do know they are truly hungry, which right now is usually after swimming in the pool for a few hours.

That is when the kids need a quick "pick me up" snack that delivers, one that isn't too big so they won't spoil their appetite for dinner. Enter this fabulous little morsel packed full of flavor that I came across on Kathy's great blog named polwig. I was browsing the blog one day when this recipe caught my eye. Kathy calls them Chocolate Earth Balls on her blog, but I thought it would be a lot more appealing, especially to my teenager, if I made them sound more decadent, hence the Kids "Truffles" name (sneaky, right?).

These are an easy no-bake snack that can easily be customized to your families taste. If your kids don't care for cranberries, try them with raisins or chopped up dried apricots. Don't care for the coconut? Add sesame seeds instead and also roll the finished balls in them. You could also take the peanut flavor even further by substituting peanut chips for the chocolate, but I love adding a little bit of extra health benefit to them by using a good quality dark chocolate chip.

I really love that these "Truffles" are a great healthy alternative to have on hand for my kids. They are made quickly and don't require for you to turn on the oven. I have made several batches already that I keep ready in the refrigerator for when the hunger pains strike. Following below is the recipe, or head on over to polwig for a great step-by-step tutorial!

Kids "Truffles"

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup honey

2 teaspoons cocoa powder

1/2 cup of dried cranberries (or raisins, apricots etc.)

1 cup unsweetened coconut

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Place peanut butter, honey and cocoa powder into a bowl. Mix well until incorporated.
Add cranberries and 1/4 cup of coconut. Stir in chocolate chips. Mix well.
Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

Place remaining coconut (you might have to add more coconut) on a plate. Scoop up the "dough" and roll into 1 1/4 inch balls. Roll them in coconut.

Place finished balls on a cookie sheet or plate and refrigerate for an additional 30 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

Adapted from: polwig