Healthy Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough Truffles

 
For a few years after college, I lived directly across from one of the major shopping centers in town. Safeway, Office Max, and Rite Aid sat on one side, and about a dozen smaller local shops surrounded those three mainstream businesses, including a Mexican restaurant, a Chinese place, and a dog grooming shop.  

When I stopped by the pharmacy and grocery store shortly after Christmas one year, I realized that both places prominently displayed their leftover holiday décor and candy with sale signs boasting 50-75% off the original prices just inside the sliding glass entryway doors. While I assumed that Safeway would feature their products that way, I didn’t realize that Rite Aid would too… And the pharmacy actually offered better deals and a wider selection!
 

 
So when Valentine’s Day rolled around, I walked across the street the following afternoon to check out what the pharmacy had put on sale. Since the holiday fell midweek that year, very few people seemed to plan ahead and buy sweets for their significant others… My jaw nearly dropped open when I saw how much leftover candy was displayed in the front of the store!

I grabbed a few items, including a gigantic red heart-shaped box of dark chocolate truffles, which I opened as soon as I arrived back at home. Inside, I found a paper guide that revealed the flavor of each truffle, so I set aside the best flavors for last and started with the “so-so” ones, slowly savoring just one or two each day.
 

 
The box included most standard flavored fillings for truffles, like coconut, soft caramel, and peppermint. I also bit into ones with raspberry cream, milk chocolate nougat, and almond liquor fillings…

But my favorites were the ones with pure dark chocolate ganache or edible cookie dough hidden inside of that smooth dark chocolate coating! The former tasted so rich and decadent, while the latter felt sweet and whimsical and fun.
 

 
So way too many years later, I decided to recreate (and healthify!) one of the flavors inside of that box… These Healthy Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough Truffles!

They have soft edible eggless snickerdoodle cookie dough fillings, perfectly sweet and cinnamon spiced, with a robe of smooth and decadent dark chocolate on the outside and a sprinkling of flaky sea salt on top. Although hesitant before I bit into that first one many years ago, the cozy cinnamon + rich chocolate + bright pop of salt is such an incredible and irresistible combination!

Yet unlike those original truffles, these contain no heavy cream, oil, refined flour or sugar… And just 29 calories!
 

 
So let’s go over how to make these healthy snickerdoodle cookie dough truffles!

You’ll start by making the edible eggless snickerdoodle cookie dough filling. For that, you just need one bowl!

In that bowl, you’ll mix together a teensy tiny bit of melted butter, vanilla extract, and liquid stevia. You’re using the smallest amount of melted butter possible! It adds a luxurious texture to the filling, as well as richness to the flavor.

Just like in my favorite chocolate chip cookies and sugar cookies, the vanilla extract actually enhances butter’s rich flavor! So by adding it to your healthy edible snickerdoodle cookie dough filling, your truffles taste exceptionally rich and delicious.

In case you aren’t familiar with it, stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that contains nothing refined or artificial (aka it’s clean eating friendly!). It’s also highly concentrated. You just need ¾ teaspoon for your healthy snickerdoodle cookie dough truffles. That’s the equivalent of almost ½ cup of sugar!

This is the kind I use because I love its flavor and don’t notice any strange aftertaste like in some other stevia products. Although you can find it at many health-oriented grocery stores, I buy mine online here because that’s the best price I’ve found. (And you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!)
 

 
Next, you’ll stir in unsweetened cashew milk. This actually replaces the eggs, which means your healthy snickerdoodle cookie dough truffles are perfectly safe to eat raw! I love using unsweetened cashew milk because it’s thicker and creamier than most non-dairy milks, and it only has 25 calories in a cup. It works in just about all of my baking recipes too!

Tip: Any milk will work in this healthy snickerdoodle cookie dough truffles recipe! Unsweetened vanilla almond milk is another one of my go-to options. Many of my family members are lactose intolerant, so by using non-dairy milk and no eggs, these healthy snickerdoodle cookie dough truffles are vegan, dairy-free, and perfectly safe for them to eat!
 

 
Then come the cinnamon and salt. It’s impossible to make snickerdoodle-flavored anything without the cinnamon, right? This is my favorite cinnamon because it tastes stronger, richer, and sweeter than the regular kind. I buy it online here. It’s really affordable and inexpensive!

Finally, you’ll stir in oat flour as the last ingredient in your edible eggless snickerdoodle cookie dough filling. Oat flour is just really finely ground oats! Therefore, I’m not sure if it’s technically considered flour… However, “powdered oats” just doesn’t have quite the same ring to it. ????

This is my favorite oat flour because it’s so powdery and velvety, which makes it perfect for the smooth filling of these healthy snickerdoodle cookie dough truffles. (This is the gluten-free version!) I also show you how to make your own at home here!

Once you’ve mixed together your edible eggless snickerdoodle cookie dough filling, it’s time to roll it into spheres. These are bite-sized truffles, so you only need a tiny bit of filling for each one! Place them on a baking sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper, then…
 

 
It’s time to melt your chocolate! For the best results, you must use bars of dark chocolate, not chocolate chips. Chocolate chips contain a stabilizer, which prevents them from melting as smoothly as chocolate bars.

I’ve tried using a variety of different brands for the coatings of my healthy homemade truffles, and Lindt and Ghirardelli are my favorites. When melted, they’re smooth and thin and liquidy, which makes dipping your truffle fillings so much easier! 

I strongly advise against using less dark (aka milkier!) brands like Hershey’s special dark and Cadbury dark chocolate. When melted, those chocolate bars stay thick and goopy, rather than thin and liquidy, which makes dipping your healthy truffles a little frustrating.

But before you dip, I have a trick for you! To make the prettiest healthy snickerdoodle cookie dough truffles…
 

 
Use a panini press! I know, I know… That sounds a little strange. (Unless you’ve followed my blog for a while and already know about that trick!)

But here’s why it works!

Before melting my chocolate in the microwave, I plug in my panini press (mine is no longer sold in stores, but this one is similar!), leave it closed, and place a washcloth that I’ve folded in half on top of its metal surface. Once my dark chocolate has melted, I put that glass bowl on top of the washcloth.

The heat from the panini press continues to warm the dark chocolate, and that keeps it melted and liquidy throughout the entire time I’m dipping my healthy snickerdoodle truffles. This results in healthy truffles with an even, beautiful, smooth, and luxurious dark chocolate coating!
 

 
If you skipped the panini press part, then you’d have to reheat your chocolate multiple times during the dipping process because it would start to cool off. When you reheat the chocolate, you start to see speckles or freckles in the truffles’ coatings, and the coatings aren’t as even. It doesn’t affect the flavor though—only the appearance!

Tip: If you don’t have a panini press like this one, then an electric pancake griddle should also work!
 

 
To dip your healthy snickerdoodle truffles, use two forks! Place one filling sphere into the bowl of melted dark chocolate, roll it around until it’s fully coated, lift it out, and then gently rock it back and forth between the tines of the two forks to let the excess chocolate drip off. Place it back on the wax paper, and keep going with the rest of your edible eggless snickerdoodle cookie dough filling!

Then for an extra fancy and delicious touch, I sprinkle this flaky sea salt on top! It adds a bright pop of flavor, and I think it makes these healthy homemade snickerdoodle cookie dough truffles look so elegant.
 

 
And I must admit… Even though I might be biased… These healthy homemade truffles taste a million times better than the ones in that box I bought after Valentine’s Day!

And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! ????) I’d love to see your healthy snickerdoodle cookie dough truffles!

Healthy Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough Truffles

© Amy's Healthy Baking

Yields: 24 truffles

Prep Time: 1 hour hr

Inactive Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

These homemade truffles taste like they came straight from an upscale, fancy chocolate shop — they don’t taste healthy at all! Although it may seem a little strange on paper, the cinnamon-spiced cookie dough filling, velvety dark chocolate coating, and bright pop of flavor from the salt is such an incredible flavor combination. (And a little addictive too!) Leftover truffles will keep for at least 5 days (if not longer!) if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

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Ingredients 

• 1 tsp unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted
• ¾ tsp vanilla extract
• ¾ tsp liquid stevia (or adjusted to taste)
• ¼ cup + 1 tsp (65mL) unsweetened cashew milk (room temperature)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 1 cup (120g) oat flour (gluten-free if necessary and measured like this)
• ¼ cup (54g) roughly chopped dark chocolate (see Notes!)
• optional: flaky sea salt for finishing (highly recommended!)

Instructions

• Place a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper on a baking tray.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the butter, vanilla extract, and liquid stevia. Stir in the cashew milk, cinnamon, and salt. Add in the oat flour, stirring until just incorporated.
• Working with a small amount of the mixture at a time, roll into a bite-sized sphere. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
• Place the dark chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds. Stir for 1 minute. Continue to heat for 10-second intervals, stirring for 1 minute between each, until the chocolate has completely melted. (I highly recommend keeping it warm while you assemble your truffles. See the Notes below!)
• Working with one cookie dough sphere at a time, carefully dip it in the melted chocolate using two forks, and let the excess drip off by rocking it between the two forks. Place back onto the wax paper. If using the flaky sea salt, sprinkle a small amount on the top of the dipped truffle. Repeat with the remaining chocolate and cookie dough spheres.
• Once all 24 truffles have been coated, place them in the freezer for 5-10 minutes (or the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes) or until the chocolate has hardened. Store in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

Notes

IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE: Remember to measure the flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much will dry out your cookie dough, and it will be too crumbly to roll. If this happens to you, add more milk 1 teaspoon at a time until the cookie dough comes together. If the cookie dough looks fine when you first mix it together but dries out when you dry to roll it, moisten your fingers and palms with a bit of water before rolling it. (See my blog post above for more tips and information!)

 

OAT FLOUR NOTES: I show you how to make your own oat flour here! For store-bought oat flour, this is my favorite (or this for a gluten-free version). Both of these are so fine and powdery, which gives these truffles the best texture.

 

OTHER FLOUR OPTIONS: Any flour except coconut flour may be substituted for the oat flour. When substituting gluten-free flours, the texture of the cookie dough bites will vary (and typically be grainier).

 

LIQUID STEVIA NOTES: I highly recommend using the liquid stevia! It’s one of my favorite ingredients, and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too! I buy mine online here because that’s the cheapest price I’ve found. For sweeter bites, increase the liquid stevia by an additional ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon.

 

Many stevia brands and products have different sweetness levels, so they're not always a 1-for-1 substitution. If using a different brand and product than this one that I use, you may need a different amount, and you may need to make other modifications to compensate as well.

 

OTHER SWEETENER OPTIONS: If you really prefer not to use the liquid stevia, then omit it and substitute pure maple syrup, honey, or agave for the milk. Do NOT use milk if using any of these sweeteners! (The cookie dough centers won’t be quite as sweet with any of these substitutions! They’ll be closer to the sweetness level of muffins, rather than cookies.)

 

MILK NOTES: Any milk can be substituted for the unsweetened cashew milk. Make sure your milk is at room temperature! Cold milk will re-solidify your butter or coconut oil.

 

IMPORTANT DARK CHOCOLATE NOTE: Use regular bars of chocolate for the coating, NOT chocolate chips! Chocolate bars melt better and taste smoother than chocolate chips, which often contain a stabilizer to help them hold their shape. I love Ghirardelli and Lindt for this! (Other “milkier” brands like Hershey’s special dark or Cadbury are much thicker when they melt, so I haven’t had good luck with them.)

 

HOW TO KEEP MELTED CHOCOLATE WARM: To keep your bowl of melted chocolate warm, (a) turn on an electric pancake griddle or a metal panini press {I don’t have the former, so this is what I use! mine is no longer sold in stores, but this panini press is very similar to mine!} and (b) place a washcloth that’s been folded in half in between the bottom of your bowl and the electric griddle or metal top of the panini press.

 

If you use this set-up, your bowl of chocolate should stay warm and at the same consistent temperature, which makes coating your truffles cups so much easier. (They’ll also look prettier! If you let the bowl of chocolate sit on your counter and periodically reheat it, your truffles will look speckled.)

 

OPTIONAL FLAKY SEA SALT: This is the flaky sea salt that I use! I usually crush it a bit between my fingers before sprinkling it because the flakes are so big. I’ve also found that it sometimes dissolves in the melted chocolate if you sprinkle it too soon after dipping, so I like to dip about 3 or 4 truffles, then sprinkle them with the sea salt to give the chocolate a bit of time to start setting first. (The salt does dissolve some the longer the truffles are refrigerated.)

 

GLUTEN FREE, DAIRY FREE + VEGAN OPTION: Use certified gluten free flour (like this!) and the coconut oil option or stick-style vegan butter.

 

For more tips and information, please see my blog post above!

 

{gluten free, vegan, dairy free, egg free, clean eating, low fat, low sugar}

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.

View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
 
 
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡  Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles
♡  Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough “Peanut Butter” Cups
♡  Healthy Single-Serving Chocolate Chip Protein Cookie Dough
♡  The Ultimate Healthy Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
♡  Healthy Pumpkin Spice Peanut Butter Cups
♡  …and the rest of Amy’s healthy chocolate truffle recipes!