Here’s how writing this post has gone so far: Write a lot of stuff about how clean eating and healthy these truffles are Realize that the best part of these truffles is actually how crazy rich and decadent they are and ohmygod the chocolate shell and did see you the flake salt on the tippity top? Oh-oh-oh. Delete everything and begin post recounting error of ways OK, because, really, the best thing about these healthy vegan chocolate truffles is not that they’re healthy or vegan or paleo or dairy free or gluten free or refined sugar-free or PHEW. Nah, that part is totally amazing, don’t get me wrong! I can pop a couple into my mouth without even the faintest whiff of guilt, knowing I’m eating fruit, cocoa powder, coconut oil, and vanilla extract, AKA the pod of a damn flower. But I digress… No, the very best part of this vegan chocolate truffles recipe is that the truffles themselves are so damn good. They’re dense but not overly so, and they’re moist and chocolatey and crazy rich. Some are rolled in dark cocoa powder, some shimmy in a bowl of jimmies, some are dunked and coated in a rich chocolate shell, topped with a pinch of flake salt or more little jimmies. Like, how fancy are we?
Why This Recipe Is So Good
They’re intensely chocolatey and perfectly sweet, thanks to dark cocoa powder and tender Medjool dates. They’re quite easy to make and very difficult to mess up! This recipe only has 4 ingredients and is made quickly. These healthy chocolate truffles are vegan, paleo, dairy free, and refined-sugar free.
How to Make Them
While it’s really very easy to make these vegan chocolate truffles, there are a few tips that will help you do it perfectly every single time! Start by soaking your Medjool dates in hot water, covering the dates, for a few minutes, until softened. Next, drain the dates and remove the woody ends, as well as the pits.
Place the dates, cocoa powder softened coconut oil and vanilla extract in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the mixture becomes a paste. Continue processing until the mixture pulls together to form a ball. Remove mixture from the food processor, scraping the bottom and sides with a spatula to assist. Place in a bowl. Scoop out rounded teaspoons until all mixture has been divided. It helps to dip your fingers in a small bowl of warm water to get the sticky mixture out of the teaspoon. Place each ball on a plate, ideally lined with a piece of parchment paper, and freeze for a few minutes, about 5-10 minutes.
After briefly frozen, roll the pieces into even spheres. Wetting your hands is not helpful here and will only cause a giant mess! Keep your hands dry.
Coating Options
Chocolate
In a small bowl, microwave together chocolate chips and coconut oil in 30-second bursts, stirring well in between each round, until just melted and completely smooth. Place a truffle in the bowl of melted chocolate and roll around with a fork to completely coat. Lift coated truffle out of chocolate with the fork, allowing excess to drip off. Scrape bottom of fork against the edge of the bowl to assist, then carefully slide truffle off the fork onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Let the truffles set for a minute or so then sprinkle with flake salt or jimmies. Chill in the refrigerator for a few minutes to set or let sit at room temperature until fully set.
Cocoa Powder
Do this right before serving, as the cocoa will become saturated with the moisture from the truffle and become discolored over time. Drop a rolled ball into a small bowl of dark cocoa powder and toss with your fingers or a fork to coat. Remove, shaking off excess.
Jimmies
Dip truffles briefly into a small bowl of water and set aside on a plate to dry for a few minutes. This process allows the truffles to become tacky and lets the jimmies really stick. After truffles have been dunked and dried, roll into a bowl full of jimmies, lightly pressing into the truffle surface. These can be made ahead.
Topping Suggestions
Fine, I’ll play favorites. The chocolate-dipped truffles are the absolute best. What’s even cooler is that you can sprinkle them with all sorts of things! I absolutely love a decent sprinkling of flake salt, like Maldon, as I do with my Perfect Paleo Brownies. I also love sprinkling them with a few chocolate jimmies. They’re just so fun and add such great texture! If you’re getting gourmet, try minced crystallized ginger, minced bacon (YES!), chili powder, crushed peppermint candies, etc.
Dark Cocoa Powder vs. Regular Cocoa Powder
I love, love, love the intense depth from dark cocoa powder and highly recommend it in this recipe. You can also use black cocoa powder for a super stunning healthy vegan chocolate truffle! You can use regular cocoa powder, but I much prefer dark cocoa or black cocoa powders here.
Can I use different dates?
I mean, you can, but I highly recommend Medjool dates. The flavor is richer, and the texture is better than other dates like Deglet Noor.
Finding Paleo Chocolate
It can be difficult to find chocolate bars or chips that are totally free of refined sugar, but there are options! I usually use Enjoy Life chocolate chips, which are free of the top 8 allergens but do contain cane sugar.
These chocolate bars from Thrive Market are totally paleo and vegan and a great option for dipping these vegan chocolate truffles. If you eat stevia-sweetened chocolate, these chocolate chips from Lily’s are excellent. Finally, these chocolate chips are totally unsweetened and a great option.
Other Recipes You’ll Love:
Perfect Paleo Brownies Best Chocolate Paleo Cupcakes Ever with Dark Chocolate Frosting (Gluten Free, Dairy Free) Paleo Microwave Cookie with Chocolate Chips (Paleo Microwave Dessert)
