Treat yourself to these healthy Chocolate Truffles. Based on dates and nuts, gently spiced with ginger and cinnamon they’re delicious. Quick and easy to make and with rich chocolatey flavours. Finish them in different ways and make them look really special.
Delicious, chocolatey, slightly spiced these taste utterly divine. These Chocolate Truffles have a lot in common with other date based treats such as energy balls or bliss balls. The thing that makes them worthy of being a perfect sweet treat at the end of a meal is the small amount of time that you spend finishing/decorating them.
Next time you want to impress someone special, why not spend a few minutes making these? They’d look good at the end of a celebratory meal or tucked in the corner of a lunchbox for someone special and because they’re not full of cream they’re relatively healthy too.
You want these healthy chocolate truffles because they taste delicious and look quite special. As they’re refined sugar-free, dairy-free and suitable for vegan, plant-based and vegetarian diets they’re pretty healthy too.
Ways to Finish/decorate the Truffles
The recipe below lists three fairly straightforward ways to finish off the healthy Chocolate Truffles. Two of these are pretty much fuss free whilst the third does take a little more extra effort.
In the recipe, I’ve given the amounts of the ingredients to decorate an entire batch of truffles using just one option. For example, the cocoa amount should cover all 25 healthy chocolate truffles. If you intend to mix them up, cocoa, coconut and dipped chocolate, as I usually do, you won’t need as much of each option.
Ingredients in Healthy Chocolate Truffles
The precise ingredients and exact amounts are listed in the recipe below. These are just a few notes to help.
I use pitted, soft dates which process easily into a nice sticky mixture. This helps with the structure of the truffles as well as adding a lovely sweetness and melting softness.
The almonds and cashew nuts give a nice texture and flavour. I frequently use whole blanched almonds as those are what I tend to have in the house. Substitute ground almonds for these if you wish.
For the best flavour, use cocoa and not drinking chocolate in the truffles.
Thinking of dipping the truffles in chocolate? White or dark chocolate works really well and makes them extra special. However, I like the contrast of the white chocolate against the darkness of the truffle itself.
Making healthy Chocolate Truffles
Making the truffles is so simple, easy and quick. You’ll be amazed. Firstly, pop all the ingredients for the truffles into the food processor and process until you have a sticky paste.
Next, scoop out bits of the date mixture and form it into balls. If you want them to be all similar sizes, I admit I sometimes weigh them, aiming for pieces that weigh around 18g. However, it is pretty simple to just judge it by eye too.
At this point, you can either make all of the truffles and then do the decorating or decorate them as you go. It’s entirely up to you, but I like to make all the truffles and then do the decorating.
Once, you’ve turned all the date mixture into balls, it’s time to get out the ingredients that you’re going to use to finish them off with.
Decorating the Healthy Chocolate Truffles
- cocoa – just measure the cocoa out onto a saucer or small plate and roll the truffle in it until it is completely covered. Then, place the ball to the side. Continue until they are all covered in cocoa. (You could use icing sugar instead if you wished. It makes a pretty contrast, the white against the dark of the truffles.)
- dessicated coconut – Place the amount of coconut on a small plate and roll the truffles around in it until each is covered. You may have to press a little harder to make sure everything sticks. If you spoil the ’roundness’ of the truffle, just gently press it back into shape.
- melted white chocolate and freeze dried raspberries – Melt the white chocolate. It is simplest to do this in the microwave using short bursts of power until it is all melted. Then using a spoon or toothpick either dip the entire truffle or half the truffle into the chocolate until you get a good covering. Then, sit it on some baking parchment to dry. Sprinkle with the freeze dried raspberries and let them dry.
Are these Chocolate Truffles suitable for vegans?
These truffles are suitable for vegans providing that you ensure that you use cocoa (this will not contain milk powder) and if you use white chocolate you will need to ensure that it is vegan friendly.
Are these truffles dairy-free?
Yes, these truffles are diary-free. Make sure, however that you use cocoa and a suitable dairy-free chocolate, if you use that decorating option, for finishing off these delicious, date-based wonders.
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Healthy Chocolate Truffles
Equipment
- food processor or blender small plate, spoons, baking parchment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup dates
- 1 cup blanched almonds substitute ground almonds
- 1 cup cashew nuts
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil melted
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon cocoa
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Optional finishes for the truffles – amount to cover one whole batch
- 2 tablespoon cocoa
- 2 tablespoon dessicated coconut
- 1 cup white chocolate – melted
- 1 tablespoon dried raspberries freeze dried raspberries
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to the food processor bowl and process until you have a smooth sticky paste.
- Take this paste and roll it into balls. Use approximately 18g of the mixture each time will yield around 25 balls altogether.
- To finish these off with cocoa – tip cocoa powder onto a small plate and roll each ball in the powder until it is completely covered.
- To finish the truffles off with dessicated coconut. Tip the coconut onto a small plate and roll each truffle in the coconut until it is covered. You may need to press the ball into it a little.
- To finish with white chocolate and raspberries. Tip the dried raspberries onto a small plate and melt the white chocolate. A microwave is the simplest way to do this. Break up the squares onto a microwave proof plate and give it a few seconds each time until the chocolate is melted.
- Get out a piece of baking parchment for the truffles to dry/set on. Using either a toothpick or a teaspoon, dip one side (or all of the truffle is you wish) into the chocolate until the truffle is covered. Sit it on baking parchment to dry and sprinkle with a few freeze dried raspberries.
- Leave them all to set or dry a little and then store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
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