Easy
Raw
Chocolaty
Nutty
Naturally sweetened
& Delicious
Who’s ready for Valentine’s Day?!
Valentine’s Day holds some funny traditions for John and me.
When we were dating I had a very health-conscious roommate who would occasionally go all out on hard cider and a bucket of fried food (namely chicken and biscuits). It was like hearing the pope swear – mind blowing.
Valentine’s Day was just a few days away and after seeing my friend relish in her big splurge, we decided to follow suit. And what would trashy food be without a good comedy flick? Nacho Libre is our go-to choice every time.
Pretty much every Valentine’s Day since, we’ve indulged in some form of junk food and hard cider and watched Nacho. This year, I think I may need to add these truffles to the mix. They’re too simple and too delicious not to.
These may not be truffles in the traditional sense, but they certainly fool the palette into thinking you’re indulging in a decadent chocolate truffle.
The center is made of dates, cocoa powder, raw nuts, cinnamon and sea salt, and semisweet chocolate and coconut oil form a decadent dark chocolate “shell.”
Toppings are optional but recommended for an extra something special. I went with pecans, sea salt and cacao nibs! No regrets.
I think you’re going to love these gems. They’re:
Simple (30 minutes)
Healthy
Naturally sweetened
Super chocolaty
Decadent
Nutty
& Super satisfying
If you try these truffles, show us! Take a picture and tag it #minimalistbaker on Instagram – we’d love to see! Happy Valentine’s week, friends! We hope it’s lovely.
Easy Vegan Truffles
Simple 30-minute vegan chocolate truffles in a decadent dark chocolate shell. The perfect healthier dessert for Valentine’s Day, special occasions, or just because. Print SAVE SAVED
from votes Prep Time 25 minutes Cook Time 2 minutes Total Time 27 minutes Servings 14 (truffles)Course DessertCuisine Gluten-Free, VeganFreezer Friendly 1 monthDoes it keep? 1 Week
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Ingredients
US Customary – Metric
TRUFFLES
1 cup raw pecans1 cup raw walnuts1 Tbsp cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder1/4 tsp sea salt1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)10 whole medjool dates (pitted // if dried out, soak in warm water for 10 minutes then drain)1 1/4 cups dairy-free dark chocolate (real chocolate bar, not chips // roughly chopped*)1 tsp coconut oil
FOR TOPPING (optional)
~1/4 cup cacao nibs, crushed pecans/walnuts, and/or sea salt for topping
Instructions
Place pecans and walnuts in a food processor or high speed blender and process until it reaches the consistency of a meal. Remove and set aside in a dish.Next, place pitted dates in the food processor and process until small bits remain and/or it forms into a ball.Then add in the cocoa powder and 1/2 of the nut meal and pulse. Continue pulsing and adding the nut meal a little at a time until a loose dough is formed. You may not need to use all of the nuts, which is fine because you can use any leftovers for topping the truffles.Once you have a dough that’s easy to form into balls, scoop out 1 Tablespoon amounts and roll/carefully form into balls. (If they aren’t quite forming, hold in your palm and let the heat of your hand warm them, then gently shape into a loose ball.) Set on parchment paper and place in freezer to chill – you should have about 14 truffles.In the meantime, melt chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave in 30 second increments. Be careful not to overheat. Once melted, stir in coconut oil to help the chocolate thin and ease the dipping process.Remove truffles from freezer and, one at a time, dip them into the melted chocolate. Use a fork to remove them and tap away excess chocolate. Transfer back onto parchment paper and top with sea salt, crushed pecans, or cacao nibs.Repeat until all truffles are dipped. Let set at room temperature. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. Transfer to freezer for longer term storage.
Notes
*To cut down on sugar/fat content, halve the amount of semisweet chocolate and, upon melting, simply drizzle over the truffles instead of dipping.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.
Nutrition (1 of 14 servings)
Serving: 1 truffles Calories: 291 Carbohydrates: 25.8 g Protein: 4 g Fat: 20.6 g Saturated Fat: 6.9 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 5.35 g Monounsaturated Fat: 6.82 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 46.8 mg Potassium: 354.5 mg Fiber: 5 g Sugar: 17.5 g Vitamin A: 40.38 IU Vitamin C: 0.18 mg Calcium: 40.95 mg Iron: 3.37 mg