Vegan chocolate truffles – two ways

Vegan chocolate truffles – two ways

vegan truffles for valentines

Like many good things in life, truffles were invented by a complete accident. One of the apprentices of a famous French chef was trying to make a pastry cream, but his brain malfunctioned (or so it seemed at the time) and he poured hot cream into the wrong bowl; the one filled with broken up chocolate. As the mixture cooled off and hardened, he realised that he was able to work it with his hands to form soft, chocolate balls. Once he rolled them in cocoa powder they reminded him of the prized fungi known as truffles which is how he named his new invention.

High quality truffles are still rolled by hand so they usually come with a high price tag.

While it may seem like making truffles is the domain of a master chocolatier, it is really quite a simple task (if a little bit messy).

In this recipe, I’ve replaced butter and cream with coconut milk and a small amount of coconut oil (they don’t taste coconutty at all,  promise!), making them less unhealthy (one vegan chocolate truffle is only 50kCal) but not compromising on the taste. The recipe below allows you to make two different kinds of truffles.

If you stick to the base recipe only, you’ll get intensely chocolaty truffles that will win your heart (or your partners!). If you add winter-spiced additions to your base mix, you’ll end up with warming winter truffles, begging you to enjoy them all by yourself. Apart from going fantastically well with your espresso or evening brandy, they also make a delicious present for the chocoholics in your life; ideal for this coming Valentine’s Day.

vegan truffles making

eating truffles

truffles with brandy

makes
25
PREP
30 min
COOKING
5 min
makes
25
PREPARATION
30 min
COOKING
5 min
INGREDIENTS

BASE RECIPE

  • 125 g of dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
  • ½ cup of coconut milk*
  • 1 tsp coconut oil (refined is recommended)
  • 2 tbsp / 30 ml maple syrup**
  • 2 tbsp cocoa (for rolling)
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon (for rolling)

WINTER-SPICED FLAVOUR ADDITIONS

  • vanilla bean, seeds
  • ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 3 pinches ground hot chili powder
  • 2 tbsp / 30 ml fresh orange juice
METHOD
  1. Take an unopened 100 g bar of chocolate and hit it against your work bench a few times so that the inside breaks up into small pieces. Take the remaining 25 g you will need for this recipe and chop it finely with a knife. Place the entire 125 g of chocolate pieces in a large bowl. If you are making winter-spiced version, add in grated nutmeg, cinnamon and hot chili powder.
  2. Gently heat up coconut milk on the stove – don’t let it boil. Add in coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla seeds and orange juice (the last two only if you are going for the winter-spiced version).
  3. Pour hot coconut milk mixture over broken up chocolate and spices. Whisk it until combined into a silky smooth chocolate cream. It may take a bit of stirring, don’t be put off. If you have a ceramic hob and are using a heat-proof glass bowl, you may want to place it on the turned-off hob ring, which you used to warm up the coconut milk. Residual heat will speed chocolate melting.
  4. When the mixture cools down, leave it in the fridge for a few hours (or overnight) until it has hardened. Cover the bowl with cling film or else it will dry up.
  5. Scoop out a teaspoon of the thickened mixture at a time and roll into balls.
  6. Mix 2 tsp of cinnamon with 2 tbsp of cocoa on a plate/tray and roll the truffle balls in this mixture until evenly coated. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
NOTES

*What is needed here is coconut milk that comes in a tin, not the watered down coconut milk that you can now buy in a carton. The milk I used has 60% coconut and 40% water.

**If you don’t have maple syrup, you can dissolve sugar in the orange juice instead.

SHARE
NUTRITIONAL INFO
calories
45
2%
sugars
3 g
3%
fats
3 g
5%
saturates
2 g
12%
proteins
1 g
2%
carbs
4 g
2%
*per truffle
How would you rate this recipe?
This is a test string

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

4.7
6 reviews, 30 comments
REVIEWS & QUESTIONS
Valerie:
These look fabulous! Wondering if there is a way to make them boozy? I was thinking of adding brandy but not sure if this will stop them setting. Have you tried this before and know what amounts to use, or would it be a failure waiting to happen?
    Ania
    Ania:
    You may want to try this recipe instead, Valerie. If you were to add more booze then the recipe calls for, compensate by replacing some of the coconut cream with vegan butter or (odourless is best) coconut oil. This recipe is a bit different but it uses rum so you may like it too. Hope this helps! Ania
Sarah:
I don’t like the taste of coconut, does using the coconut milk just create the texture and creaminess of the truffle or does it also make the truffles taste of coconut?
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Sarah,
    I guess it depends how sensitive you are to that flavour. I don't think they taste of coconut (dark chocolate is a very dominant flavour), but then I don't mind the flavour so perhaps I don't notice it as much. Ania
Joann:
Thanks. Doing another batch today.....will make them smaller then!
Joann:
Hi, made them yesterday for St. Valentine's.....very easy to make and super delish! Hubby loved them!! My only 'problem' is that I doubled the amount and made just 25.....around 20g each.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Glad you enjoyed them, sorry about the fact that you were expecting more. 20 g is quite a large truffle, isn't it? That's probably why we got a different number. Ania
Seta:
Hi Ania. I’m really keen to try this recipe, especially after reading all the positive comments. I have coconut milk which is only 54% coconut and coconut cream which is 80% coconut. Which of the two would you suggest using, and with what adjustments to coconut oil? Thanks
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Seta,
    My guess is that coconut cream (but please make sure it isn't creamed coconut as that's a different thing altogether) will work well and you can skip coconut oil. Hope it work well. x Ania
Lakshana:
Hello Ania I'm lakshana I'm a real big fan of your recipies and tried many of them they came out real good and I was wondering if I can substitute full fat milk insted of coconut milk. My question will it have the same consistency and taste . Please let me know .
Love ❤
Lakshana
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Lakshana,
    Thank you so much for your kind words about the blog. I am really happy to hear this!! I am not sure what do you mean exactly? Do you mean replace full fat coconut milk with reduced fat version? Is that what you mean? Well, the taste will be the same, but the texture probably less firm as truffles need fat in order to retain their creamy yet firm texture. Hope that helps! Ania
Thank you Ania
The one you used is considered a full fat coconut cream, right?
    Ania
    Ania:
    I used full fat coconut milk, but having said that coconut cream is also fine, the truffles will simply end up more indulgent and creamier. Hope that helps! Ania
Hi,
You wrote "VEGAN CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES – TWO WAYS"
First one is the base recipe while the second is the base + additions
Do you put all the additions or just select a few from the list?
Thasnks :)
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi,
    The intention was for the base to be one version and for the flavours to go into the second, winter-spiced version. You are, of course, welcome to adjust the additions to your own taste! Hope that helps. Ania
Paulina:
Hi Ania, do you think the reason behind the chocolate being too soft to roll is the type of chocolate I used? Unfortunately in my local store they only had cadbury dark chocolate... I kept the mixture in the fridge overnight but it's still too soft to roll it... Thanks
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Paulina,
    Yes, the type of chocolate definitely does have a part to play, for sure. Melt the mixture over the water bath again gently and add some melted coconut (refined if you do not want coconut taste) to the mixture to make it thicker. Ania
Charlie Butler:
Hi,
I am excited about making some of these as presents this year, however I have the Biona coconut milk in the cupboard which is organic without any added ingredients but only 50% coconut, do you think it would be safer to get a higher percentage or will it be ok?
Thanks in advance!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Charlie,
    It should be fine, perhaps add a teaspoon or two more of coconut oil to ensure you've got enough fat to keep these truffles indulgent and creamy. Hope that helps! Ania
Angie:
Thank you for this recipe - can't believe how easy there were to make! I am not keen on the taste of coconut oil so swapped this for rapeseed oil and they still set very well. These will make perfect Christmas presents. We made the plain recipe but I can't wait to experiment with adding different flavours to them.
    Ania
    Ania:
    That's lovely to hear, Angie! Thank you!! BTW, did you know you can get coconut oil that does not taste or smell of coconut? If you live in the UK (judging by your email address), I purchased one from a local health shop by a brand called TIANA, there is also BIONA (MILD) that is odourless and does not taste of coconut either. Essentially, what you what is a refined / steamed coconut oil as opposed to raw / extra virgin. Hope that helps! Ania
Johanna:
Can you substitute the maple syrup for any other syrup or will it affect the flavour to much?
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Johanna,
    I haven't tried but it should not make much difference as long the consistency is the same. Ania
linda:
Really happy with this recipe, I've been making a steady supply of these over the Christmas time and I am still making them and we are well into January.
Me and my partner are vegan so its nice to have these around as they seem to go much further than a bar of dark chocolate usually would in my house and they are just that bit more luxurious. Best thing is I have all of these ingredients at home, and I have been experimenting with espresso coffee instead of orange juice and and adding peppermint extract in the end, my favorite so far.
The spices and vanilla really works well and some crushed pistachios instead of cacao to roll them in makes a pretty contrast. It's important to be accurate with the measures of the coconut milk I have noticed, a slight bit too much and it doesn't set as well.
The next batch will have flaked almonds and a tiny bit of almond extract in them, so will see how that goes.
Massive thanks for this recipe, keep em coming!
Linda
    Ania
    Ania:
    Aw, thanks ao much for such a lovely and heartfelt comment, Linda! That's so nice to hear that these have been such a hit with you :) Ania
Rebecca:
Hi there, I made the truffle mixture last night as I'm hoping to give them to a vegan friend for Christmas, however the mixture isn't quite firm enough to roll. Do you have any ideas what could do/add to firm it up before rolling into balls? (It still tastes delicious - just more of a chocolate spread than s truffle right now!! Thank you
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Rebecca,
    I'm really sorry to hear that the mixture didn't quite set. Have you made any modifications or substitutions perhaps? You could soften the mixture slowly over a water bath and melt a bit more chocolate to it - that should help with consistency. Please let me know how it went! Ania
Libby:
Hi there, I was wondering how long you'd say these keep for. I'm making them for a family event on Boxing Day and am wondering how far in advance I can make them.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Libby,
    I'll be honest, I don't really know - sweet stuff never hangs around in my house :) - but I reckon if you make them mid next week, they should last in an airtight container in the fridge until Boxing Day. Ania
Carolin:
Hello ania these look so delicious and im more than keen to try! I would like to sweeten them with dissolved sugar instead of maple syrup but would like to make a version that is not so fruity. Would you recommend dissolving the sugar in almond milk or something similar instead? Or what other liquid could i use? Thanks a lot, Carolin:)
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Carolin,
    Thanks, I'm pleased to hear that you are planning to make my truffles. If you don't want orange overtones, simply swap orange juice for almond milk (or even water) and dissolve sugar in almond milk too.
    Hope that helps,
    Ania
Natalie Ford:
Do you by any chance have a vegan fudge recipe - that crunchy crystallized fudge if possible rather than the creamy version?
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Natalie, I haven't yet but I'm working on something fudge-like at the moment - will post as soon as it's ready. Not sure what you mean by crunchy crystallized fudge as I've only ever had the creamy one.
Aquasan:
great looking truffles
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks Aquasan, you won't regret making them - promise! :)
Dawn Ellison:
In the fridge overnight. Can't wait to finish making these tomorrow as the melted chocolate and other ingredients just taste delicious!
DON'T MISS A SINGLE RECIPE
Join our mailing list and we we will let you know when we publish a new recipe. You'll receive our DELIGHTFUL DESSERTS E-BOOK as a thank you for supporting us.