Amazing Vegan Chocolate Truffles
These are without a doubt, the best most Amazing Vegan Chocolate Truffles you will make. These are creamy, indulgent, chocolate shop-worthy, gourmet, rich and a for sure crowd-pleaser! Only 5 ingredients, easy to make, gluten-free and no added oil! Perfect for the holidays or gifts and guests!
Servings: 2 dozen
Ingredients
- 270 grams 69-70% dark chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup (120g) canned lite coconut milk, shaken first (see NOTES)
- 1/4 cup (80g) pure maple syrup, room temperature!
- 3 tablespoons (48g) raw cashew butter (see NOTES below!) NO added oil/sugar
- 1 teaspoon (5g) vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Coating options: unsweetened cocoa powder, powered sugar, coconut sugar, chopped nuts
NOTE
- When making homemade chocolate, accuracy is very important, as this determines whether your chocolate ends up too hard or soft, so I highly recommend weighing all of the ingredients using MY gram weights listed.
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- To a large shallow microwave or heat-safe bowl, add the chocolate chips and milk only. Either melt over a double boiler or heat in the microwave for 1 minute, stir and then 15-30 more seconds, stirring in between until 90% melted, being careful not to burn. Stir or whisk until completely smooth and all the chocolate is completely melted.
- Add the maple syrup, cashew butter, vanilla extract and salt. Whisk until completely smooth.
- Add the bowl to the fridge to set and firm up 6-8 hours minimum or overnight is preferred and easier to work with.
- After the mixture has firmed up, use a small cookie scoop to roll the mixture into about 2 dozen truffles. Roll them in balls with your hands and roll them into a bowl of cocoa powder to coat evenly, shaking any excess off. Coat your palms with cocoa powder periodically (or powdered sugar if using). This will greatly help to ease with the sticking and melting a bit of the chocolate from the warmth of your hands. If for some reason, due to climate or other, they are too soft, pop them in the freezer just for about 15 minutes. I never have this problem using the weights listed, but just in case. It's natural for truffles to get soft from the warmth of your hands a tiny bit, but they shouldn't be melting and the cocoa powder on the palms trick makes a huge difference.
- As they sit, the first coating will soak a bit into the truffle, so I like to do a 2nd coating. Keep them stored at room temperature for the perfect, smooth texture if eating the same day. Or you can keep them stored in the fridge for longer and just remove about an hour before serving.
Notes
- DARK CHOCOLATE: Do not use semi-sweet, it needs to be the 69 or 70% at the most for the perfect creaminess and richness that dark chocolate provides. I have tested this with both the HEB brand of dark chocolate baking chips and the Enjoy Life 69% dark chocolate chips. Both work amazing.
- CASHEW BUTTER & SUB: Make sure you are using raw and not roasted and no added sugar, oil or salt or the texture will be ruined. I use my homemade version. Cashew butter gives these an extra layer of creaminess that just can't be achieved from milk and chocolate alone. Not to mention, the added flavor. If you are allergic, I would suggest using sunbutter. It is a similar consistency to cashew butter. Make sure you are using a sunbutter with no added oil and only added sugar/salt. Since sunbutter is much more bitter, the added sugar they add is fine to balance it out since cashew butter is naturally sweet. But it needs to not have oil listed as an ingredient or the truffles will end up too soft. I use the Sunbutter brand, this version when I use it in recipes, but please note I have NOT tested these truffles with them, this is just my best suggestion. If the one you use also has added salt, omit the salt called for above. DO NOT use almond butter. Almond butter will not give the same smoothness since it has skins and is not as smooth, as well as being way more oily/runny. Please keep in mind sunbutter is a bit stronger in flavor, but should still be okay since the chocolate flavor is so pronounced.
- COCONUT MILK: It gives the best creamy texture, leaving no coconut taste behind whatsoever. Make sure to use a good brand only containing coconut, water and/or gum. No added fillers or additional ingredients. Do not use the Polar brand. If you are allergic, I would suggest using another creamy milk in it's place. Keep in mind, I cannot vouch for other milks, having only ever used the coconut here. I advise against lighter milks like almond or rice milk.