This super easy recipe makes the most delightful healthy raw vegan chocolate truffles with only the simplest of ingredients. These healthy vegan sweets are gluten, dairy and refined sugar free, while also being ridiculously pretty and delicious.
So, Christmas has come an gone (I hope you’ve all had an absolute blast!) and now New Year is rapidly approaching. And with the New Year, there inevitably come… New Year’s resolutions. But: can we just not this year. Seriously, please don’t.
Why do we pin so much importance onto a completely arbitrary day in the year? I mean, it’s just a calendar, folks! Do we really need a piece of paper to tell us how to live? Sure, if you’re under about 15 years old, New Year’s Eve is so totally cool because you’re allowed to stay up ’til midnight… or maybe I’m just too old and it’s actually only cool if you’re under ten? I don’t know.
A-anyway, back to resolutions. Which mostly seem to fail by January the 3rd. 4th, if you’re extra stubborn. Seriously, don’t do this to yourself. Decide to change something – whatever that may be – for yourself and because of yourself, not because you’ve had to buy a new calendar. (Unless your New Year’s resolution is to spend the whole of 2017 speaking in a horribly over-exaggerated fake French accent, in which case – go right ahead. You have my whole and unwavering support. Also: you rock.)
Whether you will be hosting or attending a New Year’s party in a few days, spare a thought for your vegan friends. Too often, they have to resort to nibbling on decoratively cut up veggies, fruit, or some questionable store-bought snacks. Which is really not fair if the rest is enthusiastically stuffing their faces with a wide selection of canapes, cookies, and chocolate delicacies. (And there’s only so much hummus one can take.)
Instead, surprise them with these raw vegan chocolate truffles that are also refined sugar and gluten free. And easy and quick to make. But just a heads-up: make enough for everyone, not just the vegans. Because these beauties are out of this world!
A-and, you’ll get extra bragging points because you’ll be able to tell everyone how you’ve made them from scratch. And I don’t mean from ‘I-have-melted-chocolate’ scratch. I mean from scratch scratch.
You see, there’s no actual chocolate involved in these chocolate truffles. Confused? Thinking I’ve lost my marbles? I haven’t, pinky promise. You see, these raw vegan chocolate truffles require only 5 ingredients: coconut oil, salt, maple syrup (or honey), cocoa powder, and water. That’s it. (And a bit of chocolate magic. The recipe totally works better if you do the chocolate dance – think chicken dance meets Shakira.)
We’ll start by melting some coconut oil over gentle heat, mixing in a pinch of salt (for what is chocolate without a pinch of salt, I ask you), and adding maple syrup or honey. Now, check with your vegan friends, but I’m fairly sure there’s a heated debate going on about whether or not honey is vegan. If your vegan friends are on the of-course-it-isn’t-vegan-what’s-wrong-with-you-I’m-beginning-to-question-our-friendship side, use maple or agave syrup. There, friendship saved and my good deed of the day done.
We’ll whisk the mixture to evenly distribute the salt and sweetener, and then add cocoa powder. Then we’ll whisk and whisk and whisk and end up with this silky smooth melted chocolate that will make your mouth water and your fingers itch to have a taste. By dipping in a finger. Duh. We’re way too cool for spoons.
Now comes the magic part. The abracadabra ingredient? Cold water. We’ll whisk the chocolate concoction white adding the cold water, 1/2 tsp at a time. And you’ll notice how the chocolate begins thickening and then it will look like it’s splitting and it won’t look at all appetising and then you’ll be leaving mean comments on this post and making me cry chocolate tears of utter devastation. Sorry, got carried away there. Oops.
Anyway, if it looks like the whole mixture is splitting, it’s precisely the way it’s supposed to be. Really. Really really. Just cover the bowl with cling film, put it into the freezer and breathe. Deep breaths now. I guarantee your vegan friends will still love you at the end of this chocolate undertaking.
After about half an hour in the freezer, the chocolate is set and see – I told you it’s gonna be OK! It has set into this delightfully dense but silky smooth melt-in-your-mouth chocolate block. All that remains to be done is to shape the chocolate into individual truffles, and roll them in whatever your heart desires. Dessicated coconut? Ground hazelnuts? Cocoa powder? Go crazy. But whatever you choose, keep it vegan-friendly. You wouldn’t want to stumble at the last hurdle.
And… that’s it. Aren’t you glad you didn’t panic and leave those mean comments on this post? (Enthusiastic comments full of flattery are always welcome, though.) Last piece of advice: hide these raw vegan chocolate truffles, and forget all about them until just before the New Year’s party. I’m 100% serious. Because if you don’t there’s going to be nothing to take to the party. Yep, they’re that sinfully delicious. I mean, just look at this amazingness:
So there you have it. A wonderfully simple recipe for wonderfully chocolate-y melt-in-the-mouth taste explosions known as raw vegan chocolate truffles that have no actual chocolate in them. Let’s give ourselves a pat on the back for how amazing we are. We don’t need no New Year’s resolutions! Pfft. As if. We’re simply too awesome for them. So this New Year, after you blow everyone’s minds with your vegan chocolate truffles made from scratch scratch, resolve to make no resolutions. Or is that in itself a resolution?
RAW VEGAN CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES
Ingredients
For truffles:
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup maple syrup or clear honey (Note 1)
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 6 1/2 tsp cold water
Optional add-ins (Note 2):
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
Possible toppings:
- dessicated coconut
- ground hazelnuts
- cocoa powder
- vegan sprinkles
Instructions
- Melt coconut oil in a pot on low heat, then transfer it to a bowl.
- Add salt and maple syrup/honey, and whisk until evenly distributed in coconut oil.
- Add cocoa powder and whisk thoroughly.
- While constantly whisking, add cold water, 1/2 tsp at a time. (Note 3)
- Cover the bowl with cling film and put into the freezer for about 30 minutes or until the chocolate mixture sets solid.
- Take the chocolate mixture out of the freezer. It should be solid, but malleable.
- Spoon about 1 tbsp of the chocolate mixture and form it into a round truffle with your hands.
- Roll each truffle in the desired topping.
- The truffles keep well in the fridge or in a cool dry place for about a week an a half. They can be kept in the freezer for up to a month. (But only if you forget all about them, otherwise... yeah, bye bye truffles.)
Notes
Looking for more raw vegan treats? You’re in the right place!
Raw Vegan Raspberry Cheesecake
Raw Vegan Chocolate Covered Coconut Bars
These were absolutely ahhhmazing! I used a tiny bit more of maple syrup, a little stevia, a teeny bit more water and added pecans. Also a little dark cocoa powder and regular cocoa powder. They are cooling now but I plan to roll them in Cacao. Of course I tasted them before putting them in the fridge and WOW! Smooth, creamy and RICH! Exactly what I needed!! Thank you!
This is my first time making truffles. The recipe is really straight forward and they look nice in the end but the flavor and texture leaves something to be desired IMO. They feel a bit dry and gummy in the mouth, rather then super silky and smooth and the flavor (I made plain chocolate with additions) was okay but not great. Perhaps this is just a matter of it being a vegan version or maybe it has to do with the quality of cocoa powder versus using a quality melted dark chocolate. Whatever the case, worth the try, it just didn’t work for me.
Lovely, and very easy. I didn’t really need to put the mix in the freezer, but managed to get balls after a bit of warming up in the kitchen! I made 24/12g chocolates, and then dipped them in melted 85% dark chocolate, topped with a dried edible rose petal.
These are SO good. I personally put a bit of date powder just to make it a tiny bit sweeter, but this simple, amazing recipe works wonders!
Disregard (or omit posting) my previous comment, I didn’t read the last instruction which clearly states the shelf life, hahaha. Thank you, just made two versions, the vanilla and the amoretto. The mixture tastes wonderful even before the chilling process. Bought vegan chocolate sprinkles, dessicrated coconut & hazelnuts. Wish I’d bought a presentation box to put these truffles in, but can’t wait for 30 minutes to begin the rolling process. Thanks for sharing!
I am going to try making these as a last-minute addition to my vegan (adult) daughter’s Easter basket. Just took a walk to buy all the suggestions listed, including those in the comments (Disaronno sounds the most intriguing…) Any idea how long these would keep, and whether they would need to be refrigerated or if they would last longer that way? Her birthday is next month, so I would like to double the recipe and save the remining half for the end of May if they would keep that long.
AMAZING!! I was skeptical but this is as a huge win! Wonderful dark chocolate flavor with an equally delightful texture. Love that all the ingredients are things I always have on hand. Thanks for sharing!
This is SO DELCIOUS! My husband who is a VERY picky eater gobbled these up instantly. Thank you so much for sharing this! I am definitely making these again.
I made these for a friend who is convalescing and they were very much appreciated. I made them with the best quality ingredients and was so worth it. Divine.
These truffles are so rich and creamy, and incredibly easy to make! I used cacao powder instead of cocoa and rolled them in crushed freeze-dried strawberries. I will definitely be making these again:)
Absolutely fantastic!! They keep in the fridge and are so delicious – especially for those of us who love dark, dense chocolate goodness 🙂 thanks for the recipe!!
Amazing and delicious:) thank you for the recipe????
Have you tried using coconut milk instead of water?? Do you think it would work?? Thank you! Excited to try this recipe 🙂
I haven’t, but I think it will work, and make even richer, more decadent truffles. 🙂
These are a firm favourite amongst friends and family, I replace 2 tbs of water with Amaretto Liqueur and coat in 70% grated dark grated chocolate. I use Honey as I make them for dairy allergy husband and non vegan friends.
Question.. Is it possible to replace the honey/maple/agave for stevia? I only use stevia as a sweetener and would love to try making these. Not sure it if would be possible?
I haven’t tried it myself – maybe give it a go on a smaller quantity? Let me know how it turns out! 🙂
These are sensational!! I used cacao and also vanilla essence.
I forgot how many half teaspoons of water i had put in so I had to guess.
It didn’t split but it came out perfectly at exactly 30 minutes in the freezer.
I am generally a rather average cook who messes up most recipes but these were easy for me!
I rolled them in desiccated coconut and my husband and I ate them all within hours.
Delicious, thank you ???? xx
Hi I’ve just made these for the first time as a gift. I used Raw chocolate powder and they are quite strong in flavour, would using less chocolate powder and more sweetener help. Also when out of the freezer it was rock solid is this correct? It did melt into balls as I rolled it in my hands thou. I rolled them in bits I love them but as a gift for someone not used to dark chocolate I think they would be to strong. Thank you ????
This is a solid truffle recipe and works great with raw cacoa. I did one batch as is and then I used olive oil instead of coconut oil and added a handful of pureed organic blueberries for a little more natural sweetness in second batch, using a bit less water. Both batches came out outstanding. I think I will try using ice cold cashew or coconut milk instead of water next time for fun. I like the idea of rolling them in raw cacoa bits or crushed plantain chips. Thanks for the great recipe!
Glad you’re having fun with the truffles, Bella!
Thanks for this great recipe. I have one issue which may well be an issue I am creating. The first batch I made were amazing but ever since there’s a bitterness I cannot get rid of and increasing sweetener – agave – makes no difference. What could I possibly be doing wrong?
Hi Charlie, it may well be something with your ingredients – have you started using a different coconut oil or cocoa powder? That’s really the only thing I can think of!
What do you think about using date syrup instead of maple syrup? I’m going to give it a try but I know sometimes date syrup changes the consistency of things!
Hi Ana, I think it should work with date syrup, but add it bit by bit, just to be extra careful 🙂
I really loved this recipe. I was looking for a palatable way to eat coconut oil and what better way than chocolate truffles. The only thing I did differently was add a half cup of coconut palm sugar instead of maple syrup or honey. It worked out great!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the truffles, Melissa! They certainly are the perfect way to eat coconut oil 😉
This recipe is pure genius. Not just for vegans!!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it, Christelle! 🙂
Can I use rapeseed oil instead of coconut oil?
Honestly, I’m not sure. Coconut oil has the handy property that it firms up when cool… I would try the recipe with rapeseed oil on a smaller quantity, and then scale up if it works! Let me know how it goes! 🙂
Hi, these look amazing! I’m out of coconut oil but I do have light olive oil. Would this work?
Hi Christine! I’m sure it would work – it just depends on whether you like a slight olive oil taste to your truffles 🙂
Thank you, what a great recipe! I made one batch with cayenne pepper and another with vanilla and a hazelnut liquor both for a little birthday present 🙂 I want to eat them myself though!
Hi Isla! I’m SO happy you like the recipe! 😀 I know exactly what you mean, these truffles are SO tempting! Well, you better make another batch for yourself 😉
Thanks for a great recipe! I’ve been looking for a truffle recipe that I can use to add to vegan ice cream. I tried making a couple recipes that had melted chocolate with cream, the usual truffle stuff. But it just got way too hard in the freezer. This one is perfect, though! I did stir it a bit too long after it started to separate, so some of the oil did separate. Next time I will stick it in the freezer as soon as it looks like it’s starting to separate. I thought I just had to add that last teaspoon of water, but I guess I didn’t!
Hi Honey! I’m so glad you enjoyed the truffles. I know the procedure can be a bit “strange”, but it somehow magically works 😀 If you get a bit of oil separation, you can make it more uniform again by heating it briefly, or even while you shape the truffles – the heat of your hands pretty much does it! 🙂
These look delicious! When you say cocoa powder, do you mean raw cacao powder? If not, can cacao powder be used instead? Thanks!
Hi Joanne! Glad you like them 🙂 I couldn’t get my hands on raw cacao powder so I’ve used the bog standard cocoa powder you get in any grocery store. I think you can use cacao powder, as well – I haven’t tried it, personally, but I believe it should behave similarly. The amount you need might be slightly different, so add it in stages until you get to the melted chocolate consistency (then add water, etc.). Of course, it also depends on what you prefer – whatever taste you find more delicious! Hope they turn out super yummy 😉
I’ve just made these with raw cacao. They taste amazing! I never go the melted chocolate look though or the bit in note 3 where it should look like it’s splitting with 1 cup of raw cacao it just went to straight to truffle looking. Just taking them out of ge freezer to make into balls and they won’t form. Just crumble (and melt on my hands!) do you think it must be the raw cacao? Maybe too much?
Hi Vicky! Glad you like the truffles! As for your texture troubles, I would try adding the cacao bit by bit until you get to a melted chocolate texture – you might end up using less than 1 cup. Then, add the cold water. 🙂
These.are.so.pretty! I love them, I’m kinda craving chocolate these days, never used to but I’m sadly (not so sadly) dairy free now, these are on my super-dooper massive to-do-list for 2017….actually, they’ve been pushed to the top! Need to listen to those cravings!
Hi Rebecca, happy to hear you like them! Haha, I know what you mean – to be honest, I crave chocolate pretty much 100% of the time. I mean, it’s chocolate. ‘Nuff said. I would definitely recommend making them – they are a hit with pretty much everyone, regardless of dietary preferences. Absolutely, follow those cravings, they are steering you in the right direction! 😉
Wow, they look amazing, so rich and chocolatey!
Thank you! So glad you like them. 🙂
These truffles look absolutely stunning! I love cocoa and coconut oil together! Great photography too:)
Thank you Monika! I’m glad you like them. I know, right – separately, they are delicious, but together they make magic. 🙂
These look amazing!! Love your blog! (I’m a newbie food blogger as well.) I’m always looking for vegan treats, since we have a couple in our office–definitely giving these a try!
Aww, thank you! These are definitely worth trying – they are ridiculously easy and quick to make but so so so yummy 🙂 I wouldn’t make them just for the vegans though, I’ve found they are a (healthy) temptation for everyone, whether or not they have any dietary requirements!