Would you like to know how to make truffles? I mean, good truffles without any refined sugar or terrible for you ingredients…BUT…that also taste great and are easy to make? I’ve been tinkering around with this concept refining my ideas. I think I finally have it! Creamy, rich, gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, raw, AND, yes, they taste GREAT! Seriously. (I think my neighbors are glad I finally have the recipes figured out–they’ve been taste testers this whole time and the first couple attempts left a little to be desired…)
I ended up with three different flavors: Creamy Dark Chocolate, White Chocolate Matcha Tea, and Chocolate Nut Butter. They’re easy to make and will disappear before you know it.
How to Make Truffles: The Filling
All three recipes rely on coconut butter and coconut oil to ‘firm’ them up so they can be rolled into balls. The coconut butter adds additional creaminess, as does the whole fat (canned) coconut milk.
You will need a bit of refrigerator time (to first chill the filling and then to chill the balls before dipping)–or speed up the process by sticking them in the freezer. But aside from the advanced planning of time to firm things up, these recipes are super easy. Each recipe below makes around a dozen truffles, depending on the size you make them.
Creamy Dark Chocolate Truffles Ingredients
1/2 cup coconut butter, softened*
1/2 cup raw cacao or cocoa powder
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
2 tablespoons full fat coconut milk (from a can–not the refrigerated carton kind)
2 tablespoons honey (or sweeten to taste)
2-5 drops of Wild Orange essential oil (other great flavors: peppermint oil, cinnamon oil, lime oil) (Here are the oils I use)
Raw cacao or cocoa powder for rolling or 1 recipe of the chocolate coating (see below)
A couple of notes here about the DARKNESS of your truffles: If you like darker chocolate, add less honey, if you prefer sweeter chocolate, add more honey and a bit less cocoa powder. Also, if you use straight cocoa powder to roll the balls in, you will get a much darker end taste. If you prefer a little less bite, use the chocolate coating recipe below. Both are great. It’s just a matter of your own preference.
White Chocolate Matcha Tea Truffles Ingredients
1/2 cup coconut butter, softened*
1-2 teaspoon Matcha tea powder (depending on how strong you like it)
3 tablespoons full fat coconut milk
3 tablespoons honey (or sweeten to taste)
2-3 drops Lemon essential oil (ginger is a great oil to use as well, but go light–less than a drop–to start and adjust from there.) (Here are the oils I use)
1 recipe of the white chocolate coating (see below)
Chocolate Nut Butter Truffles Ingredients
1/2 cup coconut butter, softened*
1/4 cup creamy nut butter
1 tablespoon full-fat coconut milk
1-2 tablespoons honey (or sweeten to taste) Omit honey if using Sunbutter or nut butter that’s already sweetened.
1-3 drops Cinnamon essential oil (other great flavors: Wild Orange, Lime) (Here are the oils I use)
1 recipe of the chocolate coating (see below)
Directions for Filling (for all flavors):
Soften the coconut butter* and the coconut oil. Stir together and add your other ingredients, stirring to combine. Refrigerate for 30-60 minutes (or until easy to handle). Roll into small balls. Place on parchment lined baking sheet and place back in refrigerator or in freezer to re-chill.
(If you find your mixture too hard to form into balls, let it set out on the counter for a while to soften back up–but don’t wait too long–you want it on the firmer side to make it less sticky and easier to roll.)
*Be careful warming/melting the coconut butter as it’s easy to scorch and ruin. I like to get it started melting (in the microwave for 30 seconds) and then stir it until the rest of it melts. Or by placing it in a double boiler, stirring to melt.
How to Make Truffles: The Outer Coating
While the truffle balls are being chilled or frozen, collect up the ingredients that you will dip or roll the balls in. There are three different coatings you can dip (or roll) your truffles in. These coatings can easily be made in a small bowl each with a spoon to stir.
Cocoa Powder Coating
This just requires a 1/4 of cocoa powder. Simply place in a bowl and roll the truffle balls into the powder. Shake off excess. This is the most dark chocolate flavor taste.
Chocolate Coating
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
2 tablespoons honey (or to taste)
Melt the coconut oil and stir in the rest of the ingredients. Dip the truffle balls into the mixture with a spoon, and shake off excess chocolate. If your truffle balls are cold, this melted chocolate will soft set immediately (all ready for a taste test). But I like to place them back on parchment and put them back in the fridge for a bit to harden them up more.
An optional (less healthy) alternative for a chocolate coating is to use chocolate chips or chocolate melts. Simply melt and dip.
White Chocolate Coating
1/4 cup white chocolate powder (I used this–it’s lightly sweetened with monk fruit)
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
(I didn’t sweeten this as my white chocolate was already sweetened, but depending on what you use, you could add up to 2 tablespoons of honey to taste)
Melt the coconut oil and stir in the white chocolate. Dip the truffle balls into the mixture with a spoon, and shake off excess chocolate. If your truffle balls are cold, this melted chocolate will soft set immediately (all ready for a taste test). But I like to place them back on parchment and put them back in the fridge for a bit to harden them up more.
Again, there is the optional (less healthy) alternative for white chocolate too. Simply melt some white chocolate, white chocolate chips, or white chocolate melts and dip.
Final Notes:
If you have problems with the coating being too thin, let it set up for a couple of minutes of room temperature to help it harden a bit. If it separates, put it in the refrigerator for a few minutes to help it harden some (and then stir it up a bit to bring it all back together).
You’ll want to store these truffles in the fridge or freezer in a sealed container. I haven’t pushed the outer limits of how long they will last, as they don’t last for long around here…but probably a couple of weeks in the fridge and longer in the freezer.
Because these truffles don’t require any cooking, you’ll be able to taste and adjust the recipes to your liking along the way and get a true taste for the final product (unlike when baking–the tastes shift a ton). Now that you know how to make truffles, you can go crazy doing your own experiments. Just keep in mind that the coconut butter and coconut milk are the sources of creaminess and the coconut butter and coconut oil are what helps ‘harden’ the final product. If you end up with something too ‘runny’ simply add more coconut butter or coconut oil to it to help firm it up.
Have fun making (and especially eating) these delicious truffle balls. Mmmmm. And you can do it with a bit less guilt since they’re made with real ingredients, most of which are pretty good for you.
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