Dark Chocolate Truffles (Vegan/ Ketogenic)

Happy Valentines Day to you all! Decadent homemade dark chocolate truffles can be made in a breeze. These Keto and vegan friendly chocolate truffles will be an exquisite treat for your loved ones. Celebrate with these elegant, healthy and assortments.  

Thinking of healthy yet delicious treats to enjoy with your love? Whether you are into the Ketogenic diet (no sugar, very low carb and high fat diet) or a Vegan you can have a guilt-free blissful indulgence to celebrate this day. Let the dark chocolate melt in your mouth with crackling almonds, smooth peanut butter or the irresistible coconut taste of heaven, tempting you to relish more and more. 

Chocolate coating on the outside is made with organic dark chocolate chunks with 72% cocoa. Although it has enough cocoa, it tastes sweeter than honey. Assortments of 3 different exquisitely dark and richly  flavored bite sized chocolate truffles prepared with just 5 ingredients that's most likely in your pantry. 

Pure Via Stevia is the natural sweetener that I used very sparingly to prepare these irresistible truffles. Stevia is all natural zero calorie and healthiest sweetener made from stevia plant. Stevia can lower blood pressure, diabetes and reduce cholesterol. 

The peanut filling truffle is slightly salty and creamy. Its combined with coarsely-ground fragments of roasted peanuts to give extra texture to this healthy filling. 

Coconut filling is sinfully rich and creamy with coconut milk and slight textured with fine desiccated or shredded coconut. If using fresh or frozen shredded coconut, you might have to thaw and dry roast the coconut in a pan for the moisture to evaporate. Coconut milk is thickened for a flavorful and rich center.

Almond centers have blanched and chopped chunks with creamy chocolate. To blanch, soak raw almonds in cold water for an hour or just a minute or two in boiling water and rinse to remove the skin easily. I coarsely chopped some of almonds to add more texture. Almond truffles in particular contains no sugar added. You may add almond butter as filling but I prefered to keep 3 different textures. It's filled with chocolate ganache with only 1/2 teaspoon almond butter and 1/2 teaspoon of almond milk to soften and flavored with almond extract. 

Chocolate is very sensitive to heat and water. Keep your hands and utensils dry when working with chocolate. Don't be tempted to melt the chocolate on high heat or full powered microwave. A great tip I recently learnt when using microwave is to use the defrosting mode (low power) for 2 minutes and then remove to stir to even out the heat. If required, continue with 20 second intervals. When 3/4 of the chocolate chunks are melted, you are good to go with just a stir as the heat retained will cause the rest to melt. My Chocolate Cream Cheese Truffle post contains the alternative "Double Broiler/ Water Bath (stovetop)" method and some valuable tips and notes when dealing with chocolate. Please take few minutes to check it out before we get started to prepare these irresistible treats for your loved ones using the silicone/candy mould. I love these silicone molds as they are very flexible and easy to stretch the sides to loosen the chocolate truffles. It's like taking candy from a baby!

PREP TIME

30 mins

COOK TIME

15 mins

set TIME

4-5 hrs

Category:Dessert, Sweet treat

Cuisine: Worldwide
Level: Easy

Serves: 15 truffles with 3 different fillings

Nutrition Facts
Servings 15.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 44
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 3 g	5 %
Saturated Fat 2 g	10 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg	0 %
Sodium 14 mg	1 %
Potassium 1 mg	0 %
Total Carbohydrate 3 g	1 %
Dietary Fiber 0 g	1 %
Sugars 1 g
Protein 1 g	1 %
Vitamin A	0 %
Vitamin C	0 %
Calcium	0 %
Iron	1 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

INGREDIENTS

1. Dark chocolate chunks (72% cocoa) - 1½ cups

2. Pure Via Stevia - 2-3 packets for all flavors or any sweetener of your choice

3. Candy mould - used Wilton's 15 cavities

4. Paint brush - (1 new or your kitchen brush) - optional

5. Offset spatula - optional

Peanut Butter Truffle (5 nos):

Peanut Butter - 2 teaspoons

Roasted Peanuts - coarsely ground - 1 teaspoon

Stevia - 1 packet sachet

Pure Vanilla extract - 1 drop

Almond Truffle(5 nos):

Blanched Almonds - 5 nos

Pure Almond extract or Vanilla extract - 1 drop

Almond chunks or slivered almonds (roughly chopped) - 1/2 teaspoon

Almond butter/ butter - 1/2 teaspoon

Almond milk - 1/2 teaspoon

Chocolate chunks - 2 teaspoons 


Coconut Truffle (5 nos):

Coconut (decicated) or  freshly shredded -  2 tablespoons

Coconut milk - 4 tablespoons (organic)

Coconut oil - 1/4 teaspoon

Pure Vanilla extract - 1 drop 

DIRECTIONS

1. Chocolate chunks are added in the candy mould cavities. I used 7-8 chunks for the base coating. If using disks add just 2 in each cavity. 

2. Microwave in defrost mode for 2 minutes and then remove to stir to even out the heat. If required continue with 20 second intervals. When 3/4 of the chocolate chunks are melted, remove and stir the remaining chunks melt. 

3. Using a new paint brush to coat the chocolate on all sides evenly.  Remove any excess chocolate if needed  and scrape the remains on the edges using an offset spatula. 

4. Tap the mould on the surface to release any air bubbles. Let sit on the counter for the chocolate to set while we prepare the fillings.

Peanut Butter Truffles:

In a pan on medium-low heat add the peanut butter, coarsely ground peanuts and allow it to come to a boil. Sprinkle stevia and the vanilla extract and give it a good stir and remove from heat. 

You may cook for longer to get a gooey consistency  but I liked mine like a caramel consistency. Let it cool before you fill in your candy moulds to prevent the chocolate from melting with this heat. 

Almond Truffle:

In a pan mix almond chunks, extract, butter and milk together for few minutes on low heat. Melt about 2 teaspoons of chocolate chunks in the microwave and mix with the above. The blanched almonds are placed in the center of the filling (optional).

Coconut Truffle :


If using freshly shredded or frozen coconut, thaw it and dry roast it in a pan until moisture evaporates. 

You may do this on a microwave too with 20 second intervals until they are dry or simple use fine desiccated coconut. 

Add the organic coconut milk, oil and essence to the above and stir on low heat to prevent the coconut from burns. 

Once the consistency thicken remove from heat and transfer to a bowl to stop from over cooking and let cool. 

Filling:

Check the moulds if the chocolate has set well in order to start filling them with any or all of the 3 flavors. Using two small spoons scoop in the fillings only to 3/4 of each cavity to have room for more chocolate to seal the truffles.

Chocolate to seal the truffles:

In a clean bowl add approximately 1/2 cup of chocolate chunks and melt as mentioned above on defrost mode in your microwave. Use this chocolate melts and spoon in all the candy cavities to seal the truffles.  

Allow the chocolate to set for 4-5 hours or place in a refrigerator for an hour or so. Gently stretch the sides to loosen the truffles and remove them gently. 

Enjoy a "Chocolaty Valentines Day" with these delightful Chocolate Truffles!

NOTES AND TIPS

1. Chocolate truffles can be stored in airtight container for 1 week in refrigerator or in room temperature for a day. 

2. Always use rubber or silicone spatula to stir melting chocolate to prevent the wood smell spoiling the natural aroma of your chocolate.

3. Purchase dark chocolate with 72% cocoa or higher for less added sugar and vegan friendly.