Easy vegan truffles made with just 4 ingredients: chocolate, coconut milk, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Just as creamy and decadent as traditional truffles, they make a perfect gift and I've listed lots of flavour options below if you want to add a little something.
Try making a batch to pack up for gifts and give them as is, or with another homemade holiday favourite like vegan hot chocolate mix, a traditional orange pomander, or easy lavender sachet.
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Ingredients
While you can make vegan truffles with just chocolate and coconut milk, they're just so much better with a little vanilla and salt!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Chocolate: use semi-sweet or dark chocolate, at least 50% cocoa solids.
- Coconut milk: this should be full-fat canned coconut milk (use just the cream from the top of the can if possible) or canned coconut cream. Don't use the type that comes in a carton, or creamed coconut, which is quite different.
How to Make Truffles
Step 1: add the milk and chocolate to a double boiler.
Step 2: gently heat until the chocolate melts.
Step 3: bring to room temperature, then chill until solid.
Step 4: roll the mixture into small balls, about the size of a walnut.
Step 5: place the truffles onto a lined tray and chill again to solidify (or freeze for a few minutes).
Step 6: either roll the truffles in cocoa powder as pictured here.
Step 7: or dip in melted chocolate, as preferred.
Step 8: let the chocolate set, then keep the truffles chilled until serving.
Top Tips
- Don't overheat: the chocolate will burn if it gets too hot, so make sure you heat it just enough to melt. This is also why you use a double boiler. Pictured is a heat-safe bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water.
- Use good chocolate: if your chocolate doesn't taste good, neither will your truffles. I like to use chocolate couverture but bars are just as good. Chocolate chips will make for a harder texture.
- Roll twice: if you want perfectly round truffles, roll once and chill, then roll again to make them more round before chilling and coating as usual.
How to Store
Storage: keep the finished truffles in a sealed container in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Freezing: transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to three months. Thaw individual truffles at room temperature, or a full batch in the fridge.
Flavour Options
- Add-ins: try mixing in ¼ teaspoon mint extract, the zest of an orange, or some spices like cinnamon or cardamom to the melted truffle mixture along with the vanilla.
- Roll in: instead of cocoa powder, try rolling your truffles in ground hazelnuts or almonds, sprinkles, or icing sugar (but note that the sugar tends to melt over time).
- Top with: if coating in chocolate, top your truffles with an extra drizzle of chocolate in any flavour. Try adding sprinkles or chopped freeze-dried fruit over top of the chocolate coating before it sets.
- Chocolate types: I don't recommend using a vegan milk or white chocolate, as both are softer, and will need adjusting in terms of how much milk is used. You can coat in another type of chocolate though.
FAQ
Why are chocolates called truffles?
Truffles are French, and one of the most popular mushrooms in France is the truffle – chocolate truffles are made to resemble this underground mushroom, and that's why they're irregularly shaped and coated in cocoa powder.
Why use a double boiler instead microwave?
It's a slower method, and gives you more control over the product. A microwave can be quickly burn chocolate and ruin the whole batch.
Should water touch the bottom of a double boiler?
No. You want to heat indirectly, through steam rather than water touching the top bowl. The hot water touching the bowl will make the chocolate melt too quickly and get too hot.
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Recipe
Vegan Chocolate Truffles
Equipment
- Double boiler or small saucepan and a heat-proof bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Baking sheet or tray
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 8 oz. semi-sweet or dark chocolate 226 grams
- ½ cup full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Optional pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Add the chocolate and coconut milk to the bowl of your double boiler. Heat until melted. Once the chocolate has melted, whisk well to combine.8 oz. semi-sweet or dark chocolate, ½ cup full-fat coconut milk
- Remove from the heat and, stir in the vanilla, salt, and any other add-ins.¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, Optional pinch sea salt
- Bring the mixture to room temperature, loosely covered with something like a tea towel. Don't cover with anything that will allow steam to drip back in to the truffle mixture.
- Chill until solid, about 4 hours. Once cold, use a small spoon to scoop out portions and use your hands to roll into balls about the size of a walnut.
- Place the truffles onto a lined baking sheet or tray. Once they're all formed, refrigerate again to solidify, or freeze for a few minutes.
- Roll the truffles in cocoa powder, dip in melted chocolate, or try one of the other options listed. Chill until ready to serve.
Hello,
I get my cacao butter from my local health food store, but you can get it online from places like http://navitasnaturals.com/product/434/Cacao-Butter.html If you can't find it, I would start by using all coconut butter in the recipes, but just be cautious as your truffles will melt faster. And yes, something like a hazelnut butter or cashew butter would be really tasty in it.
These look really good.. Though some of the ingredients are hard to find. What can replace the cacao butter and coconut butter? Could I use a nut butter like you suggested above?
I noticed that you use a lot of cacao butter in your recipes, do you buy them online? like iHerb?
Thanks so much, an amazing blog.
Thank you Teila! Sorry to hear about your allergy, those are never fun. I have two suggestions for a substitution. The first is to use all cocoa butter, but you will end up with a harder truffle - more like a chocolate bar - it will still be tasty, but not 'truffle' like. The second, is to use another oil which is solid at room temperature, but melts at body temperature. I know the Earth Balance makes a shortening with flax, olive, palm, etc. which would probably work, although I don't know how it would taste.
Oh, this might be crazy, but what about a nut butter? Like cashew, or almond...?
I would play around a bit to see what you like best - maybe try making only a 1/2 batch at a time in case it doesn't work to well.
Good luck 🙂
Sophie
These look amazing! I'd love to try them. Do you know what would be a good substitute for the coconut oil? I'm allergic to it unfortunately.
Thank you, Louisa. I am so happy you like it! And I love that fact that you find it inspiring 🙂
*inspiration 🙂
I recently found your blog, and I want to make every single recipe. Thank you so much for the insiration!