Recently, I shared a roundup of 10 chocolate desserts to make for Valentineโs Day and a showstopping vanilla-raspberry layer cake that would be perfect for Valentineโs Day. And today I’m sharing some Vegan Chocolate Truffles that will blow your mind!
BUT, I also know that you guys love when I share really easy, no-bake desserts that require minimal ingredients. So I decided to develop an easy, no-bake vegan dessert that would be perfect for Valentineโs Day because I know not everyone has to time to bake a layer cake for Valentineโs Day (you have a life, I get it). Enter these Fudgy Vegan Chocolate Truffles!
These truffles use a secret ingredient – beets – that give them an amazing color and texture. It sounds crazy but I guarantee you will love it!
Why you’ll love these truffles
No baking required! You do need to cook a beet, but thatโs the only actual cooking required. You could make it even easier by buy pre-cooked beets. The food processor and freezer do all of the hard work.
6 main ingredients. 7 including salt, but we donโt count salt, so just 6 main ingredients.
Wholesome. I promise these truffles taste just as indulgent as any truffle, but they are actually good for you, especially if you use a dark chocolate with a high cacao content. Theyโre vegan, oil-free, and easy to make Paleo-friendly.
Allergen Friendly. These truffles are gluten-free, nut-free, and soy-free so basically anyone can enjoy them!
Fudgy. Like really fudgy. The combination of Medjool dates, cooked beets, and cacao powder make these sticky, gooey and fudgy. They basically melt in your mouth, not even exaggerating.
Indulgent. Even though theyโre made with wholesome ingredients, they taste sooo indulgent. And because theyโre so rich, just a small serving will satisfy all your dessert cravings!
Looking for more indulgent and easy chocolate treats? My Vegan Chocolate Mousse and Vegan Hot Chocolate are MUST-makes!ย
Ingredient Roundup
Beets. I know it sounds crazy to put beets in vegan chocolate truffles but if you give it a try I guarantee you’ll love it!
I used one small-sized beet that weighed 4 1/2 – 5 ounces (gram measurements provided in recipe). If you canโt find a small beet, just buy a larger one and use only the amount needed. Or, if your beet is quite large (about 9 ounces), just cut your beet in half and cook one half of it.
I steamed my beet in my Instant Pot, but you could easily steam them on the stove or roast them in the oven. Iโve included cooking instructions for beets in the next section.
Medjool Dates. This makes the truffles sticky, sweet, and fudgy! If you canโt find Medjool dates, you can use deglet dates. They are smaller, so youโll need more than 12 dates to get 6 ounces or 170g. Deglet dates are also less soft than Medjool dates, so I recommend soaking them in hot water for a few minutes to soften them up.
Raw Cacao Powder. Not only is raw cacao powder a superfood thatโs packed with antioxidants, magnesium iron, and potassium, but it also makes for incredibly rich tasting chocolate desserts (richer than cocoa powder, at least in raw desserts).
Vanilla Extract. Enhances the flavor of chocolate!
Oat Flour. Since the truffle dough is very sticky, it needs a flour-like substance to help bring the dough together. But I wanted to maintain the rich, fudge-like texture, so I use a small amount – just 1/4 cup.
If you donโt have store-bought oat flour, you can easily make your own oat flour in a food processor (directions are included in the recipe). Be sure to do this step before you make the truffles because otherwise, youโll have a sticky dough in the food processor to cleanup.
If you are Paleo, you can sub the oat flour coconut flour. I wouldnโt recommend almond flour since almond flour is quite moist and therefore wonโt help to stiffen the dough.
Dark Chocolate. These beet truffles are pretty indulgent on their own, but to take them over the top, they get dunked in melted dark chocolate. Since the truffle dough is frozen before itโs dunked in dark chocolate, the melted chocolate will quickly set and form a casing for the fudgy truffle.
To keep these truffles Paleo-friendly (and healthy, in general), be sure to use a dark chocolate with at least 70% content and minimal sugar. Options include Hu Kitchenโs Simple Dark Chocolate Bar, Endangered Species 88% dark chocolate, Green & Blackโs 85% dark chocolate, or Alter Eco 90% Blackout Bar.
How to cook beets
First things first, wash and scrub your beets. They are dirty little things! Trim most of the stalks and remove any greens, reserving beet greens for another use (sautรฉ them!).
To steam beets in the Instant Pot, pour in 1 cup of water into the inner pot. Position your whole, unpeeled beet on the steamer rack that comes with the Instant Pot, or in a steamer basket. Use the Pressure Cook or Manual setting at high pressure for 15-18 minutes. Perform a quick pressure release.
Pierce the beet with a fork or knife. Ifย there is little resistance, the beet is done. If it feels still a bit firm, pressure cook for another 3-5 minutes. You want the beet to be pretty soft, not crunchy (it should be softer than youโd want it for, say, a beet salad). Allow beets to cool completely before peeling.
To steam beets on the stove, add a bit of water to the bottom of a saucepan and insert a steamer basket on top. Add the beet into the basket. Cover the pot (uncover occasionally to ensure the water in the bottom of the pot is steaming) and steam for about 30 minutes, or until beets are fork tender. Allow beets to cool completely before peeling.
To roast beets in the oven, wrap the whole, unpeeled beet in a piece of aluminum foil and crimp the sides closed. Optionally, if you want to ensure the beet stays moist, lightly brush it with a neutral-tasting oil. Obviously skip this step if you are oil-free.
Roast in an oven at 400ยฐF/204ยฐC for 40-50 minutes, or until there is little resistance when a fork or knife is inserted. I recommend checking every 20 minutes because every beet is a different size. Allow beets to cool completely before peeling
Tips for making these vegan chocolate truffles
Get a pair of food safe gloves! When you start to roll the dough into balls, youโll notice that the dough is quite sticky, so your hands will get really messy if you roll them with your bare hands, and itโll be difficult to keep rolling them. Plus, beets tend to stain, so youโll be scrubbing your hands for days to get the stains out.
Freeze the dough. Since the dough is sticky, youโll need to freeze it for 1-2 hours (though you can freeze it even longer). Freezing the dough also makes it easy to turn these into chocolate-coated truffles because when the melted dark chocolate hits the cold truffle, itโll quickly harden and encase the beet truffle. The result is a wonderful contrast in textures.
Thatโs all you need to know about making these Fudgy Vegan Chocolate Truffles! If you try out the recipe, drop me a comment below and tag me on Instagram!
Big Vegan Flavor
Techniques and 150 recipes to master vegan cooking.
Fudgy Vegan Chocolate Beet Truffles
Ingredients
- 1 small beet (4 1/2 โ 5 ounces, or 125-140g), cooked and then peeled*
- 12 Medjool dates (about 6 ounces, or 170g), pitted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
- 6 tablespoons (30 grams) raw cacao powder, divided
- 1/4 cup (22g) oat flour** (sub an equal amount of coconut flour for a Paleo version)
- 3 ounces (85g) of good-quality, dairy-free dark chocolate***
- Optional ingredients for coating the truffles: unsweetened shredded coconut, raw cacao powder, flaky sea salt, raw cacao nibs, dried rose buds, beetroot powder, hemp seeds, chopped nuts, etc.
Instructions
- If youโre making your own oat flour, take slightly more than 1/4 cup of rolled oats (22 grams) and add it to a food processor. Blitz until the oats have turned into a fine powder. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. If youโre using store-bought oat flour, skip this step.
- If you are not using a high powered food processor and/or if your dates are quite dry and not sticky, soak the dates in hot water for a few minutes to soften. Drain and squeeze out the excess water really well.
- Chop your steamed or roasted beet. Add the beets, dates, vanilla extract, salt, and 1/4 cup or 4 tablespoons of the cacao powder (or 20g) to a food processor. Process until the ingredients are well combined and starting to come together as a sticky paste.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of cacao powder (or 10g) and the oat flour to the food processor. Blend again until the ingredients are well combined and a dough has formed. Taste and add more salt, as desired. The dough will be quite sticky at this point.
- Transfer the dough to a bowl and cover. Freeze for at least 1-2 hours. This step is essential, so donโt skip it.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt the dark chocolate in a large bowl, using either a double boiler method, or in in the microwave in 30-second intervals. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- Remove the truffle dough from the freezer. Using a rounded tablespoon or mini ice cream scooper, scoop the truffle dough and roll into evenly-sized balls. Transfer the balls to the baking sheet.
- I highly recommend wearing food-safe gloves while rolling the balls because the dough is sticky and beets tend to stain, so your hands will get really messy if you roll them with your bare hands.
- Using a slotted spoon or similar utensil, dip one truffle at a time into the melted dark chocolate, and coat it all over. Transfer back to the baking sheet and sprinkle with the toppings of your choice. Work quickly, as the melted chocolate will set pretty quickly and your toppings wonโt stick once the chocolate has set. Repeat with each truffle.
- You can serve them immediately, but I prefer to return them to the freezer for 15-30 minutes to set. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer (they donโt need to be defrosted).
Notes
Hi Nisha, I’m a big fan of RainbowPlantLife and looking to try this recipe tomorrow. What would be your recommendation of an alternative to oat flour? I’m unable to go to a store to purchase rolled oats or oat flour, and only have steel cut oats at home. What other flours would you recommend as a substitute? Many thanks! :)
Hi Akila, so lovely to hear you’re a fan of the RPL recipes! As for the oat flour substitute, do you have coconut flour on hand? That’s what we’ve tested with good results.
So good!
I made these for my husband for his birthday, he’s been vegan for about 45 years.
Very very impressed ๐
Easy to make, especially when using pre cooked beetroot.
Thank you, these are just awesome ๐
Hi Kim, weโre thrilled to hear you two enjoyed this recipe! So cool to hear your husband has been vegan for so long :)
Next time, would you mind leaving a rating alongside your review? Star ratings are big help to readers who are thinking of making the recipe. Thanks!
I’ve made these twice now and they really are a treat. I made the last batch in September and kept it in the freezer until this week (mid December). I rolled the truffles quite small a day before serving, coated then in shredded coconut and put them in brightly coloured mini muffin papers, a true treat for the eyes – kept them cold until I needed them. The next day I brought them as a different take on Christmas cookies/ something for our get-together after the last yoga session before Christmas – a feast for the of my fellow yogies who absolutely loved the presentation and flavour of these wholesome truffles. Thank you so much for the recipe and inspiration!
My only note on the ingredients is: Do experiment with the amount of oat flour and taste the batch. It’s really difficult to roll if it’s too sticky and both the cocoa powder and the oat flour will thicken it up but they add different flavours.
Tanja, So glad to hear you love this recipe! Thanks for sharing your experience with us and for giving fellow readers a tip regarding your experience!
I want to try them! Here in Italy ever seen beet powder. If I bring them out from the freezer to gift someone, how much time they still stay frozen? Or after one hour they become soft? Thanks!
Never seen, not ever
Hi Laura, it depends on the temperature of the environment and how long they’ll be out of the freezer. If you keep them in a cooler bag/pack they’ll probably be good for a few hours. Sorry we couldn’t give you an exact answer!
These are such a treat!! I somehow made them a bit smaller and ended up with 30+ truffle bites, but they taste so rich and luxurious and it has beets?!?! True magic + love a freezer treat. The perfect cold treat. Will be makign these again.
Awesome, Stacie. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
I loved loved loved these, the texture was amazing! Some that tried them said they could taste the beet-y flavor but I didn’t really. I also didn’t stuff the whole ball on my mouth in one bite ;)
Made them for my bday and am back to make for a mother’s day treat :)
Awesome, Amy. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
Wow these are so rich and delicious! The color of the dough is so beautiful too. Definitely going to be a new dessert staple for me ๐๐ผ Thank you!
Thanks for sharing, Angela!
Can I freeze dough overnight so as to get a head start on process the day before I’m actually going to roll the balls?
And would it work out OK to put in fridge to set instead of freezer? Just a bit slower? Or is it preferable to get the blast of super cold air to set them quickly?
Can’t wait to try these….bringing them and your no bake cookie bars to work as my shareable birthday treats this week ! I’ll stop back for a starred review of both at end of week.
From Nisha: “Hi there, sorry we werenโt able to get to your question in time for your birthday (hope you had a great one!).
I think the freezing method would work fine, in case you still havenโt tried it yet. Just let it sit out for a bit to thaw before rolling. As for your second question, I think the fridge method would work too, it just would take longer.”
Amazing! I made it for christmas to have some healthy vegan sweet on hand, but I had to hide it from the omnis, everybody loved it! :D
Thanks for sharing, Orsolya! We’re so happy to hear everyone loved the fudge!
Nisha,
How long can we keep them in the freezer? After taking them out, how long do I need to finish them?
Thanks.
Hi Jessica, I would say up to a few months in an airtight container. After that, they run the risk of freezer burn. Also, there’s no need to defrost them so you can store them in the freezer until consumption. Enjoy!
I made these a couple of times and love them so much! I grew some beets on my balcony and will soon make another batch of these amazing truffles. Easy, beautiful and delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
OMG. Nisha, these are phenomenal. I made these for my boyfriend (Omni) and I (vegan) to share for a cute date night and we both loved them! He was shocked at how superb they tasted and even said that if I wouldnโt have told him that there were beets in it he would never have guessed it! :)
They are fabulous, my husband was shocked how good they taste!
Yumm! I’m making these again, and again.
these turned out delicious!!
These are magnificent!! I needed a pick-me-up in the worst way today, and boy, these taste pretty naughty for such a healthy treat! I added a splash of maple syrup to mine (my sweet tooth made me do it) and a squeeze of lime juice (because I find that sour helps to negate that earthy beet flavor). These tasted like fancy, store-bought truffles! Thanks so much for another fabulous recipe, Nisha! ๐
Aww I’m happy these were the pick me up you needed! I love how "naughty" they taste too! I love the sound of the lime juice to balance the beets – what a lovely idea. Thanks for sharing, Lindsey!
If I’m using fresh dates, do I need to soak them? Also, do I need to de-skin the dates prior to blending?
Hi Jenna, I don’t have access to fresh dates so I’ve never cooked with them before, but from what I know, they are quite different from dried dates. To be safe, I would just sub with maple syrup instead, about 2-4 teaspoons, depending on how sweet you want it to be.
I donโt have beets but I have beet powder ๐ any idea how I could substitute that?
Hi Karah, the beets help bring the dates together, from a texture perspective, so unfortunately the dates will be quite different without cooked beets. You could try substituting in some nuts or seeds – without anything else, I’m afraid the texture will be very sticky.