Today I’m sharing some delicious home-made vegan truffles that are really easy and quick to prepare. With a fudgy centre speckled with shiny red cranberries and a dark chocolate coating, these truffles are the perfect treat for the festive season. They also happen to be packed full of nutrient-rich ‘feel-good’ ingredients, making them one festive treat that you definitely won’t regret indulging in!
To make these treats, it’s simply a case of whizzing the filling ingredients in a food processor, rolling it into balls and then dipping them in melted chocolate. The hardest part is waiting for the chocolate to set before you can dive in!
These truffles make a lovely, thoughtful gift for sharing with friends, family and work colleagues. I love to buy cute little chocolate boxes that fit six truffles, which I then finish off with some festive ribbon and a home-made label.
I originally shared this recipe in the Bit of the Good Stuff cookbook back in 2016, and it’s received lots of lovely feedback! Since my cookbook is almost out of print, I thought I would share the recipe on the blog so more of our lovely readers can access it.
Dark Chocolate Cranberry Truffles
Ingredients
- 30 g / ¼ cup walnuts or pecans
- 35 g / ¼ cup cashews
- 110 g / ½ cup soft, sticky dates (e.g. Medjool) pitted
- 20 g / 3 TBSP cocoa powder
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- pinch of salt
- 35 g / 4 TBSP dried cranberries (preferably sweetened with fruit juice)
- 100 g / 3½ oz dark chocolate chopped into small pieces (or use dark choc chips)
Instructions
- Whiz the nuts in a food processor to break them down. Add the dates, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, maple syrup and salt. Process until the mixture has formed crumbs that easily stick together when pressed between your thumb and forefinger. Add the cranberries and process until they are roughly chopped. Taste test and add a touch more cocoa or sweetener, if desired.
- Line a tray with non-stick baking paper. Scoop ½ TBSP mixture and roll it into a ball, then place on the paper. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
- Place the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water (make sure the water doesn’t touch the bowl). When the chocolate has melted, switch off the heat.
- Using a metal spoon, quickly roll each truffle in the chocolate. Place the truffle on a fork and gently shake off the excess chocolate. Place the truffle back on the lined tray. Repeat with the remaining truffles. Chill in the refrigerator until set.
- If you have any melted chocolate left over, pour it onto a piece of baking paper to form a chocolate ‘puddle’ then chill until set. You can save this for another recipe.
- Stored in an airtight container, these truffles will keep for weeks in the refrigerator or freezer.
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If you make these Dark Chocolate Cranberry Truffles (or any other recipes on our blog), I’d love to hear your feedback and any suggestions for adaptations! Tag your photos with #bitofthegoodstuff on social media and they will find their way to me. You can also connect with me on my social media channels here: Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest.
With love,
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