Vegan chocolate truffles are made using just three ingredients and are a really easy way to turn regular chocolate into a special occasion treat. These truffles are made with a creamy and decadent ganache and are dairy-free and vegan.
I often feel that Christmas cooking is just taking basic ingredients and foods and making them just that little bit extra so they feel special. And that’s exactly what this recipe is.
I mean, you could just eat some chocolate which would be delicious, OR you could take your chocolate and make it extra special and turn it into chocolate ganache truffles. Yes please.
Having these on hand for a little after dinner treat really is peak Christmas in my eyes, but they also are a great option to lay out for guests or take to friends and family.
Ingredients for vegan chocolate truffles
These truffles honestly couldn’t be simpler with only 3 ingredients plus whatever you choose to roll them in. As we have a short ingredient list, quality ingredients are going to make the biggest difference here.
As with all vegan cooking, if you need them to be completely vegan, not just dairy-free it’s important to double check your ingredients are all vegan before beginning.
- Dark chocolate – use the best quality dark chocolate (making sure it’s vegan/dairy-free) you can find. Generally the rule here is just the chocolate you love to eat.
- Coconut milk – again, quality here is important. You want the full-fat version that is in a can for best results.
- Vanilla – you could add any different flavours that you want, but to keep things simple and bring out the richness of the chocolate, a little vanilla is perfect.
- Cocoa powder and/or chocolate sprinkles – to finish off the truffles you want to roll them in either cocoa powder or chocolate sprinkles depending on what you prefer. Note that not all sprinkles are vegan (but some are) so check the labels and if you’re unsure, stick with the cocoa powder version.
How to make vegan chocolate truffles
To make these truffles you’ll need a mixing bowl, small saucepan and a metal spoon. Also if you have a cookie scoop that’s going to be great, otherwise you can just use a spoon.
To start, you’ll make the ganache. To do this, chop up your chocolate into small pieces and place into the mixing bowl.
In the small saucepan, heat together the coconut milk and vanilla. You want to do this slowly, letting it come to a simmer but not boiling.
Pour the hot coconut milk over the chopped chocolate and leave alone to sit for about 5 minutes. Grab your spoon and start stirring the chocolate mixture until super thick, shiny and creamy. It should be so lusciously smooth that you have to hold the urge to just scoop a little for yourself as a ‘taste-test’.
Place the bowl of ganache in the fridge to cool for 2 hours. You can pour the ganache into a shallower dish if you want it to cool quicker.
Once the ganache has set and is firm, use a cookie scoop or spoon to scoop out 1 tablespoon amounts of the hardened ganache and roll it into balls using your hands.
When I first did this, more ganache stuck to my warm hands than not as it was quite a hot day so I found placing the scooped out amounts of ganache into the freezer for about 10 minutes helped make sure I could roll these really easily.
If your ganache isn’t rolling easily though, it might be a little bit too cold so you may just need to let it warm up a little bit on the counter before rolling.
Once you’ve rolled your ganache into balls, roll them in the cocoa powder or chocolate sprinkles.
Tips for making chocolate truffles
Living in Australia and wanting to make these chocolate ganache truffles around Christmas means I am usually battling very hot days meaning my chocolate tends to get very soft very quickly. Here are my best tips to make sure you get perfect results every time!
- Use the freezer to set the truffles. Depending on how hot the day is, I might take my truffles back and forth to the freezer a couple of times while shaping to ensure they stay firm. Usually I would do this after scooping out the tablespoon amounts, as well as after the initial roll into a ball. The heat from your hands can soften the chocolate so if this is happening, just let them cool again in the freezer before continuing.
- Give them a little extra rolling in your hands after you have coated them. This is going to help any sprinkles stick but also helps with the shaping.
- Play around with flavour variations! Instead of just chocolate sprinkles or cocoa powder, try rolling them in crushed nuts, freeze dried fruit powders or coconut.
Storing and freezing
Typically homemade truffles will store fine at room temperature however thanks to the coconut milk, these tend to soften a little more quickly therefore I recommend always storing them in the fridge.
In an airtight container, they will last up to 2 weeks in the fridge or in the freezer for up to three months. To serve let them warm up a little to room temperature or enjoy them cold!
More chocolate recipes for Christmas:
No-Bake Chocolate Tart (Vegan)
Chocolate Peppermint Brownies (Gluten-Free)
Chocolate Hazelnut Bliss Balls
Chocolate Pavlova
Vegan Chocolate Truffles
Ingredients
- 220 grams dark chocolate
- ½ cup canned full-fat coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup cocoa powder for rolling
- Chocolate sprinkles optional for rolling
Instructions
- Chop up chocolate into small pieces and place in a large, glass bowl. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, heat coconut milk and vanilla, stirring until just starting to simmer. You want it to be nearly boiling but not quite.
- Pour the hot coconut milk mixture over the bowl of chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir chocolate mixture until smooth, shiny and creamy.
- Place the bowl of ganache aside in the fridge to cool for 2 hours.
- Using a cookie scoop or spoon, scoop out 1 tablespoon amounts of the hardened ganache and roll into balls using your hands. If the chocolate starts to melt in your hands, place the scoops of ganache in the freezer for 5-10 minutes before rolling. Once rolled into balls, toss in cocoa powder or chocolate sprinkles.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
Cassie says
Delicious! Was a hit at my morning tea today 🙌🏻
Sally says
So glad you enjoyed these Cassie!