An easy and decadent melt-in-your-mouth recipe for incredible homemade vegan chocolate truffles. These rich delicious dark chocolates are both vegan and dairy-free.
In a small saucepan combine coconut milk and coconut butter. Heat on medium until coconut butter is melted and small bubbles start to appear under the surface.
1 cup coconut milk, full-fat, 1/4 cup coconut butter
Pulse freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor until there are mostly small chunks and fine strawberry powder.
1 oz freeze-dried strawberries
Make the Ganache (Filling)
Put chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Pro tip: chop in uniform sizes to ensure even melting.
2 cups dark chocolate
Pour warmed coconut milk/butter mixture over the chocolate. Let it sit for two minutes and then gently stir with a silicone spatula until smooth. Pro tip: if lumps remain, keep gently stirring until the heat from the chocolate melts them.
Into the chocolate, stir in most of the chopped strawberries, reserving about 2 tbsp in the food processor.
Allow the ganache to cool in the bowl for an hour on the counter and then transfer it to the fridge until mostly firm. It is ready when it has the consistency of cookie dough. It should be workable but not messy on your hands.
Shaping the Truffles
Using a spoon, cookie scoop, or melon baller, place truffles on a parchment or waxed paper-lined rimmed baking sheet. Pro tip: make all your truffle scoops at once and then go back and gently roll them into uniform shapes.
Place the truffles in the freezer for 1 hour.
Make Chocolate Coating
In a microwave-safe bowl, heat remaining chopped chocolate for 30 seconds in the microwave. Wait 30 seconds, and then cook for another 30 seconds. Wait another 30 seconds and then microwave for an additional 30 seconds.
1.5 cups dark chocolate
Add in the coconut oil and stir until it has melted. Allow chocolate to cool to 84-88˚F degrees. I used a kitchen thermometer to test this, but if you don't have one, the chocolate is likely ready when it is starting to set around the edges of the bowl.
1 tbsp coconut oil
Dipping the Truffles
Remove truffles from the freezer and place one ball in the melted chocolate. Spoon chocolate over it until covered.
Use the spoon to place the truffle on the tines of a fork. Gently use your free hand to tap the hand holding the fork to remove excess chocolate. Don't tap the fork directly or your truffle may fall.
Using a toothpick or skewer, gently remove the truffle from the fork by scooting it back onto the waxed paper-lined baking sheet.
Immediately sprinkle it with a pinch of the strawberry powder.
Repeat until all the truffles have been dipped. Pro tip: if your dipping chocolate starts to get hard to work with, microwave for 5 seconds at a time until it has returned to a pourable consistency.
Allow the truffles to cool on the baking sheet on the counter (not the fridge!) until the chocolate coating has hardened and they are no longer warm to the touch.
Transfer cooled truffles to an air-tight container and store them in a location that is between 60-65˚F.
Notes
Don't skip the heat/wait/heat/wait process as it melts the chocolate without overheating it! Overheated chocolate will look dull and streaky when it cools.
Do not cover the ganache mixture with plastic wrap or anything else while it is cooling in the fridge as it could create condensation.
If your ganache is too hard when you take it out of the fridge, let it sit at room temperature until it is workable. Alternatively, you could microwave it for 10 seconds, stir and microwave in 5-second increments until it is workable.