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Easy 3-Ingredient Chocolate Truffles (Made with Dates!)

Easy chocolate truffles made with three basic ingredients: Medjool dates, cocoa powder, and coconut oil. This quick and easy truffle recipe is naturally sweetened with dates, vegan, and dairy-free.

Healthy chocolate truffles in a white bowl, ready to serve.

If you’re a chocolate lover like me and you get a kick out of making treats out of whole food ingredients, these easy vegan chocolate truffles are for you!

I originally shared these homemade chocolate truffles back in 2013, but I decided to revisit them to determine if they were as great as I remember them.

Breaking news: I still love these darn date truffles!

Traditionally homemade truffles are made by melting chocolate chips with heavy cream together to create a super rich and silky luxurious truffle.

While I love the heavy whipping cream version, I also consider this dairy-free fruit-sweetened version to have their own special place in my holiday treat lineup.

I find the dates result in a lovely chew and the cocoa powder brings that bittersweet chocolate flavor. This recipe is easy to customize, so you can use it as a base recipe for all sorts of creations.

Whip them up for holiday gifts or keep them on hand for anyone who loves a bite of chocolate any chance they get.

White bowl full of vegan chocolate truffles with a golden napkin to the side. Ready to eat!

Because they are made with all natural ingredients, I consider these to be healthy chocolate truffles. Dates contain phytonutrients and antioxidants that are said to lower inflammation.

So there is your permission to make batches on repeat.

All you need is those three basic ingredients and a food processor for these healthy truffles.

The perfect sweet treat to honor your chocolate cravings using healthy ingredients and zero refined sugar.

Ingredients for Easy Chocolate Truffles:

Pitted Medjool Dates: We need 8 ounces of medjool dates, which serve as both the sweetness and the rich gooey texture.

If you can’t find pitted medjool dates, pick up regular ones and simply remove the pits. They come out very easily.

Do note, that using other types of dates like deglet noor dates may not produce the same results, because they contain less moisture and gooeyness than medjool.

If you can only find deglet noor dates, you can still make the recipe but you may need more coconut oil.

Cocoa Powder: The chocolate portion of these truffles is basic unsweetened cocoa powder. I like using raw cacao powder because it has a creamier, less bitter flavor. 

Coconut Oil: A little melted coconut oil helps blend the dates and cocoa powder together so that it’s easy to press into balls. It also adds some healthy fats.

Optional Additions:

  • Add ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract, rum extract, almond extract, or peppermint extract for a different flavor.
  • If you love cinnamon in your treats, add ¼ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. 
  • Add 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter for some rich, nutty flavor.

For Rolling the Truffles:

I like rolling the truffles in more cocoa powder, shredded coconut, or chopped nuts like raw pecans or walnuts. 

You can also roll them in chocolate sprinkles or chopped chocolate.

Make a coating for an outside hard shell using melted chocolate chips such as dark chocolate chips, semisweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, or white chocolate chips.

Roll them in finely chopped candy cane for a minty adventure.

Now that we’ve covered the simple ingredients, let’s make these easy vegan truffles.

How to Make Easy Chocolate Truffles:

Transfer the pitted medjool dates and cocoa powder to a food processor. Note: most blenders will note be able to handle this mixture so I don’t recommend using a blender.

Dates and cocoa powder in a food processor to make healthy date balls.

Process (pulse or blend) until the dates and cocoa powder form small chunks. This might take a minute or two.

Chopped up dates and cocoa powder in a food processor before the coconut oil has been added.

Add in the melted coconut oil and continue processing until a thick, sticky mixture forms. Again, this might take a couple of minutes depending on your food processor.

Truffle mixture in a food processor, ready to be made into truffles.

It is totally fine if there are small chunks of dates in your truffle mixture as long as the mixture presses together easily.

Transfer the truffle mixture to the refrigerator and refrigerate for 15 minutes. This will make the rolling process easier as everything will stick together easily.

Roll the mixture into 14 to 18 balls. If you have a small cookie scoop or melon baller, feel free to use it here.

If you’d like, roll each ball in cocoa powder, unsweetened shredded coconut, chopped walnuts or chopped pecans. Place the finished truffles on a plate or on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper as you finish them. These decadent truffles are ready to eat!

Chocolate truffles on a black plate, rolled in cocoa powder, coconut, and chopped pecans

Store truffles in an airtight container or zip lock bag for up to 1 week. You can store them at room temperature or in the refrigerator. I keep mine in the refrigerator. Truffles can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

These dark chocolate truffles are ideal for special occasions and quench a chocolate craving miraculously. 

Enjoy them during the holiday season, for Valentine’s day or any time you’re looking for the best chocolate truffles made with unprocessed ingredients.

Make a double batch or a triple batch if you are gifting this healthy treat to multiple lucky recipients.

Hand holding a chocolate truffle with a bite taken out.

If you enjoy cute little sugary treats like this chocolate truffle recipe, also try out these gems.

More Holiday Treats:

These healthy vegan chocolate truffles are the best way to gift your sweet tooth with a bite of joy that comes with health benefits. 

Three ingredients and a whole lot of sweet chocolate decadence!

Healthy chocolate truffles in a white bowl, ready to serve.

Easy Chocolate Truffles (Vegan, Paleo)

These date chocolate truffles are made with all natural ingredients for a healthier treat. Enjoy these vegan truffles any time of the year, particularly during the holidays!
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
16 truffles

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces pitted medjool dates, about 15 dates*
  • 5 Tbsp (37.5 g) raw cacao powder, + more for rolling the truffles
  • 2 Tbsp (30 ml) coconut oil, melted

Instructions

  • Transfer the pitted medjool dates and cocoa powder to a food processor. Process (pulse or blend) until the dates and cocoa powder form small chunks. This might take a minute or two.
  • Add in the melted coconut oil and process/blend until everything is combined and a thick, sticky mixture results. It's fine if there are still small pieces of dates left in the mixture!
  • Using a rubber spatula, transfer the date truffle mixture out of the food processor and into a bowl.
  • Refrigerate for 15 minutes. This allows the mixture to set up a bit so that it’s easier to work with.
  • Roll the mixture into 14 to 18 truffle balls. If you’d like, roll each ball in cocoa powder, unsweetened shredded coconut, chopped walnuts or chopped pecans. Place the finished truffles on a plate or on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper as you finish them. These decadent truffles are ready to eat!

Notes

*If you can only find deglet noor dates, they will work too but you will likely need to add more coconut oil, as these types of dates tend to have less flesh so they are slightly drier than medjool. They are also smaller than medjool dates, so go by weight (8 ounces) instead of number. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1truffle (of 16)Calories: 57kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 1gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 2gFiber: 2gSugar: 9g
Course: Desserts & Treats
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baked gluten free apple fritter, chocolate, chocolate truffles, dairy free, dairy free recipes, easy chocolate truffles, easy healthy recipes, gluten free, gluten free recipes, gut healthy recipes, no bake dessert, no bake energy balls, paleo desserts, vegan desserts
Servings: 16 truffles
Calories: 57kcal
Author: Julia

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.

I originally shared this recipe on May 20, 2013. I updated the photographs and added more information to the post, but the recipe itself is the same.

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Recipe Rating




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Nik@ABrownTable

Tuesday 21st of May 2013

Gosh, these look gorgeous and delicious. Love!

Abby @ The Frosted Vegan

Tuesday 21st of May 2013

Anytime the recipe for truffles is short and sweet, that means I can eat them faster!

Chelsea @ Natural Sweet Recipes

Tuesday 21st of May 2013

Thank you so much for guest posting Julia!! We loved having you! And will have to make these truffles ASAP!

melissa @ my whole food life

Tuesday 21st of May 2013

These look great and I love the small ingredient list! Thanks for sharing.

Stephie @ EYHO

Monday 20th of May 2013

Has my momma seen these? Bc they totally look like a Julie Swope thang. (She's totally trying to adopt you, btw. I'm one false step from being totally replaced.)

Julia

Monday 20th of May 2013

She can adopt me and then we can be sisters! I'd definitely fit in with my frizzy/curly somewhat redish hair!! :) I want to try the recipe with coffee grinds and make them little mocha treats. :)

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