These vegan chocolate caramel truffles are a healthy & easy to make dessert. Sweetened with just dates to create a gooey caramel filling, this is the perfect recipe to have in your fridge when you need a chocolate fix!
Every Christmas as a kid, my stocking always had a box of the Whitmans Sampler chocolates. There were 4 in the box, but only one that I liked- the chocolate caramel.
The rest would usually just sit on the family room table until New Year’s when they’d probably get thrown away, but I looked forward to that chocolate caramel every year.
These vegan truffles are my healthy take on my childhood favorite, and are sweetened with just dates for a wholesome treat.
The date caramel somehow tastes just as good as a standard caramel, but has just 3 key ingredients you probably already have on hand.
How to make this recipe
If your dates seem at all dry, add to a bowl and soak with water to make processing easier.
Otherwise, add the pitted dates, almond butter, salt, vanilla and coconut milk to a food processor.
Process until you get a thick paste with no visible date pieces left. It will take a bit to process depending on what kind of food processor you have, you may need to stop to scrape down the sides a couple of times.
Scoop into about 1 inch balls and roll with your hands. If it seems too sticky, just slightly dampen your hands to make it easier to roll.
Place on a piece of parchment paper, keeping each ball away from the other. Stick in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to firm up.
Meanwhile, add the chocolate chips and coconut oil to a glass bowl or small pan. Add that pan into another pan with about an inch of water.
Heat over low/medium heat to melt the chocolate, stirring regularly.
Take each caramel ball and roll in the chocolate, then place back on the piece of parchment paper and top with salt flakes.
Add back to the freezer for about 15 minutes & enjoy!
Do they keep?
I like to store these vegan truffles in the freezer because the caramel is a bit firmer that way and they keep for longer. Either in the fridge or the freezer, the chocolate will firm up thanks to the coconut oil.
If you want the caramel a bit gooier, go for the fridge, if you like it firmer, keep them in the freezer, but let them sit out for about 10 minutes before eating if your freezer is ultra cold.
In the fridge, they’ll keep for about 2 weeks, or 3 months in a freezer. Be sure to store them in an air tight container to prevent freezer burn.
Can I make them nut free?
Yes! The caramel calls for both almond butter and full fat coconut milk, but you can easily do without either of these.
Processing might be a bit more difficult, and the flavor won’t be quite the same, but you’ll still get a delicious caramel filling.
Pro Tips
I highly recommend making the date caramel in a food processor, but a high speed blender like a vitamix will also work.
Just be sure you use the highest setting since it has a fan to cool off the machine. Otherwise, it will overheat pretty easily!
Feel free to sub the almond butter for cashew butter or peanut butter for a different flavor profile!
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Vegan Chocolate Caramel Truffles
by: claire cary
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds medjool dates about 25 large dates
- ¼ cup runny almond butter
- ¼ cup full fat canned coconut milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 heaping cup chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
Instructions
- If your dates seem at all dry, add to a bowl and soak with water to make processing easier.
- Otherwise, add the pitted dates, almond butter, salt, vanilla and coconut milk to a food processor.
- Process until you get a thick paste with no visible date pieces left. It will take a bit to process depending on what kind of food processor you have, you may need to stop to scrape down the sides a couple of times.
- Scoop into about 1 inch balls and roll with your hands. If it seems too sticky, just slightly dampen your hands to make it easier to roll. Place on a piece of parchment paper, keeping each ball away from the other.
- Stick in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the chocolate chips and coconut oil to a glass bowl or small pan. Add that pan into another pan with about an inch of water.
- Heat over low/medium heat to melt the chocolate, stirring regularly.
- Take each caramel ball and roll in the chocolate, then place back on the piece of parchment paper and top with salt flakes.
- Add back to the freezer for about 15 minutes & enjoy!
Jennifer M. says
These are sooo good! They are easy to make and they taste decadent! My husband said it was like eating “real” truffles! Really tricks you into thinking you are eating something “bad” but they really aren’t! So glad I made these and will make them again!
Claire Cary says
Yay! That was exactly my goal with this recipe 🙂