There’s something kind of magical about being an adult. Especially on Valentine’s Day. Because in my home it means I get to combine two of my favorite tasks, creating vegan desserts and lavishing love on my family!
This year I’m making one of my favorite easy-to-make vegan desserts, DIY chocolate truffles. The perfect Valentine’s Day recipe. A little decadent. A little fancy. Treats that can be made in under an hour and for a fraction of the price you would pay for store bought treats. Did I also mention they are organic, gluten-free, low in processed sugar, and are customizable too?
Besides being very pretty these date truffles taste kinda amazing. Made from organic cocoa powder, organic maple syrup, and topped with organics, they are so so good! Which is why I wanted to post this little inspiration today – and some of you might be needing to bring a dessert or treat for a date with your loved ones or are looking for healthier treas to send to school for Valentine’s Day. These treats just might fit the bill!
The star of the show? Organic Medjool dates, of course! What would a plant-based dessert be without them? As with most date-heavy recipes, they are simple food processed treats. Easy enough to make on a weeknight but decadent enough to serve as a date-night-in treat too!
Now, you might be thinking, what if you are making them just for yourself? You’ll be sure to have an absolutely wonderful Valentine’s Day night-in and enjoy every moment and bite of it! Oh, and the best part? They can be made ahead of time and kept tucked away in your freezer and thawed hours before delivering these treats! A huge bonus in my book! Self-care always!
So if you are looking for a healthy, affordable Valentine’s Day treat this year, these DIY Valentine’s Day Chocolate Truffles are worthy of any Saint Valentine’s Day festivities!
I love that these date truffles can be customized with a myriad of colorful coatings. I like to use a mixture of cocoa powder and Ceylon cinnamon for some, chia seeds mixed with black sesame seeds for others, and enjoy adding chopped pumpkin seeds or walnuts to others! The choices are endless!
Now if you’d like to see how I transform these delectables to giftable using humble Dollar Tree Valentine’s Day wrapping, check out my latest YouTube collab video for more ideas:
I hope these truffles will inspire you to think outside the box when it comes to your Valentine’s Day treats this year at home! Eating plant-based doesn’t mean you have to skin on the luxury and sophistication you have come to expect from commercial truffles this time of year! Give them a try, you’ll love them!
Now I want to ask, will you be making treats for yourself or loved ones this Valentine’s Day? I’d love to hear your foodie love story below!
These truffles are the perfect Valentine’s Day recipe. A little decadent. A little fancy. Treats that can be made in under an hour and for a fraction of the price you would pay for store bought treats. Did I also mention they are organic, gluten-free, low in processed sugar, and are customizable too? Give them a try for those you love this Valentine's Day and all year long!
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 cups organic medjool dates, pitted
- 1 cup dark chocolate, 70%
- 1 tablespoon organic cocoa powder
- Zest and juice from 1 organic blood orange
- 1 tablespoon organic maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla extract
- 1 cup organic walnuts
- 1/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
- 1/2 cup chopped, semi-ground organic pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup mixture of half organic cocoa powder and organic ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup mixture of half black sesame seeds organic chia seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F/175 °C.
- Place walnuts on a baking sheet and roast for 10 min until golden brown. Cool completely.
- Then place nuts in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
- Pitt your dates; composting your pits.
- Temper your chocolate; stove top double boiler method or 15-20 second increments in the microwave.
- In a blender, add pitted dates, salt, zest, and orange juice. Blend until a very smooth cream.
- Add dark chocolate and maple syrup to food processor and mix for 2 minutes until smooth.
- Place the date mix in the fridge for a couple of hours until firm.
- Use your palms to make perfect round sized truffles.
- Coat them in different toppings.
- Place the truffles in small boxes, lined with paper liners, and wrap them up.
- They keep best in fridge, but can be frozen for up to 3 months until you need them.
- Makes 60 truffles.
Notes
Need an affordable packaging idea? Consider Dollar Tree treat boxes and compostable paper mini cupcake liners!
