Vegan Chocolate Coconut Truffles

By pattie_d

Vegan Chocolate Coconut Truffles use coconut milk in place of cream, to create rich, creamy truffles that are decadent without any dairy. The coconut milk gives them a nice fruity flavor, but it's subtle enough that you can use this as a base recipe for vegan truffles and add other flavorings like vanilla, almond, or citrus if you desire.
Yield: 36 small truffles

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup coconut milk (not “light” or low-fat variety)
• 10 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (make sure there are no animal products for vegan truffles)
• 1/4-1/2 tsp coconut extract, optional
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 lb chocolate candy coating, optional
• Toasted or flaked coconut to decorate, optional

Details

Servings 36

Preparation

Step 1

1. Place the finely chopped chocolate in medium heat-safe bowl and set aside. Place the coconut milk in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.

2. Heat the coconut milk until it is just under a boil—bubbles should appear along the sides of the pan, but it shouldn’t be bubbling vigorously.

3. Pour the hot coconut milk over the chopped chocolate and allow it to sit for one minute to soften the chocolate, then gently whisk them together until the chocolate is melted and it becomes a smooth, shiny chocolate ganache.

4. If you leave the ganache plain, it has a subtle fruity flavor from the coconut milk, but it is not extremely noticeable and you could add other extracts or additives to make other flavors of vegan truffles. If you want to increase the coconut flavor, add 1/4 tsp of coconut extract to the ganache. Taste it and add up to 1/4 tsp more if you prefer a stronger coconut flavor.

5. Press a layer of cling wrap directly on top of the ganache, and refrigerate it until it is firm enough to scoop and roll, about 1 hour. If you wait too long it will get very stiff and hard to work with, so it’s best to check it after an hour to make it easy to shape the truffles.

6. Pour the cocoa powder in a shallow bowl. Dust your hands lightly with cocoa powder. Use a spoon or a small candy scoop to form small balls from the ganache, and roll them between your hands to get them round. You can finish them by rolling them in a thin coating of cocoa powder, or rolling them in shredded coconut, toasted or untoasted. If you would prefer to dip them in chocolate, continue on to the next step.

7.Melt your chocolate candy coating in the microwave until it is smooth and fluid. Using forks or dipping tools, dip a truffle until it is completely submerged in the melted coating, then bring it up out of the coating and tap the fork against the lip of the bowl to remove excess. Place the truffle on a foil-covered baking sheet, and while it is still wet, sprinkle the top with toasted or untoasted coconut.

8. Repeat until all the truffles have been dipped. Place tray in the refrigerator to set the coating for about 15 minutes. Vegan Chocolate Coconut Truffles can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 weeks, and are best served at room temperature.