I used to think truffles were complicated. I used to think they required candy thermometers and careful attention and Maldon sea salt and only the finest and most expensive ingredients available. I thought they simply weren’t for me.
I was wrong.
It all starts with date caramel. Have you tried the stuff? If not, YOU HAVEN’T LIVED.
Sticky medjool dates pitted and processed then spiked with sea salt for flavor balance. Raw salted vegan caramel. Yes, please.
Up next? Use a melon baller or a measuring spoon to scoop out truffle shapes (or roll them with your hands!). Then freeze before drizzling with creamy, salted peanut butter. Now we’re getting somewhere.
Last but not least? Dunk those babies in dairy-free dark chocolate and sprinkle with a touch more sea salt. A quick trip to the fridge or freezer and these gems are ready for fast and immediate consumption.
Watch yourself, they’re dangerously good.
You guys are going to FLIP over these truffles. They’re:
Crunchy on the outside
Creamy on the inside
Chocolate-y
Caramel-y
Peanut butter-y
Perfectly salty-sweet
Simple
Decadent
& Intensely satisfying
After sampling my first two I promptly hauled these down to the office staff in our apartment building. Otherwise? These would’ve been gone in an hour. So tasty!
If you give these truffles a go, be sure to snap a pic and tag it @minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can see how yours came out! We love seeing which recipes you try and love. Cheers, friends!
5-Ingredient Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Truffles
Ingredients
- 1 pound medjool dates* (pitted)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt (more for topping)
- 1/4 cup natural salted peanut butter (creamy is best, but crunchy works, too)
- 1 heaping cup dairy-free bittersweet or dark chocolate (chopped)
- 1 Tbsp melted coconut oil
Instructions
- If your dates aren’t sticky and super moist when squeezed, soak in hot water for 10-15 minutes to soften. Then drain thoroughly and pit. Otherwise, just pit and add to food processor.
- Blend/pulse your dates until they form a loose “dough.” Mine usually turns into a ball, which is what you’re going for.
- If it’s not quite combining, drizzle in a tiny bit of warm water – 1 tsp at a time – scraping down sides as needed, and mix until a rough paste or ball forms. If you add too much water it will be difficult to handle them later as they won’t freeze up well.
- Lastly, add sea salt and mix once more to incorporate. Taste and adjust saltiness level if desired.
- Using a small melon baller or a Tablespoon and finger, scoop out small balls and roll/form them into balls. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 20-30 minutes to set.
- In the meantime, drizzle on peanut butter until the top is coated. If your peanut butter is super firm and not spreadable (meaning it’s either dry or not the natural variety), add it to a small mixing bowl with 1/2 TBSP coconut oil (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) and microwave to melt (or heat in a small saucepan). Stir to combine, then proceed as instructed.
- Freeze again for another 15-20 minutes, or until the peanut butter has formed a semi-firm “shell.”
- Warm the chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave in 30 second increments with coconut oil.
- Remove truffles from freezer and, using a fork, scoop truffles up and quickly immerse in chocolate, using a small spoon to drizzle chocolate evenly on top. Then gently shake off excess chocolate and place back on parchment-lined baking sheet. Alternatively, you could place the truffles on a fork and drizzle the tops with chocolate. Freeze to set again, then dip the bottoms in chocolate and place on parchment to cool. This achieves less of a “shell” and more of a drizzled effect.
- Top truffles with a small sprinkle of sea salt (optional), and repeat until all truffles are coated.
- Place back in freezer or fridge to set – about 30 minutes. Set out from the the freezer or fridge to serve. For softer truffles, let come to room temperature.
- Store in a freezer-safe container in the fridge or freezer to keep fresh. Makes about 20 truffles as original recipe is written.
Video
Notes
*Date caramel inspiration from SideSaddle Kitchen (<- love that lady)
*1 ½ cups packed, pitted dates yields ~1 pound.
Bunny says
Unfortunately, I think this is the last time I use your website. There are way way too many ads. They cover up the content and make scrolling for the recipe difficult. I did like finding recipes in your site, but the ads are now out of control. Disappointing.
Thank you for your honest feedback and sorry for any inconvenience. We always try to optimize for user experience, while also having ads to keep the content free and high quality.
Linda says
I made this, and once the dates formed the ball, mine did not get “creamy” or like a soft Carmel like in your video. I’m afraid the inside might seem a bit gritty. On my first try I soaked the dates and once in the food processor it never formed a ball. Added a little bit of water and then I think it got very smooth but was afraid it was too gooey and might not freeze. The gooey was definitely more like Carmel. Once you formed the ball did the salt help to break it down more and become gooey? Tia!
Hi Linda, adding water was the right move! It sounds like it could have been a bit too much though? It should still be fine to freeze. The salt doesn’t change the texture.
Samantha says
Amazing!!! These literally taste like a snickers! We ate them with peanuts… next time I’ll try crunchy peanut butter.
Yum! We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Samantha. Thank you for sharing! xo
Patricia says
Another amazing recipe from MB. Super easy, super delicious and perfect for an after dinner healthy-ish treat. Had some non vegan friends over for dinner last night and they loved them more than the non vegan dessert offerings. A real hit, thanks!
Aw, yay! We’re so glad these truffles were a hit. Thank you for your kind words and lovely review, Patricia! xo
Michaela says
Obsessed.
xoxo!
Steven Dorsey says
I made the recipe above and my wife LOVED it! I’m going to share the recipe (with credit to you!) with my daughter who also loves these kinds of healthy treats.
Yay! We’re so glad to hear it, Steven. Thank you for the lovely review!
Whitney says
These are (dare I say) too delicious. I made them last night and they are almost gone. They are indescribably delicious and a danger to my waistline!! I made them as written in the recipe and just woah. I want to make them again but I know I’ll just keep eating them. Eater beware!
We’re so glad you enjoy them, Whitney! Thank you so much for sharing! xoxo
Nicole says
SO good! I had some leftover date caramel from the dulce de leche popsicles (also amazing) so I made a few of these and wish I had more.
Amazing! Thanks for sharing! xo
Alysia says
So decadent!
Amazing! Thanks for sharing, Alysia!
Pacqs says
Ridiculously PERFECT!
Next level easy and great.
Loved wowing my friends with these delectable bites of heaven!
Whoop! So glad you and your friends enjoyed them! Thanks for sharing! xo
Hope says
I just made these, and they turned out pretty good. The caramel was gooey. I soaked the dates and probably should have squeezed them out more before processing. I added another 1/4 tsp of salt because instead of peanut butter, I used walnuts (to make walnut pixies). Next time I would use more nuts, and I would use a darker chocolate (all I had was semisweet which I “darkened” with cocoa powder). Definitely a good first attempt. Thanks!
Thanks for sharing your experience, Hope! It does sound like the dates were just a little too watery. Squeezing them out should help!
Aja Pedersen says
They were pitted individually by me. I soaked half of them but half of them felt like caramel inside so I assumed they were ok. I do not have a Cuisinart, though I may have to invest in one this time! Thanks for the insight!
Aja Pedersen says
I was so looking forward to these as I am looking for a tasty after dinner treat, and I started to blend my dates and BROKE MY FOOD PROCESSOR!! It snapped the drive shaft inside the blades. I am so sad…
Did no one else have this issue? I made sure the dates were fresh and even put about half of them in warm water. I am worried to try this again with a new food processor.
Were they pitted? Your dates must have been too dry still? What kind of food processor do you have? We recommend cuisinart.
Kira says
This recipe turned out delicious! My family loved them, I just added some walnuts to chocolate for more texture.
Thanks for sharing, Kira!
Kelley says
I warm up my dates in the toaster oven after taking the pits out. Turns out great. No water needed.
Neat trick! Thank you for sharing, Kelley! xo
Breanna says
OMG! This is extremely delicious! I followed the recipe to a T! Remember when you are salting the dates that you also have salted peanut butter so dont overdue it. But my goodness; this is definitely very easy to make and completely worth the time. I dont have a food processor and was still able to get the dates smooth enough for the recipe. I could see adding nuts to it for an extra crunch or crushing them into the chocolate.
Georgia Rosslind says
Hi there :)
Do I have to use medjool dates or can I use any type of date?
Thanks!
We find that medjool tend to be the most fresh and sticky. We don’t think these would work as well with other dates, but might be worth a try if that’s all you have access to!
Thanks for the sharing, Breanna!
Kelsey Song says
LOVE these! I’ve made them twice, and they are the perfect, chewy, gooey sweet snack. Honestly they taste much less healthy than they are. Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Kelsey says
I made my date mixture a bit too soft, so it didn’t set hard enough in the freezer. I left the coconut oil out of the chocolate coating, which worked nicely to give it a bit of a harder snap shell, but I made the mistake of drizzling it over the top of dollops of date filling, so there was no chocolate underneath the base of the dollop that sat on the tray, making them a bit awkward to handle when you try to pick up them up.
The flavour combos are still really delicious though, so next time I might just try to make them with a silicone ice cube tray mold – so I can pop a bit of chocolate in, then date filling, then chocolate on top of that so it’s a bit neater and can just pop them out when the chocolate is set. :)
So glad you enjoyed them, Kelsey! If the dates are super sticky/moist, that could contribute it to being a bit soft. Hope that helps!
Felipe says
I just made these, my caramel didn’t get frozen, was all sticky to was hard to cover with the chocolate without making a mess lol but it tastes awesome! I skipped the salt, added pistachio butter instead of peanut butter, and 100% cacao chocolate to cover..
Thanks for the recipe!
So dates don’t really freeze, they just harden. So you did it correctly!
Natalie says
Oh MY Good God. These are LUSH. Just finished making a batch and don’t want to share with anyone, hiding them in the freezer :)
I used crunchy peanut butter.
I shall experiment with almond butter for the next batch…
haha YAY! Thanks for sharing, Natalie!
Karen says
Do you know how much salt to add if I use unsalted peanut butt r?
Hmm not sure, but I’d probably just add a pinch!
Laura says
They look absolutely stunning.
What would you say how long do they keep firm after out of the freezer?
I would like to make them for an event and scared they might get runny?
Hi Laura! They will hold their form for an hour or so, but I would keep them in the freezer up until as close as you can until serving. Hope this helps!
Yasmine says
AMAZING! You really don’t need sugar anymore if you got these healthy alternative – it’s amazing. I recommend to make the peanut butter yourself too-super easy.
Must do!
Kaitlyn says
So delicious! The best dessert I’ve made in a while and love all the wholesome ingredients! Now to try them out on my non-vegan friends?
Stefanie says
So sooo good!! I used PB2 instead of peanut butter to lower the calorie and they are still amazing !!! So good everyone loves them!!!
Cassi says
These look amazing, cannot wait to try! What brand of peanut butter do you use for this recipe? I can never find one that is good to pour or drizzle?! Thank you:)
Antonela Frasheri says
SO EASY TO MAKE and super super delicious. I wonder if they would be just as good if I skip the dates?
S says
Would avocado oil work as a replacement for he coconut oil? I’m allergic!
Hi! That should work!
Jo says
Awesome idea! Last time I made them my date base part didn’t look nearly as smooth- did you warm yours up at all or do I just need to blend the heck out of it?
Hi Jo! How fresh were your dates? We’ve found that if using dried dates, it won’t blend into a creamy paste nearly as well. I’d recommend fresh dates if you are able to get some!
Maayan says
I made this today.
There was nothing left after few minutes.
My family wouldn’t even let the chocolate shell enough time to harden up.
This caramel is to die for. Higly recommended.
Thank you so much for the amazing, beautiful blog!
Michelle says
Super easy and really delicious! I was doubtful about whether I’d like dates, but I totally do! I’m a convert. The little bit of salt on top really makes them decadent :)
Lenora says
Can you use vegan chocolate chips?
Hi Lenora! If you are talking about using vegan chocolate chips as a substitute for the dark chocolate, that should work just make sure to follow step 8 and watch it closely.
Rebecca says
These are delicious! Very simple to make and only a handful of ingredients. I “have” to eat dates everyday as I am pregnant and have been struggling to eat them, not anymore! Also my husband loves them and he usually hates dates. Thank you.
Katy says
Slightly off topic however i am absolutely heartbroken! A ew weeks ago you had a recipe for raw millionaire bites fish? Ya know melted chocolate, date caramel and oat/nougat base thingy? However i went to look yesterday and it had been removed? Is it under a different name? Please help – I need them back in my life!!!
Hope says
These turned out amazing! Definitely a great treat to bring along to share!
Efi says
Looks amazing Dana. What’s heaping cup ? how much in gram? lol
Hi! A heaping cup just means just over a cup! So just over 340g! Hope this helps :D
The Taylors says
We love these sea-salted caramel truffles and have included them in our roundup of 9 Ideas for a Sea-Inspired Valentine’s Day! Thanks for such an indulgent yet good-for-you recipe.
Carley says
I made these on the weekend and WOW!!! What a treat! I added some caramel extract to the dates and dipped in dark Belgian chocolate! Yum!! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
chloeloverchatterbox says
Thanks so much Dana! These look divine with capital D! You always have me drooling at the mouth with your AMAZING and DELICIOUS recipes! I am dairy free and have spent ages looking for vegan ice creams that actually WORK, and alternative ways of producing caramel that taste like the real thing!
tia says
My friend made these and brought them to a potluck. She sent me here for the recipe. I just made my first batch this week and WHOA! Is it possible they are even better the second time? So yummy, so easy, and so much healthier than other sweets! AND my husband is obsessed. I literally have to hide them from him so he won’t eat them all. :D I have now saved multiple other recipes from your blog and am excited to try them soon. Love what you are doing here!
Sophie says
These were AMAZING! Super easy to make and simple inexpensive ingredients. Yet again Dana you’ve nailed it!
Kristen Tenney says
Wow! These are so simple to make but are absolutely delicious. Perfect sweet for our vegan household!
Peter says
These were outstanding!!! Yes…you do need to be careful not to add too much water to the batter as it makes it very difficult to chill and then dip in the chocolate…
Peter says
These were outstanding!!! Yes…you do need to be careful not to add to much water to the batter as it makes it very difficult to chill and then dip in the chocolate…
Camille says
Just made them. Took about an hour with chilling time. So easy. So delicious! Thank you!
Rita says
These look so tasty! I have one quick question though; how long do these keep in the fridge?
Thanks!
About 1 week!
Michelle says
I made these and they were so delicious!
Claire says
Hey could you make these with a different nut butter. I really can’t stand peanut or peanut butter
kay obrien says
Please help. I noticed that another of your recipes for just caramel calls for pitted dates. Can I use just pitted dates instead of the Medjool dates in the recipe? Thanks, I love your recipes, which I primarily fix for my vegan daughter and her husband.
Yes!
Laura Cornish says
Has anyone tried with almond butter?
Jennifer says
Hey! I Just finished a batch of these with almond butter instead (since I’m allergic to peanuts) and hoooly moly they are absolutely incredible.
Nicole says
You mentioned these are caramel but I don’t see caramel anywhere in the recipe other than in the title??
Carly Syms says
Hi Nicole! These are made with date caramel to keep the recipe vegan. Hope that helps!
The dates are the caramel!
Shan Bush says
Sweet mother of all that is pure and holy! These are fantastic! This is what I live for….to make and eat tiny drops of heaven on earth. And share it, but also hoard most of it for myself. Long live vegan caramel!
janet says
these are bomb! made them for a party last night and they were eaten up in minutes. thank you!!
Coulinjo says
This is such an awesome-looking recipe but I’m sad to say that I ate a peanut butter sandwich sprinkled with sea salt, then 8 super-fresh dates…whilst re reading the recipe. Now I not only have to buy chocolate, but more dates too!!
Audrey says
I made these truffles for a nonprofit gala and people seriously lost their shit over them. Close to a dozen strangers asked around until they found out who made them and came to tell me how delicious they were.