10-Minute Chocolate Truffles (Date-Sweetened)

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Placing a date-sweetened Vegan Chocolate Truffle onto a parchment-lined tile

If you’ve ever craved truffles and you’ve wanted them FAST, this recipe is for you.

Not only are these quick and easy to make requiring 7 ingredients, 10 minutes, and 1 food processor. They’re also healthier than your average truffle, relying on dates for natural sweetness, cacao powder for antioxidants, and cashew butter and almond flour for plenty of healthy fats and protein.

Let’s do this!

Blue and white tile filled with ingredients for making our 10-Minute Vegan Chocolate Truffles recipe

This recipe starts in the food processor. Pitted dates are blended with a bit of water and coconut oil, which adds creaminess and helps them firm up once chilled.

Next comes cacao powder, vanilla for a boost of flavor, salt for balance, and nut butter for creamy texture.

Food processor filled with ingredients for making our grain-free Vegan Chocolate Truffles

Lastly, blend in some almond flour to make the mixture pliable and easy to roll into balls!

Almond flour in a food processor with freshly blended ingredients for making simple Vegan Chocolate Truffles sweetened with dates

The “batter” kind of looks like brownies, and we’re not mad about it.

Food processor full of freshly processed fudgy mixture for making Vegan Chocolate Truffles

All that’s left to do is roll into truffles and (optionally) coat with cacao powder. Major swoon!

Holding a Vegan Chocolate Truffle next to a bowl of cocoa powder and more batter
Dates, cashew butter, cacao powder, and a batch of freshly made Vegan Chocolate Truffles

We hope you LOVE these truffles. They’re:

Quick & easy to make
Naturally sweetened
Chocolaty
Rich
Satisfying
& Super delicious

These would make the perfect healthier treat to have on hand throughout the week. They keep best in the refrigerator or freezer for optimal texture but travel well, too! After sharing these with a friend, she mentioned they reminded her of Tootsie Rolls in all the best ways. So consider this treat a throwback to childhood as well.

More Healthier Treats

If you try this recipe let us know! Leave a comment and rating, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can see what you come up with. Cheers, friends!

Date-sweetened Vegan Chocolate Truffles on a tile for a simple and delicious dessert

10-Minute Chocolate Truffles (Date-Sweetened)

Fudgy, rich, healthier vegan chocolate truffles made with whole food ingredients! Just 10 minutes and 7 ingredients required, naturally sweetened with dates, and full of healthy fats from cashew butter and almond flour!
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
overhead image of date sweetened truffles on a blue and white tile being dipped into cacao powder
5 from 32 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 16 (Truffles)
Course Dessert
Cuisine Dessert, Grain-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly 1 month
Does it keep? 1 Week

Ingredients

  • 10 medjool dates, pitted (about 3/4 cup or 180 g packed)
  • 1 Tbsp coconut oil
  • 2 Tbsp water
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cacao powder or cocoa powder (plus more for rolling)
  • 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ Tbsp cashew butter (or sub other nut or seed butter)
  • 1 healthy pinch sea salt
  • 1/2 -3/4 cup almond flour

Instructions

  • Line a small plate or dish with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Add pitted dates, melted coconut oil, and water to a food processor (a blender can also work, but not as well). Mix until small bits remain or a paste forms.
  • Add cacao powder, vanilla, cashew butter, and a healthy pinch of salt and blend again to combine.
  • Next add almond flour in 1/4-cup (28 g) measurements until the mixture forms a ball in the food processor. Scrape down sides as needed. You’re going for a sticky energy-bite texture (see photo).
  • Use a scoop or lightly oiled 1-Tbsp measuring spoon to scoop out 1-Tbsp amounts of the mixture to roll into balls between the palms of your hands. They can stick a little bit if you work slowly, so try not to overhandle them. If too sticky, add a bit of cacao powder to the mixture and/or your hands to limit sticking.
  • Transfer to the parchment-lined plate or dish to prevent sticking. Repeat until all truffles are formed — as recipe is written, about 16.
  • Optional: Empty a small amount of cacao powder into a shallow dish or bowl and roll the truffles around to coat. This helps prevent them from sticking and also adds a more intense chocolate flavor.
  • At this point you can enjoy them as is. Or, for a firmer truffle, transfer to the freezer to set for 30 minutes. Store leftover truffles covered in the refrigerator up to 1 week or in the freezer up to 1 month.

Video

Notes

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with the lesser amount of almond flour.

Nutrition (1 of 16 servings)

Serving: 1 truffles Calories: 84 Carbohydrates: 13.1 g Protein: 1.5 g Fat: 3.5 g Saturated Fat: 1 g Sodium: 5.3 mg Potassium: 160 mg Fiber: 1.7 g Sugar: 10.2 g

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  1. Elizabeth says

    These are so yummy and went beyond my expectations. I skipped the oil as they blended without it. I used peanut butter instead of cashew butter. I also skipped the flour as it had formed into a ball already and was not too sticky. Will definitely make again.

  2. Chris says

    I looked at several recipes out there and had the best instincts about this one. Clear and easy instructions, and my truffles looked like the pictures and yielded the amount specified! The balls were very easy to roll instead of impossibly sticky as I’d been expecting. Best of all, they’re healthy but also delicious!

    I used peanut butter for the nut butter and rolled half of my truffles in sweetened shredded coconut instead of only cocoa powder (didn’t have cacao so had to use cocoa).

    Looking forward to making this again–thank you!

  3. Rachel says

    Absolutely delicious. We are already a little uh… over sugared…and it is only December 7th! I made a big pot of nourishing soup and these as a yummy dessert to munch through the week to make us feel better and they did the trick! I love that these are like an energy ball and heading into marathon training I think they may be coming with me on my long runs.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Rachel! Love the idea for having them as a marathon training snack! Best of luck to you!! xo

  4. Jennifer says

    Dear Dana, over the last 1.5 years I have probably made 20-30 recipes from your website. Some I followed by a T, some I took as inspiration. In particular, I LOVE the healthy versions for sweet dishes. But these chocolate truffles are from another world!! I cannot live without chocolate. When I removed dairy from my diet I mourned the loss of my favourite chocolate truffles. I went to buy expensive vegan chocolate bars which are rather “dry”. But with this recipe I now have healthy, decadent and gooey chocolate truffles. Thank you – please keep creating new recipes!!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Aw, we’re so glad to hear you enjoy our recipes, Jennifer! Thank you so much for your kind words and lovely review! xo

  5. Taylor K says

    Delicious, quick, and easy! My son is allergic to dairy and eggs and loves chocolate (any dairy-free kind I can make or buy.). He took one bite and said “Whoa, these are chocolate!” Then not another word until he had savored two. Everyone in my house enjoyed them! Very rich and satisfying.

  6. Manisha says

    Hi thinking of making Homemade chocolate bars with Dates as a sweetner?any guidance appreciated…Date syrup can work i guess but Raw Date paste would work?

  7. Vivian says

    These were so good!! Had to hold myself back from eating too many… I didn’t add as much cocoa powder and rolled them in chocolate sprinkles. When rolled in the sprinkles they taste just like brigadeiros from Brazil, traditionally made with sweetened condensed milk. The texture was so soft, thank you for this recipe!!

  8. Teresa says

    Ridiculously delicious and decadent. I used mazafati dates instead and I rolled mine in coconut flakes instead of cocoa powder. And I replaced about 1/4 cup of the almond flour for milled flaxseed instead. I would eat these even if they weren’t healthy. I have been trying your recipes for about a year now (excellent recipes – thank you) and this is the first thing I’ve ever felt compelled to comment and rave about.

  9. Emanuela says

    Hi Dana, can’t wait to try these! One question: to increase the protein content, do you think I could substitute part of the almond meal with vanilla protein powder and the cocoa powder with chocolate protein powder? Thanks!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We haven’t tried it that way, but we do think it would work. Especially if you enjoy the taste of the protein powder. Let us know if you try it!

  10. Liz G says

    100% delicious!
    texture is great. I used a less-than-new food processor and had a bit of trouble with the dates, but I will now always make mine this way- you can leave the dates less than perfectly blended if you want it to have small and sweet pieces.. resembles chocolate chips.
    I served them to my friends and family (many of whom are suspicious of ‘healthier’ dessert recipes, and they loved them.
    also.. I recommend the Hershey’s “Special Dark” cocoa powder!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you and your friends/family enjoyed them, Liz! Thanks so much for sharing!

  11. Mary says

    Fantastic! Another healthier delicious treat to keep around. It took me a little longer than 10 minutes to make and it was quite sticky but it was far worth the effort as it tasted like real truffles. Thanks for sharing such wonderful recipes that keep me healthy and happy.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Mary! To make them less sticky, you can add more almond flour. Hope that helps!

  12. Rebecca says

    These were so good! I rolled mine in maca and damiana to turn them into aphrodisiac balls! SO YUMMY

  13. Ana Rossi says

    OMG I loved this recipe so much!
    Delicious!!!

    I recently discovered your web and love it more and more. Thanks!

  14. Tara says

    Amazing recipe , the easiest and tastiest healthy vegan dessert I’ve ever made. They are so light and tasty, but without all the refined sugar and fat! I subbed the almond flour for rolled oats as I’m on a low fat diet, the cashew butter for almond butter & omitted the coconut oil completely as I didn’t feel like they needed it. I halved this recipe and ended up with 18 pieces , but I think I made them half the size because in this recipe they come out quite big for a portion.

  15. Sarah says

    I have made these a few times now and they are SO GOOD. They’re the perfect after dinner snack because they’re tasty but not too filling. I’ll probably always have some hanging out in my freezer from now on. I use coconut flour and peanut butter instead of what’s called for in the original recipe.

  16. Kathleen says

    i just made these and they are ASTOUNDING! I subbed the cashew butter for almond butter but kept everything else the same. I wish I had soaked the dates beforehand so they were easier for my processor to work with, but otherwise the recipe was incredibly easy. I was scraping the bowl for every last bit of leftover batter – it was that good!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for the lovely review, Kathleen. We are so glad you enjoyed them! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo

  17. Muriel says

    Hi Dana, just wanna say that you nailed a very popular candy/desert we eat in Brazil. Seriously, unbelievable mouth feel and taste. The only change I did wast to roll the truffles into sugar after ready (to make them even more similar to the candy I used to eat). The non-vegan version requires condensed milk and peanuts which makes your version a true blessing ;)
    Take you so much for thinking outside the box. You’re wonderful!
    Happy Holidays!
    Muriel

  18. Jamie D. says

    These are so good! I’ve made them three times now. I love how quick they are to throw together. I never have almond flour so instead I’ve just substituted ¼ cup of almonds. In the food processor they turn into these little crunchy bits of nuts in the truffles and make them so good!!! I also don’t have coconut oil so I just put in extra nut butter. I shared the altered recipe with my sister and she loves them, too!

  19. Beata says

    Hi Dana, I have prepared the truffles and they are so delicious! I used peanut butter instead, a simple blender as I don’t have a food processor and I did not have almond flour at home but I did not give up :)
    I just had to add a little bit more cocoa in order to be able to roll them at all ;) I will try to get the almond flour for the next time, but THEY ARE SO GOOD <3 Thank you for the recipe!

  20. Heidi says

    These are so good & easy. I used half peanut butter & half almond butter (I do not have cashew butter.) I rolled some of them in sweetened cocao nibs, added walnuts to others, and rolled in cocao powder – can not wait to try them all. Thanks so much for your recipes.

    • Fernanda says

      The only problem with this recipe it that cannot stop eating them!! Sooooo delicious!! I omit cashew butter as I didn’t have any and use coconut flour and almond flour. Thank you for this recipe!!!

  21. Lindsey Hanka says

    Second time making this and they continue to be a hit. I have used peanut butter and unsweetened conventional cocoa each time with great result. First I used only dates-they were divine! This second time I used half prunes, half dates and they turned out great. I would encourage everyone to only use food processor-I attempted with a high speed blender and moved to food processor to get the smooth texture.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for the lovely review, Lindsey! We are so glad you enjoy these! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo

  22. Sarah Ingram says

    This recipe is fool proof and a showstopper! I have made it a few times and it’t turned out great each time! Most recently I added chopped walnuts at the end pulsed them once in the food processor and loved the crunch. These taste best after sitting in the freezer for the recommended time. Also, I learned that rolling them in too much cacao can make them taste a bit too bitter (in my opinion) so instead I prefer a sprinkle of the cacao at the end. These are delish!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for the lovely review, Sandra. We are so glad you enjoyed them! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo

  23. Flo says

    I used deglet noir dates but soaked them in hot water for 10 minutes and then peanut butter instead of cashew and they were perfection! Brilliant healthy recipe and very adaptable, thank you!

  24. Anna Viehbeck says

    Melt-in-your-mouth type of goodness! Followed the recipe, used peanut butter, and full 1 tsp vanilla.
    I think using plump Medjool dates and a good fragrant vanilla extract really elevates these truffles to the next level! I tried making truffles before using regular dates and mediocre vanilla (or no vanilla), and results were just “meh”.
    Thank you Dana, the recipe goes to my staples.

  25. Margaret says

    WOW! Every single one of your recipes are perfection, but these chocolate truffles are next level! Thank YOU for doing what you do X

  26. A says

    Loved these so much we ate them in less than 24 hours! Used hazelnut chocolate butter as others did. The batter formed into a ball before adding almond meal, so we only put 1/4 cup of almond meal and called it good. Making another batch VERY soon!

  27. Lynda says

    I just had to try this and I’m so glad I did! I opted for peanut butter because my kids aren’t fans of the other nut butter options, and used 1/2 c of coconut flour because I was out of almonds. It turned out delicious! This was my first ever attempt at using dates and it came out perfectly. We will definitely make these again!

  28. Jennifer Fernandez says

    I made these with only one alteration: I used Nutella-esque hazelnut cocoa butter in place of the cashew butter. Definitely a little bit more decadent, but hey–it’s a truffle! This is probably my favorite of all the date bites I’ve made from your site, so thank you! I recommend the hazelnut switch for those that aren’t vegan and want to take this up a notch, dessert wise.

  29. Lynn Bowman says

    These truffles taste like a sweet treat ($$$$) from a gourmet candy shop! We followed the recipe, except subbed peanut butter. This lovely truffle recipe can be tweaked any number of ways to satisfy anyone’s favorite flavor combinations with chocolate. Oh, yeah!

  30. Ariel says

    I tried making it. I only made 2 changes. Added more water to replace vanilla extract that I didnt have. I added 2 tbsp of peanut butter, because I love the taste of it. It quicly turned into a ball before adding the almond flour. The final product tastes like a date paste more than chocolate. Not sure where I went wrong

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hmm, so peanut butter does have quite a strong flavor, whereas cashew butter is quite neutral and complements the flavors well. The water substitution for vanilla shouldn’t have been an issue. Perhaps it was the peanut butter?

      • Lynn says

        Dana, I used peanut butter too, since it’s a favorite of my husband’s. I didn’t use 2 Tbsp. The ‘2’ Tbsp. added fat may have been the problem, since recipe calls for less. I added over 1/2 cup almond flour, and they were the perfect texture. We absolutely loved them!!

  31. Chelsea says

    These are rich and not sickly sweet (the latter is what I’m used to, but trying to re-train my taste buds!). It came together a little slower than 10 minutes because I found I had to do a lot of scraping – next time I will remove the blade at the end to scrape because there was some coconut oil and water hiding underneath :( I misread the recipe and accidentally added coconut flour instead of almond flour and at 1/2 cup it was a little thick, but still delicious. DEFINITELY recommend rolling them in cocoa powder- amps up the chocolate. Yum!

    • Kerri Scott says

      Is there a replacement for the nut butter? I was going to make for my class at school, but it’s a nut free facility.

        • Kerri Scott says

          I made them today in my class! I subbed for coconut flour and used honey in place of nut butter. The kids loved them!
          They were not excited about the dates at first, but they were pleasantly surprised.

          • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

            We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Kerri! Thanks so much for sharing! xo

  32. Gigi says

    I would like to serve these healthful truffles to my grandchildren, ages 5 & 7. Can you tell me how much caffeine would be in 1 truffle?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      I wouldn’t suspect there to be any caffeine. You can find all other nutrition info in the box below the instructions!

      • Nicole says

        Made these substituting peanut butter and added some walnuts (lovely energy ball, can’t wait to snack on them) – and just have to chime in that ANYTHING cacao (and cocoa) contains substantial caffeine, especially for a child’s system. Thanks for the easy recipe and video!

  33. Juliana says

    Is it possible to use regular dates instead of medjool ones? It’s really hard to find medjool where I live (and are substantially more expensive). Thanks! :)

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Yeah that should work! Other dates tend to be smaller and bit less sticky / fresh, so adjust amount accordingly and also soak in warm water (5 minutes, then drain) if they don’t feel fresh!

  34. Julia says

    I make similar truffles but without the cashew butter and almond flour. I just use whatever nuts I have on hand and they are so good!

  35. Amy says

    Holy goodness these are amazing! Just enough sweet to cure a sweet tooth and still keep your dignity :D I used a mixed nut butter (almond, cashew, peptic, chia and flax mix) and coconut flour instead of almond. This will be in my weekly rotation!

  36. Ria says

    These came together quickly and easily with pantry ingredients and look like I bought them at Erewhon for $$$! I rolled mine in Trader Joe’s freeze dried raspberries that I pulverized/powdered with a rolling pin :)

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hmm, I don’t think those would be as tasty. I’d say almond and coconut flour would be your best bet.

  37. Tabi says

    I think this recipe would make ah-maze-ing rum balls if I switch the 2 Tbsp. water to rum. Any thoughts on ways I could add *extra* rum without them falling apart?

  38. Susan Na says

    Hi there,
    Can I sub coconut flour for almond flour (I’m allergic to almonds)? Would the quantities be the same? Thank you!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      I think coconut and almond would be best because they’re so fine. But if you try something else, let us know!