Vegan Chocolate Almond Truffles

By Danae Halliday of Recipe Runner

Truffles are one of the most dainty and elegant chocolate treats.  They are creamy, chocolatey, and incredibly rich. A classic truffle is usually just a combination of good quality chocolate and cream. The two are melted together, and then left to rest at room temperature or placed in the fridge until they firm up and solidify again. The chocolate is then rolled into perfect little balls, and you are left with a delicious truffle.

That’s fine and dandy for those of us who can have dairy, but for those with allergies or who are vegan and choose not to eat dairy, truffles are a decadence they can’t enjoy—that is, until vegan truffles were born! Vegan truffles are made with dairy-free chocolate chips and magical cashew cream. If you’ve never had cashew cream, add it to your list of things you must try. If you have a Blendtec blender, add it to your list of things to make.

I made the Cashew Cream below using my Blendtec Twister jar. The whole blending process took me less than a minute; it was incredible! The cashew cream was perfectly smooth and creamy and didn’t resemble cashews at all. Once you have your cashew cream, you can make these amazing Vegan Chocolate Almond Truffles. They taste as decadent and delicious as the dairy version, and you would never know that they were made with cashews! The next time you are in the mood for a bite-sized chocolate treat, get out your Blendtec blender and gives these vegan truffles a try!

Vegan Chocolate Almond Truffles

Ingredients

Cashew Cream
1 cup raw, unsalted cashews
1 cup water

Chocolate Almond Truffles
10 ounces mini dairy-free chocolate chips
⅔ cup cashew cream
¾ tsp almond extract
¼ tsp vanilla extract
Shredded coconut and cocoa powder for toppings (optional)

Instructions

To Make the Cashew Cream
Soak the cashews in a cup of water for at least 3 hours, or overnight. Drain the cashews and add them to the Blendtec Twister Jar. Add about 1 cup of water, then blend the cashews and water until smooth and creamy.

To Make the Vegan Chocolate Almond Truffles

Pour the mini chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl, and microwave 20 seconds at a time, stirring each time until they are barely melted. Be careful not to burn the chocolate. Whisk in the cashew cream, almond extract, and vanilla extract until the truffle mixture is smooth and creamy. Refrigerate the truffle mixture for an hour before forming it into half tablespoon sized balls. If desired, roll the truffles in the cocoa powder or shredded coconut.

Recipe was slightly adapted from Giada’s Feel Good Food.