Peppermint Mocha Truffles

I love making truffles. I tend to go in spurts, most often in winter, when I want something small and sweet, but allergy-free and not too much. Truffle bites are perfect. I like that I can go from pulling out the ingredients to popping them in the fridge to set in under 15 minutes. The only thing that is heated is the chocolate!

​These are great quick and easy sweet treats for yourself, or they can be packed up into little boxes and gifted for Valentine's Day. 

Peppermint Mocha Truffles

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{wholly rooted}

These peppermint mocha truffles are easy to make, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and take only a few minutes to prepare. These are sweet treats, but as they contain dates and maple syrup, it is not a guilty pleasure. Make a batch to gift on Valentine's Day, or keep them all for yourself.

{ingredients}

• 1 cup raw cashews

• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

• 1 Tbsp cocoa powder

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

• 10 dried medjool dates, pitted

• 1-2 Tbsp maple syrup

• 3 drops culinary peppermint oil

• 1 Tbsp EV coconut oil

• 1 cup vegan chocolate chips

• 1 Tbsp crushed peppermint candy

In a food processor:

-Pulse cashews, cocoa powder, and sea salt until fine

-Add the dates and pulse until fully chopped into small fine pieces

-While the food processor is on, add the 3 drops of peppermint oil and drizzle in maple syrup until the mix begins to get sticky and clumpy (1-2 Tbsp)

-Roll into 20 bite sized balls and place on a parchment lined tray

-Chill this in the fridge while you melt your chocolate and coconut oil

-Melt your coconut oil and chips in the microwave or using a double boiler

-Remove your tray of truffles from the fridge and dunk into the melted chocolate one at a time, fully coating and placing back on the chilled parchment lined tray

-After each truffle is coated in chocolate and on the tray, sprinkle some of the crushed peppermint candy over the top

-Chill in the fridge to set.

Try to eat just one. I dare you.

Published January 14, 2016

 The recipe calls for 3 drops of concentrated culinary peppermint oil. That isn't a typo. 3 drops.  EO's or pure culinary flavorings are strong and undiluted, so a few drops will give you the perfect minty flavor that is fantastic with the chocolate   -   go overboard and you have toothpaste bites. If you don't have any culinary grade peppermint oil, you can use extract, but again, go eaaaaasy. If you are using anything but culinary essential oil/pure flavoring, add a drop at a time, pulse the food processor, and taste a little bit of the mix - this way you can get the minty flavor just right, no matter what brand or type of peppermint flavoring you use.

Truffles may seem like a grown-up indulgence, but kids love whizzing the food processor, rolling balls, and dipping into chocolate as much as anyone. I love that even my boy with severe allergies can help make them (and eat them), but they don't really *seem* like a healthy/vegan/GF/DF kind of recipe. They are just simply easy to make,  delicious and of course they look fantastic.

This makes a batch of 20 bite sized pieces, so you can easily double or triple the recipe if you have a lot of valentines. Or kids who love chocolate. Or if you "accidentally" ate them all within the first few hours before anyone else could have any.