Dark Chocolate Avocado Truffles
BY JON CHUA
The holidays are just around the corner, and I bet you are already thinking about what sweets to make this year. There are the classic sugar cookies that we’ve all made and l burned at least once. They either turn too soft or too crunchy and when you get them just right you feel like getting yourself a baker’s hat.
There are also the gorgeous Christmas chocolate cakes that are indeed delicious but can turn out to be a bit much after a heavy meal. Also, making a cake from scratch can take a bit more of your time than you would like to spare when having so much on your plate for holiday prep.
The first dessert that comes to my mind when thinking about Christmas are the rich, silky chocolate treats also known as truffles. I used to have these as a child when my mom used cream am milk chocolate to make them.
I still want to keep my Christmas tradition alive with my favourite dessert, but I wanted to skip the heaviness of the cream and the sugar from the chocolate.
Who knew, chocolate truffles can be made healthier using avocado instead of heavy cream, and they are still the perfect bite of sweetness after a big holiday meal.
While other truffle recipes use the fat from cream or butter to get the right consistency, I discovered avocado works just as well, and it is a much healthier alternative. Don’t worry if you don’t like the flavour of avocado, you won’t even taste it in the finished product.
The real trick to getting the best chocolate truffles is the quality of the chocolate you use. For this recipe, I’ve chosen Callebaut’s 811, dark chocolate for confectionery, ganaches, mousses and biscuits from American Candy Bakery Supply.
It has a great taste, perfect workability and endless pairing possibilities, which makes it perfect for my avocado dark chocolate truffles. It is smooth and well-balanced chocolate with a subtle natural vanilla note.
You can purchase it here in 2 kg or 5.5 lbs resealable bags. If you haven’t tried American Candy Bakery Supply products, I recommend you do as they offer a broad selection of high-quality chocolate products that are produced in Belgium and the USA.
The quality dark chocolate masks any avocado flavour but the avocado adds a smooth richness to the truffles that you don’t get with any other cream or butter. Sure, avocados still have fat and calories but the fats in avocado healthier than in oil, cream or butter.
This recipe came around as an experiment, in my wish to satisfy my love for chocolate during the holiday season but also have a healthier version of my all-time favourite chocolate truffles. And it’s just miraculous how just one avocado can make the whole mixture firm up just like ganache.
Making them is as easy as it gets. You just melt the chocolate together with a little salt and vanilla or any other flavour you’d like and then add the mashed avocado to the mix. Mix well until you no longer see the green from the avocado. After your mixture is rested and cooled you can start rolling your delicious little truffles and play around.
I like mixing things up sometimes, and there is so much you can do with the outside of the truffles. You can roll them in cocoa powder, nuts, powdered sugar, sprinkles or any other topping you love. Most of the times I like to use dark cocoa powder, but sometimes I just leave them as they are without any extra topping.
I dare you to try these, even if you are not a big fan of avocado just give them a chance. I promise you will be pleasantly surprised by the smooth consistency and the deep chocolate flavour.
This being said, I hope you will enjoy my little recipe and the story behind it. I can’t wait to sit around the Christmas table with my family and enjoy these little rich and delicious, healthy truffles.
What are your plans for the Christmas meal? What healthy desserts are you planning to make? Let me know in the comments, I am curious to get ideas from you. And if you make the dark chocolate avocado truffles don’t forget to let me know.
Dark Chocolate Avocado Truffles
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 110 calories
Ingredients:
1 large ripe avocado, mashed
8 oz. GF dark chocolate
2 Tbsp. pure cocoa powder
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. Himalayan salt
Directions:
Bring a small pot with water about 2 inches deep to a simmer. Place a glass bowl on top that is wider than your pot so that it doesn’t touch the water. Add the chocolate, vanilla and a pinch of salt. Stir until completely melted
Remove from the heat and add mashed avocado. Mix until smooth
Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Using a teaspoon, scoop rounded spoonfuls of the mixture. Using your hands roll them into balls or desired shapes. Roll in the cocoa or your favourite topping
Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to serve
More on healthy gluten-free chocolate desserts here ->
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