Chocolate Date Truffles

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When your parents, roomies, siblings, significant others, grandparents, children – whoever! – come home after a tough day, hand them a chocolate date truffle as soon as they drag their tired feet into the kitchen seeking sweet salvation.

Their entire demeanor will transform immediately – and this is exactly what I hope all of my desserts are capable of doing!

Using my husband’s most recent reaction as the prime example of this result, you should feel confident that making these truffles for the members of your own household will result in a similarly successful outcome.

As my husband and I can both attest based on the experience gained throughout our careers, the food industry doesn’t sleep. And sometimes when stress takes control, neither do its employees.

Drained energy and a defeatist attitude are often the reactions to long and grueling days of handling customer complaints, standing for hours at a time, overseeing team member issues, heavy food production tasks, attending leadership management meetings, preparing for the busiest weeks of the year, and surviving unexpected visits from the health inspector.

But a simple act of making something special for your special someone can lift even the lowest of feelings.

That, and perhaps a stiff drink on occasion!

We both are thankful for the moments when we are happily busy – when a plate of date truffles feels like yet another welcome recipe among the dozens we’re creating in the kitchen.

But for the moments when it is just the thing to turn an exhausting day around, to breathe some life and energy into a deflated ego, a humble chocolaty treat with minimally processed, natural ingredients can be pure magic.

Healthier and less sweet than traditional chocolate truffles, yet softer and more appropriate as an elegant celebratory dessert than homemade date bars, you’ll love these date truffles as a light ending to a meal, or the perfect way to finish the day’s events on a very good note.

With a simple, melt-in-your-mouth mix of dates, cocoa powder, and coconut oil, they are perfect little bites that don’t feel overly rich, but your ever-needy sweet tooth will be fully satisfied.

And little bits of chopped dark chocolate scattered throughout each sweet mound bring the right amount of texture and flavor that any chocolate lover will appreciate.

For this recipe, soft and chewy Medjool dates offer the best consistency. They also have the perfect caramel-like sweetness and flavor – ideal for use in a healthier, dairy-free and fiber-enriched version of truffles that still carries the same sense of indulgence!

Below you’ll find the base recipe, the essential foundation to make these truffles, as well as some suggestions for added flavors and coatings.

You can let your creativity roam free when you decide how to flavor the base, and what to use for rolling.

While I like the simplicity of pure vanilla extract, you can also use other flavor extracts like almond or peppermint, or some grated orange zest for a citrusy burst.

I like to divide the exterior coating half and half when I make a batch of these, covering some in cocoa powder and the rest with finely chopped roasted pistachios. You can also use pulverized freeze-dried fruit, shredded unsweetened coconut, or another variety of finely chopped roasted nuts like almonds, hazelnuts, or pecans.

My advice? If you’re making this recipe for your special someone, use whatever you know they love to eat.

And while I’m sure they’ll be excited to finally – FINALLY! – come home to see you after a long day, they’ll also be happily surprised to be given a sweet, customized gift as soon as they walk through the front door.

Remind them that they are loved and appreciated, and that they deserve something special.

A homemade truffle expresses it all.

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Cooking by the Numbers…

Step 1 – Prep and Measure

Place a piece of parchment paper on a half-sized rimmed baking sheet. Set aside, along with a serving tray or platter for the final plating and 24 mini paper cupcake liners.

Assemble your food processor, and set aside a rubber spatula and a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop with a spring release.

Don’t have one already? Consider buying this small stainless steel cookie scoop from Sur La Table to get consistent portions!

Remove the pits if necessary and measure the dates. Place them in a medium bowl. Measure out the coconut oil, vanilla extract, and salt.

Measure the cocoa powder for the base mix and the exterior coating separately, placing the cocoa for rolling in a shallow bowl.

Measure and chop the dark chocolate using a sharp knife and sturdy cutting board.

Make sure you finely chop the chocolate! Since we are making truffles no larger than one tablespoon each, smaller pieces will be distributed more evenly when shaping and rolling them.

Chop the pistachios using a clean sharp knife and sturdy board and place in a shallow bowl.

Step 2 – Soak the Dates

Pour enough warm water on top of the dates to submerge them completely. The water does not have to be boiling – warm water from your sink is a perfectly adequate option!

Let the dates soak for about 15 minutes. They should be soft, but they should not completely lose their shape and structure. The mixture may become excessively soft and difficult to work with if the dates are not firm enough.

Step 3 – Process Ingredients to Blend

Remove the dates from the water, either by straining them in a colander or using a slotted spoon.

Transfer the dates to the food processor. Add the cocoa powder, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and salt.

Process the ingredients for about one minute, or until a smooth and thick paste forms.

To ensure everything has been processed fully so it’s thoroughly combined, scrape down the sides and bottom with a spatula. Mix again for a few seconds.

Step 4 – Pulse in the Chopped Chocolate

Add the finely chopped chocolate to the food processor. Pulse briefly, until the pieces are fully incorporated into the paste.

The reason why we add the chocolate last, and not with the other ingredients, is to maintain the texture of the small pieces throughout the paste.

Step 5 – Transfer to a Bowl and Chill

Transfer the mixture from the food processor to a clean medium-size bowl using a rubber spatula.

Using a separate bowl will help you more easily and cleanly portion the paste in the next step, rather than having to work around a very messy blade and food processor bowl attachment!

Transfer the bowl to your refrigerator. Uncovered is fine – no need to waste a sheet of plastic wrap!

Refrigerate for about 20 minutes to chill and slightly stiffen the mixture, a necessary step to create neat portions.

Step 6 – Portion and Chill

Remove the bowl from the refrigerator. Using the 1-tablespoon cookie scooper, scoop out a portion of the mixture and release it onto the prepared baking sheet.

The yield for this recipe is 2 dozen truffles, so you can strategize the placement of the mounds in 4 rows of 6 mounds each.

Repeat with the remaining mixture.

At this phase the paste is still going to be very soft, so you will not be rolling the portioned mounds into balls just yet. Back in the refrigerator they go! Transfer the baking sheet uncovered to the refrigerator and chill for another 20 minutes.

Clean any dirty equipment and tools and organize your work station while you wait: place the bowls of cocoa powder and chopped pistachios next to the serving platter, and arrange 24 mini cupcake liners in neat rows on the platter.

Step 7 – Roll and Coat

Remove the baking sheet from the refrigerator and place it on your countertop.

Working quickly so the mixture stays cold, roll one mound in the palms of your hands to make a neat ball. Place it in either the cocoa powder or the chopped nuts and roll to completely coat the exterior, gently shaking off any excess.

After coating in the nuts, gently re-roll the ball in your hands so the nuts more uniformly stick to the surface.

Place the ball in a cupcake liner, and repeat with the remaining mixture. Coat half of the balls in cocoa powder, and the rest in the chopped pistachios.

Step 8 – Chill and Serve

Transfer the platter to the refrigerator. Chill for about an hour to allow the truffles to set fully before serving.

Serve and enjoy these little bites of pure joy, or store them in an airtight container in a single layer in the fridge for up to one week. They are a perfect holiday gift as a healthier confection!