Alternative Dish

  • Recipes
  • About
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Vegan Dessert Recipes

    Easy Cocoa Date Truffles

    By Maggie Updated Mar 5, 2021 · Published Mar 5, 2021

    • Share

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe
    Bowl of vegan date truffles made in a bowl with a bite taken out of one.

    Easy cocoa date truffles require only four ingredients and are ready in under 30 minutes. These decadent vegan truffles are a perfect after-dinner treat or a snack when you are craving something sweet!

    Date truffles in a white bowl.

    I generally don't have a huge sweet tooth, but I do have a weakness for dark chocolate. Hence my aquafaba chocolate mousse, chickpea brownies, and pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipes.

    And, in my opinion, these cocoa date truffles top all of these desserts. 

    They are pure, delicious deep dark chocolates. I have these whole food plant-based truffles on hand at all times, and have been known to indulge in one with my cup of coffee from time to time (ahem...every morning).

    For more decadent bite-sized snacks, try chickpea cookie dough truffles and vegan pumpkin protein balls!

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Date Truffle Variations
    • Equipment
    • How to Make Cocoa Date Truffles
    • Top Tips
    • Recipe FAQ
    • More Vegan Desserts
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Ingredients

    These date truffles, at their most basic, have just 4 simple ingredients:

    • Dates - Use whole pitted dates such as Medjool or deglet noor. You'll want to soak these in boiling water for 5 minutes to soften them up and get a smoother truffle.
    • Cocoa Powder - You can use regular or dutch-processed cocoa powder here. You can also roll the truffles in cocoa powder rather than coating them in dark chocolate if you prefer.
    • Dark Chocolate - The chocolate is melted and used to coat the truffles. These truffles are still wonderful without the chocolate coating if you'd like to avoid any refined sugar from the dark chocolate.
    • Coconut Oil (Optional) - I use coconut oil in the chocolate coating to make it thinner and easier to coat the truffles. If you are avoiding oil, you can still coat the truffles with melted chocolate, but the chocolate will be thicker and a little harder to coat.

    Please refer to the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and detailed instructions.

    Date Truffle Variations

    Here are a few ways you can customize your truffles:

    • Chocolate Coating - Instead of dipping your truffles in dark chocolate you could use a vegan white chocolate or milk chocolate.
    • Extracts - You can dramatically change the flavor of these cocoa date truffles by adding ½ teaspoon of an extract such as orange, raspberry, coconut, or my favorite: peppermint. There aren't many things more fabulous than a chocolate peppermint date truffle!
    • Toppings - I like to sprinkle these with a little flaky sea salt when I coat them with chocolate. If I am preparing them without the chocolate coating, I like to roll them in coconut, almonds, peanuts, or freeze-dried raspberries.

    Equipment

    You will need a food processor or blender to make these truffles! The key to an extra smooth truffle is processing the dates into a paste.

    A tablespoon-sized cookie scoop helps in forming the truffles but isn't necessary.

    How to Make Cocoa Date Truffles

    Here’s a step-by-step guide to making the best chocolate date truffles:

    Dates soaking in water.
    1. Step 1: Soak the dates in boiling water for five minutes. Drain and reserve the soaking water.
    Ingredients in a food processor.
    1. Step 2: Add the dates, cocoa powder, and 2 tablespoons of the date soaking water to the bowl of a food processor. If you are using any extracts, add them here too.
    Date truffle mixture processed.
    1. Step 3: Process for 4 to 5 minutes, until very smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
    Scooping date balls with a cookie scooper.
    1. Step 4: Scoop the truffle batter and freeze them for about 10 minutes.
    Dipping date truffles in melted chocolate.
    1. Step 5: Once the truffles have firmed up slightly, roll each truffle between the palms of your hands into balls. Dip the balls into melted chocolate and sprinkle with sea salt.

    Top Tips

    To ensure a perfect chocolate coating that isn't too thick, follow these tips:

    • Make sure the date balls are firm before dipping them in chocolate.
    • Use a fork to dunk the balls into the melted chocolate.
    • Allow the excess chocolate to drip off through the fork. You can also tap the fork on the edge of the bowl to help remove excess chocolate.
    • If you are topping the truffles with sea salt or anything else, sprinkle it on top right after coating because the chocolate will set quickly. 
    • Place the truffles back in the freezer for 5 minutes for the chocolate to harden completely and then enjoy!

    Recipe FAQ

    How do you store leftover date truffles?

    These vegan cocoa date truffles are best stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will keep for up to 2 weeks, but I bet they won't last that long!

    Cocoa Date Truffles in a white bowl with a bite taken out of one.

    More Vegan Desserts

    • Chocolate covered chickpea cookie dough truffle with a bit taken out of it. The background shows more truffles.
      Vegan Chickpea Cookie Dough Truffles
    • Brownie batter hummus in a bowl surrounded by strawberries.
      The BEST Brownie Batter Hummus (Easy Vegan Recipe)
    • Vegan mug brownie in blue bowl with ice cream on top. Fork lifting out bite of mug brownie with ice cream. Background is white cloth napkin with thin blue stripes and chocolate chips sprinkled on top.
      Vegan Mug Brownie (Easy 5-Ingredient Recipe)
    • Hand holding up a chickpea brownie with more in the background.
      Flourless Chickpea Brownies (Vegan & Gluten Free)

    Did you make this recipe?
    Please leave a rating and tell us how you liked it!

    📖 Recipe

    Vegan date truffles in a bowl.

    Easy Cocoa Date Truffles

    Easy cocoa date truffles require only four ingredients and are ready in under 30 minutes.  These decadent truffles are a perfect after dinner treat or a snack when you are craving something sweet!
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Chill: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Servings: 12 truffles
    Author: Maggie
    Want to save this recipe?
    Enter your email & get this recipe sent to your inbox to save for later! Plus you’ll get even more tasty vegan recipes from us every week!
    Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
    Loading

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup dates, pitted
    • ⅓ cup cocoa powder
    • ⅓ cup dark chocolate, chopped
    • 1 tablespoon coconut oil, optional

    Optional Add-Ins

    • ½ teaspoon flavored extract, such as raspberry, orange, coconut or peppermint
    • ¼ cup flaky sea salt, shredded coconut, chopped nuts or freeze dried fruit, for topping or rolling

    Instructions

    • Soak the dates in boiling water for five minutes in order to soften them and make them easier to blend.  Drain and reserve the soaking water. 
    • Add the dates, cocoa powder and 2 tablespoons of the date soaking water to the bowl of a food processor.  If you are using any extracts, add them in here too.  Process for 4-5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl several times, until very smooth.  Add more water a teaspoon at a time as needed to aid in blending.  You want this to be a bit thinner than the texture of cookie dough.
    • Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop the truffle batter onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.  Don’t worry about making them look nice and round right now because the batter will be too soft to roll into balls.  Place the truffles in the freezer for 10 minutes, or until they are firm enough to roll between your palms into balls.
    • While the truffles are chilling: Add the dark chocolate and optional coconut oil to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 60 seconds, remove and stir. You will likely be able to get all the chocolate to finish melting just by stirring it. If lumps remain, microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring in between, until completely melted. Set aside
    • Once the truffles have firmed up slightly, roll each truffle between the palms of your hands into balls. Using a fork, put one truffle ball into the melted chocolate and roll around to coat completely.  Place the fork under the truffle and tap on the edge of the bowl to remove excess chocolate.  Gently nudge the truffle off the fork and back onto the parchment paper.  Repeat with remaining truffles and chocolate.  If you are topping the truffles with sea salt or anything else, sprinkle it on top right after coating because the chocolate will set quickly.  Place back in the freezer for 5 minutes for the chocolate to harden completely and then enjoy!

    Notes

    See more expert tips, pictures, and variations above for making the best cocoa date truffles!
    Yield: 12 truffles
    Oil Free Option: I use coconut oil in the chocolate coating to make it thinner and easier to coat the truffles.  If you are avoiding oil, you can still coat the truffles with melted chocolate, but the chocolate will be thicker and take a little more effort to coat.
    Refined Sugar Free Option: You can skip the chocolate coating altogether and roll the date truffles in shredded coconut, finely chopped nuts or freeze-dried fruit.
    Storage: Store truffles in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
    Did you make this recipe? Share your experience! Mention @AlternativeDish on Instagram or Facebook, or drop a comment below—I'd love to hear from you!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 79kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 156mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 20IU | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg

    More Dessert

    • Two layer lemon cake with chopped strawbrries and lemon buttercream on a cake stand, surrounded by fresh strawberries.
      Vegan Strawberry Lemon Cake
    • Coconut date balls on a sheet of parchment paper with a few pieces of shredded coconut.
      Coconut Date Balls
    • Bowl of pumpkin pie hummus with a swirl in it, ginger snaps, chocolate chips, and walnuts are in the background.
      Pumpkin Pie Hummus
    • Hand holding a chocolate covered chickpea cluster with salt on top, more clusters are in the background.
      Chocolate Covered Chickpeas
    • Share

    Comments

      5 from 6 votes (3 ratings without comment)

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Liza says

      January 12, 2023 at 1:00 pm

      5 stars
      These are amazing! I added peppermint extract like you suggested and they were such a hit at Christmas. I can't wait to try other flavorings. Thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
      • Marjory Pilley says

        January 12, 2023 at 1:01 pm

        I'm so glad you enjoyed them!

        Reply
    2. Samantha says

      September 23, 2024 at 1:03 am

      5 stars
      This was so good!! Do you think you could add peanut butter, if so how?

      Reply
      • Sarah Pilley says

        September 23, 2024 at 8:50 pm

        Hi Samantha, I think you might be able to but I have not tested it! I would reduce the amount of dates by half and replace them with the same amount of peanut butter. I think they would still hold, but if not you could add some oat flour or coconut flour.

        Reply
      • Abby says

        October 16, 2024 at 9:20 pm

        Hi can you substitute other kinds of oil or does it have to be coconut oil? I like when the coating is thin but don’t have coconut oil

        Reply
        • Sarah Pilley says

          October 21, 2024 at 4:59 pm

          Hi Abby! Yes! I would recommend another neutral tasting oil like canola oil. It's possible to do it without the oil but like you said the coating is usually a bit thicker that way.

          Reply
    3. Holly Ann says

      March 07, 2025 at 10:49 pm

      5 stars
      These are delicious! I added about 2 tbsp of maple syrup to my food processor and a tsp of vanilla extract- will definitely make them again and recommend this recipe to friends and family. Thank you!!

      Reply
    Headshot of Sarah Pilley.

    Hi, I'm Sarah!

    I’m so excited you stopped by! I'm thrilled to share my passion for tasty vegan food with you on the Alternative Dish. I focus on creating recipes that everyone can enjoy with allergy-friendly tips! 

    More About Me

    Vegan Summer Recipes

    • Brownie batter hummus in a bowl surrounded by strawberries.
      The BEST Brownie Batter Hummus (Easy Vegan Recipe)
    • Nutritional yeast tofu nugget on a fork with more in the background in a bowl.
      Nutritional Yeast Tofu
    • Two vegan gluten-free banana muffins with chocolate chips stacked on top of one another with more muffins and bananas in the background.
      Vegan Gluten-Free Banana Muffins
    • Chickpea chicken salad on a piece of bread with lettuce. Top piece of bread is slightly to the side. A bowl of vegan chicken salad is in the background.
      Best Chickpea Chicken Salad (Easy Vegan Recipe)
    More Summer Recipes

    What's Trending

    • Spoonful of golden colored popped quinoa with bowl of toasted quinoa in background, sitting on top of red, orange, and blue cloth napkin.
      How to Make Popped Quinoa (Easy, Crunchy Recipe)
    • Chocolate quinoa crunch bar on sheet of parchment paper. In background are 2 more bars. Quinoa crunch bar is sliced through and the popped quinoa looks like tiny polka dots against dark chocolate.
      Chocolate Quinoa Crunch Bars
    • Hand holding up a chickpea brownie with more in the background.
      Flourless Chickpea Brownies (Vegan & Gluten Free)
    • Vegan Bisquick pancakes stacked on a pink plate with chopped strawberries piled on top and maple syrup being poured. More pancakes and strawberries are in the background.
      Fluffy Bisquick Pancake Recipe (Without Eggs)

    New Dish Alert!

    • Cracker being dipped into a ceramic bowl filled with vegan spinach artichoke dip, surrounded by crackers.
      Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip
    • Carrot cake overnight oats in a glass jar with a spoon taking out some of the oatmeal, bowls of shredded carrot, walnuts, oats, and coconut are in the background.
      Carrot Cake Overnight Oats
    • Vegan egg salad on a piece of toast with a bowl of eggless egg salad in the background.
      Vegan Egg Salad
    • Maple dijon tofu cubes on a fork with more on a baking tray.
      Maple Dijon Tofu
    • Jar of pumpkin spice overnight oats with a spoon and walnuts and chocolate chips.
      Pumpkin Spice Overnight Oats
    • Hand picking up a cheesy mini bell pepper popper with more on a baking sheet.
      Mini Bell Pepper Poppers

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Get new recipes to your email!

    Unsubscribe at any time. Thanks for joining the Alternative Dish family.

    Privacy Policy | Accessibility Policy

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 Alternative Dish

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.