Maybe I'm a little too excited, but these gluten-free vegan carob truffles are possibly THE BEST truffles I've ever had! Seriously. THE BEST. They were so good that between trying not to eat them all by myself as soon as they were ready, and offering them to a couple of visiting friends, they were gone in less than 5 minutes! There's a reason you need to make a whole bunch...
And don't even try to make this with cocoa instead of carob! It makes all the difference in this recipe. Ok, well, actually try what you like and I'm sure it'll still be good, but you get the point... Give carob a chance ;)
PrintCarob Truffles {Paleo; Raw}
These gluten-free vegan carob truffles are possibly THE BEST truffles I've ever had! Seriously. THE BEST. Paleo friendly recipe, rich, creamy and delicious.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 15 truffles
- Category: Raw
- Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients
Filling Ingredients:
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- ¼ cup liquid sweetener of your choice (I used maple syrup)
- ½ tbsp pure vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup water
- 1 ripe banana, mashed
- ¾ cup coconut flour
- ¼ cup tapioca starch (omit for raw version, and add a bit more coconut flour as needed so the dough isn't too wet once kneaded and can be rolled into balls)
- ¼ cup carob powder
Carob Shell Ingredients:
- 1 cup coconut oil
- ½ cup carob powder
- 6 tbsp liquid sweetener of your choice (I used maple syrup)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Place all filling ingredients into a large mixing bowl, except for coconut flour, tapioca starch, and carob powder. Use an immersion blender to mix all the ingredients together until smooth. Note: if you don’t have an immersion blender, you can do this in a food processor or by hand too. Add in remaining filling ingredients and mix the mixture by hand, kneading it lightly until a sticky soft dough forms and you can shape it into a ball.
- Prepare a plate/platter that can fit into your fridge and freezer. I lined mine with parchment paper to help the balls not stick and for easier handling. Pinch off about 1-2 tablespoon portions (depending on how big or small you want your truffles. I did 1 tbsp) of the dough from the dough ball and roll into a little ball with your hands. Place each ball onto the platter. When finished, place the platter into the the freezer for 10 -15 minutes to chill (helps with the next step).
- In the meantime prepare the carob magic shell by following the directions in this DIY gluten-free vegan magic shell recipe (but use carob instead of cocoa powder). Pour the carob shell into a glass jar or bowl once it’s ready.
- Once the truffle filling balls are chilled and the carob magic shell is ready, dip each ball into the magic shell and roll it around until it’s evenly coated. I had my carob shell in a glass jar, dropped each filling ball in, and then scooped it out with a spoon, making sure it’s all coated (though not dripping). Place the truffle back onto the parchment lined tray. Repeat with each ball until done. Place the tray back in the freezer for another 10-15 minutes to allow the shell to solidify even more. And enjoy! Store any leftover truffles in the fridge to enjoy later.
Carole says
I like the recipe very much but like Sara, have trouble with the magic shell. I had everything at room temperature, having warmed the coconut oil by standing the jar in hot water. It appeared to be going fine and I thought it was going to work but no matter how much I stirred, it would not totally incorporate the oil. I got it incorporated and then it just separated out again. the middle bit was like a thick goo and wouldn’t coat a truffle at all, it just left the truffled covered in oil and no carob mix. What can I do to fix this. I finished up just rolling them in carob powder.
★★★★★
Hannah says
Absolutely delicious! Thanks for posting a sugar, dairy, gluten free dessert!
★★★★★
Audrey says
You're welcome, Hannah! I'm glad you enjoyed these.
Marie says
Can I use a substitute for the coconut flour. I am allergic to coconuts. I also need a substitute for coconut oil. I am allergic to dairy as well so can't use butter.
Audrey says
Hi Marie, the coconut flour is an essential component here because of its high absorbency. You can swap it out with a mix of other flours, but it will require being comfortable playing around with the recipe more intuitively. See Hanna's reply to Lucia's comment on this recipe for an idea though. For the coconut oil you can use melted cacao butter instead.
Also check out the coconut-free section on the recipes page for other ideas that don't require a lot of substitution: https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/all-recipes/
Scott says
We love carob recipes. Have you tried Australian Carob Powder in your carob truffles yet? Delicious they will be and taste similar to chocolate.
Audrey says
Hi Scott. I have tried Australian carob powder actually. Can't say I noticed any specific difference in varieties, but they're all delicious :) Thanks for stopping by.
Bonnie says
I’m eyeing up this recipe for my next indulgence and I want to get clarification on the tapioca. For one thing, I haven’t been eating tapioca so I would like to avoid it. Secondly, I’m wondering why it mentions the raw version when it seems to only have one set of instructions. Should it just be ignored?
Audrey says
Hi Bonnie, the reason it mentions a raw version since some of my readers care about the recipes being raw (as they follow a raw food diet), while others don't and just want to make sure the dessert suits their needs (i.e. it's paleo, vegan, etc.). So what I meant by that is that if you wanted to keep the recipe raw the tapioca flour isn't a good ingredient since it's not technically a raw food (so instead people who want the recipe to be raw can use some coconut flour instead of tapioca). I personally prefer it with the tapioca in terms of texture, but if you're trying to avoid it then go with the directions in the parenthesis by adding a tiny bit more coconut flour. Hope that makes sense :)
Hannah says
Arrow root powder works as an equal substitution for those who don't use tapioca. It has no flavor and makes the dough easy to roll into balls without sticking. Truly a delicious recipe!
Audrey says
Yep, or corn starch or potato starch -- either one will work well here.
Lucia says
Hi - is there anything I could use instead of coconut flour? (AIP friendly?) .. It doesn't sit well with me 😕
Thank you so much - these look amazing!
Audrey says
Hi Lucia. I'm so sorry, but I don't think this particular recipe will work without the coconut flour. I mean, it could, but it would be entirely different because coconut flour is incredibly absorptive, unlike other flours, so there's never a straight substitution. You can try something like cassava flour, etc. but you would need a whole lot more of it (like a lot more, and I'm not sure of the quantity because I haven't tried it) until the dough comes together and can be rolled into balls. You'll probably need to adjust the amount of sweetener, etc. as well to taste.
What about trying out something like this for a coconut-free AIP-friendly treat: https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/dairy-free-maple-butter-chocolates-recipe/ You can also make your own chocolate coating for this using carob powder if you prefer that to cacao by following this recipe with the carob instructions. You can replace the coconut oil with cacao butter if all coconut products are offlimits for you.
Hannah says
I used equal parts teff flour, flax meal, and pea protein powder instead of coconut flour. It worked great and had the same texture.
Audrey says
Thanks for sharing your coconut flour substitution, Hannah. I'm sure others will be interested!
Patrice says
What would you recommend using in place of the banana since I am not able to eat them. Thanks!
Audrey says
Hi Patrice. You can try using something like avocado or pumpkin puree for other flavors, though you might need to adjust the sweetener a bit since bananas lend a bit of sweetness here. Alternatively, you might be interested in one of these recipes instead for the "filling":
No-Bake Brownie Bites
No-Bake Glazed “Donut” Holes
Jade Truffles
Decadent Spicy Raw Carob Hemp Bites
Hannah says
I've replaced bananas in many desserts with applesauce and flaxmeal. I am fine with bananas and like them in this recipe, but I made a batch with applesauce and flaxmeal and it turned out well. I mix the flaxmeal into the applesauce and let it sit 20-30 minutes. It adds sweetness and helps everything stick together like a banana.
★★★★★
Suzana says
This a great recepie but what do you do when you get a glob instead of a nice smooth shell. Everything I used was a room temperature but no luck getting a smooth carob shell.
Audrey says
Hi Suzana,
So the glob typically happens if the sugar gets too hot somehow -- sometimes it can be because things aren't at room temperature, other times it could be because a mechanical device was used to mix the ingredients together. Did you by chance blend or process it?
Once the glob happens the only way to salvage the ingredients is to blend them with more liquid and use for some other purpose (like a chocolate sauce, in a smoothie, etc.), but it won't serve for a shell if diluted in liquid unfortunately.
Joan says
I just got the results of my AL/CAT test and can't have dairy, any sugars and cocoa. It looked like sweets were out for me until my daughter found your recipe and made be a batch. They are absolutely wonderful and I'm happy to learn there are sweet recipes out there. Thank you so much!
★★★★★
Audrey says
Oh, Joan, I'm so so happy to hear you've found a treat you can enjoy! And that your daughter found my recipes :) All of the recipes here are free from dairy & refined sugars, and many are free from cocoa. Lots of carob options too (and you can often substitute carob for the cocoa in the chocolate recipes that catch your eye) -- you're in good company here with the sweet options! ;)
Michelle says
I am not a very big fan of banana in my chocolate and carob desserts, I make black bean truffles often I'm wondering if i can sub perhaps 3/4c of black beans for the banana and follow the remaining recipe?
Audrey says
Hi Michelle,
Seems a common theme here -- it's gotten to a point where I don't share many banana recipes anymore even though I absolutely love them, because there are many people who seem to not like them very much... So no worries :)
Yes, the black beans will work, but you may need to add a bit more sweetness because the bananas are naturally sweeter than the beans. I'd start with the substitution amount you suggested and add sweetener 1 tbsp at a time until the dough tastes sweet enough. If it gets a little too wet because of the increased liquid sweetener (in the event you need more than 1-2 tbsp extra, for example), just add a tiny bit more carob or starch to offset that. But otherwise I think the beans would totally work. Enjoy them!
Angelica says
I am doing AIP and I have been craving chocolate and this truffles really hit the spot. Thank you, for the recipe they are amazing and so decadent.
Audrey says
I'm so happy you liked them Angelica! :) It makes me so happy to know people can enjoy these treats and stay healthy.
Sara says
I can't seem to get the magic shell to work right. I mix the ingredients together in a double broiler, but the oil seperates out and I am left with thick goo in a pool of coconut oil. It is not able to coat the truffles (but still is yummy to eat on its own after pouring the oil off). Any suggestions on what might be going wrong and how to fix it? Thanks!
Audrey says
Hi Sara, sorry to hear you're having trouble. I think you just need to keep stirring it until it's incorporated and then remove from heat and allow it to cool off a little. Then you may need to stir it again until it is combined. It seems at first like it's not going to work, but if you keep stirring persistently it will. Sometimes that works better because when the coconut oil is very hot it tends to separate more.
You can even avoid the double boiler altogether. Lately I haven't even been using it. I just put the liquid coconut oil in a jar, added all the remaining ingredients and stir for a while. At first it sees like it's not going to work, then it sort of works but seems a little clumpy and with some separation, and I just keep on stirring to get past that phase and get a beautiful magic shell. It doesn't take long to get there, but I've been close to giving up before and then just kept going and it worked out. So maybe just don't have the ingredients so hot and keep on stirring until it's all combined. If it's separating too much, let it rest a few minutes to cool a tiny bit and then stir again.
I hope it works out! I know what you mean about it being delicious even without the oil though -- It won't work as a shell, but I've actually used that as a filling a in a mini-tart once and it worked great :)
Eileen @ Phoenix Helix says
Hi Audrey. You would make the Paleo AIP community VERY happy is you'd link this recipe up to this week's Roundtable: http://www.phoenixhelix.com/2014/06/18/paleo-aip-recipe-roundtable-31/
Audrey says
Thanks Eileen. Sorry, I haven't shared anything in a while -- I didn't realize this recipe fits the bill for AIP. Going to share it now :) Thanks so much for the reminder!
Cindy (Vegetarian Mamma) says
Thanks for linking up at our Gluten Free Fridays party! I have tweeted and pinned your entry to our Gluten Free Fridays board on Pinterest! :)
Its live now!
We have an AWESOME Giveaway this week!
Cindy from vegetarianmamma.com
Karen says
These look amazing, I'm having a carob obsession at the moment so I will definitely be giving these a go, I love the carob chocolate you have covered them with. I've just posted a carob protein heart recipe.. :-)
I'm off to check out some of your other recipes now, they look fantastic.
Audrey says
Thanks for stopping by, Karen. I'm also on a bit of a carob high after making these truffles :). Your carob hearts look incredible by the way! Sharing them on pinterest now.