Matcha Chocolate Tartufo

When life calls for fancy ice cream, tartufo is usually top of my list. This particular recipe is a raw vegan tartufo, with lovely layers of creamy chocolate and matcha. Besides being delish (because hello matcha + chocolate!), I just love the pretty jade hue of this little treat.

When I served a variety platter of raw vegan desserts at a birthday party recently, these were the the first to go and with rave reviews. So definitely a crowd pleasing recipe, for vegans and non vegans alike.

If you're into tartufo, you might want to try this classic reader favorite vegan chocolate tartufo recipe as well. Or if you're feeling adventurous, there's this neapolitan version or hazelnut flavor.

And if you're a fan of chocolate + matcha, you can also check out the matcha cheesecake recipe in my book Unconventional Treats (it's hands down one of my favorite raw cakes ever and one I often prepare for company).

A few tips on tartufo molds

Before you jump right ahead to the recipe, I want to share a small experiment I did here. Normally when I make layered tartufo (like the classic chocolate version I linked to above) I simply pour one layer into the center of another and that does the trick nicely (as you can see from the photos on that recipe).

This time around I experimented with making the chocolate inner layer in a separate mold, that's basically a mini version of the larger mold I normally use (the molds I used here in general are from this type of set). The result was a more uniformly round inner layer, which was nice. If you wanted to do the same you basically need to blend the chocolate layer first and then freeze it in the smaller mold (set it on a tray first). And then once it's frozen solid you blend the matcha layer, pour it into the larger mold cavities and place the set chocolate layer in the center of the matcha mixture.

That said I found that it was not essential to do it this way, as the method of simply carefully pouring or spooning some of the mixture into the other works fine and will save you from buying yet another mold... So I used the simpler method in the recipe instructions for this reason.

That said, if you have the mold on hand or if you want perfect concentric semi-circles, 2 mold sizes might be just the thing for you.

Alternatively, if you don't have a tartufo mold you can always use silicone cupcake liners or something similar. Silicone makes the ice cream pop out of the mold nice and easy.

Matcha Chocolate Tartufo

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A raw vegan tartufo (ice cream) recipe, with lovely layers of creamy chocolate and matcha.

• Author: Audrey @ Unconventional Baker
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 4 large servings
• Category: Ice Cream
• Method: Raw
• Cuisine: Dessert
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Make sure all ingredients are at room temp before starting**

Matcha Layer

• 1 cup raw cashews, pre-soaked and strained*
• 4 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon matcha powder
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
• 1/16 tsp raw ground vanilla powder (or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract)

Chocolate Layer

• ¹⁄₂ cup raw cashews, pre-soaked and strained*
• 3 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• ¹⁄₈ teaspoon salt

Toppings

• a bit of extra matcha powder and cocoa powder for dusting, a few cacao nibs

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Instructions

1. Place a silicone tartufo mold (I used this one; see notes above recipe for alternatives) on a flat tray. Set aside.

2, Blend all matcha layer ingredients in a high power blender until smooth. Divide this mixture between 4 of the mold cavities, not filling them all the way up (to leave room for chocolate layer).***

2. Blend all chocolate layer ingredient. Carefully pour or spoon in the chocolate mixture into the center of each matcha mixture-filled cavity. Note: if you have extra mixture left over, pour it into a separate cavity to enjoy on its own.

3. Place the pan into the freezer for 5-6 hours or overnight to set. When ready to serve / eat, remove from mold and plate, dust with some cocoa powder and some matcha powder, and sprinkle with some cacao nibs if desired. Let the tartufo thaw out 10-15 minutes until slightly soft and enjoy!

Notes

*To pre-soak nuts: place in a glass bowl, cover with water, and leave to soak for 4 hours (or overnight in the fridge). Then strain and discard the water. For a quick pre-soak, cover with boiled water and soak for 15 mins, then strain and discard water. (Note: this technique doesn’t preserve the nutrition of the recipe as well as the traditional soaking technique above). Note: the purpose of soaking the nuts is to re-hydrate them and plump them up for blending into a smooth, creamy consistency. Proper soaking techniques also maximize nutrition and digestibility. If you’re interested in learning more about nut soaking and other dessert prep tips and tricks, I delve into these subjects in detail in my book Unconventional Treats.

**Everything needs to be at room temperature, as cold ingredients will cause the coconut oil to solidify prematurely and not blend through into a uniform smooth mixture in the blender.

***Note, if not using the same molds as I have here, simply fill as may silicone cavities as you have mixture for, but don't fill them all the way up to leave room for next layer.