Dairy-Free Chocolate Holiday Truffles

Luscious ganache enrobed with a shell of dark chocolate garnished with a sprinkle of crushed hazelnut.  Or perhaps the garnish is coconut.  Or maybe a chocolate covered coffee bean??  

Whichever your favorite garnish, a basic ganache recipe brings a blank slate just waiting to be enhanced.

However, when our family moved dairy-free years ago I thought chocolate truffles were a thing of the past.  But oh, how wrong I was.

A simple swap of heated coconut milk in place of heavy cream provides the perfect combination, and an added benefit of less fat allowing my serving sizet to increase without guilt.

Add-ins can run the gamut from nuts to more coconut to crushed chocolate covered espresso beans (my personal favorite) and on to whatever you can come up with.

Silky smooth and lusciously creamy, you won't be able to stop at just one.

Dairy-Free Chocolate Truffles
Lusciously creamy, the chocolate ganache is a blank slate to whatever garnish your heart desires!
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Filling
1 cup dark chocolate, chopped
7-8 Tbs coconut milk (I use So Delicious Culinary brand - either light or full fat)
pinch fine salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Chocolate Coating
1 cup Dark Chocolate, good quality, chopped
1 tsp coconut oil

Garnish ideas
chopped toasted hazelnuts
shredded coconut
chocolate covered espresso beans
cocoa nibs

In a small pot over medium heat, heat the coconut milk to a simmer, stirring often.  Remove the pot from the heat, and add the 1 cup of chopped chocolate and pinch of salt.   Allow to sit for a few minutes, then stir until smooth.  If chocolate does not melt completely, return to the burner over very low heat for a minute or so continuing to stir until smooth.  Set aside to cool.

Place cooled ganache into the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.

After ganache is fully chilled, remove from fridge and shape approximately 1 Tbs sized amounts into balls (may be larger or smaller as desired).  Place on a parchment paper lined plate or cutting board.  Once all balls are formed, place the board or plate into the fridge to chill.  Note... hands will get really messy!

While the balls are chilling, melt 1 cup of good quality chocolate along with 1 tsp coconut oil over very low heat on the stove, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.

Remove balls from fridge, and one at a time, drop a ball into the melted chocolate.  Using a spoon, cover the entire ball with melted chocolate then carefully return the dipped ganache to the parchment paper.  Immediately top with garnish of your choice.  Continue until all of the balls are chocolate covered and garnished.

Return the truffles to the refrigerator to set (they set faster this way as I'm totally impatient!).  Keep chilled until ready to serve.  Enjoy!