A few days after my grandfather passed away last month, I received a text from one of my best friends. She wrote as soon as she found out the news, sent lots of love, and offered to get together during the upcoming weekend.
That Saturday afternoon, she rode the train from where she lived an hour away, and we met at a Starbucks a few blocks from the station in my town. We ordered our drinks—a tall black decaf for me, a green tea frappuccino with an extra shot for her (she works long hours as a computer scientist and never gets enough sleep!)—then found an empty table and chairs to sit.
Because of our busy schedules, we last saw each other just before New Year’s, so we talked a little about Grandpa and spent the rest of our time catching up and sharing stories about life over those three months. Two hours flew by, and knowing the trains ran less frequently on weekends, I asked if she wanted to head back home…
But she wanted to stop by the See’s Candy store instead! Laughing, I agreed, so we pitched our empty cups and wandered over to the chocolate shop. We browsed around their Easter display before stepping up to the counter, and although my friend simply ordered four chocolates, I decided to walk away empty handed… Because otherwise, I’d end up with a bag containing at least one of every dark chocolate truffle in the display case!
Since I still couldn’t shake the thought of those truffles almost two weeks later, I finally caved and whipped up these Healthy Dark Chocolate Mocha Truffles at home. They’re super easy (just 4 ingredients!), incredibly rich, and just 22 calories!
So I definitely don’t feel bad eating an extra one or two! ?
Like I mentioned, these healthy truffles are extremely simple to make! No heavy cream to heat… No chocolate to melt and temper… You really just need one bowl and a fork!
To start, you’ll add warm milk and instant coffee to that bowl, and whisk until the instant coffee dissolves. Don’t substitute regular coffee grounds or brewed coffee! The former doesn’t dissolve, which means your truffles will be gritty and grainy, and the latter isn’t strong enough to taste over the rich dark chocolate flavor. This is the instant coffee I use (or sometimes the decaf version!), and you can find it at most major grocery stores.
Next, you’ll stir in a little pure maple syrup to sweeten your truffles instead of refined sugar. Be sure you buy the real kind! Skip the pancake syrups and sugar-free syrups because those contain corn syrup or artificial ingredients, which we’re avoiding in this healthy recipe. The only ingredient on the label should be “maple syrup,” and it generally comes in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs at the grocery store. (I’ve also bought it online here!)
Now for the most important final ingredient… Cocoa powder! Just regular ol’ unsweetened cocoa powder. Since you’re mixing in 1 full cup, the truffles already taste really rich and dark without Dutched or special dark cocoa powder. It takes a few minutes of stirring to get it fully incorporated, so be patient!
Then chill the mixture so it stiffens up and the flavors can meld… Roll it into spheres…
And enjoy! ? And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! ?) I’d love to see your truffles and feature them in my Sunday Spotlight series!
| Healthy Dark Chocolate Mocha Truffles | | Print |
- ¼ cup (60mL) warm nonfat milk (or your favorite dairy-based or dairy-free milk!)
- 1 ½ tsp instant coffee granules
- 3 tbsp (45mL) pure maple syrup
- 1 cup (80g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
- Add the warm milk and instant coffee to a small bowl, and stir until the coffee has completely dissolved. (It will take a few minutes!) Stir in the maple syrup. Add in the cocoa powder, and stir with a fork until completely incorporated. (It takes a bit of effort!) Chill the chocolate mixture for at least 30 minutes. (If chilling for longer than 2 hours, cover the top of the bowl. with foil or plastic wrap to prevent the chocolate mixture from drying out.)
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper.
- Remove the chocolate mixture from the refrigerator, and roll it into 16 small spheres. After shaping each truffle, place it on the prepared baking sheet. Once all of the truffles have been formed, transfer them to an airtight container. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
Honey or agave may be substituted for the maple syrup.
For a slightly sweeter chocolate flavor, substitute additional maple syrup for an equal amount of the milk.
For a stronger coffee flavor, increase the instant coffee by an additional ¼ to ½ teaspoon. Do not substitute regular coffee grounds or brewed coffee.
The chocolate mixture tends to stick to your hands a bit, so wipe off your hands with a damp paper towel after shaping each truffle.
Here is my video on how to make truffles! (It's located just above the recipe.)
{gluten-free, vegan option, clean eating, low fat, low calorie, lower carb, paleo option}
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You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Healthy Dark Chocolate Orange Truffles
♡ Healthy Dark Chocolate Strawberry Truffles
♡ Healthy Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles
♡ Healthy Dark Chocolate Peppermint Mocha Truffles
♡ Healthy Dark Chocolate Raspberry Truffles
♡ Healthy Dark Chocolate Blueberry Truffles
♡ Fudgy Mocha Brownies with Coffee Drizzle
♡ Healthy Mocha Chocolate Chip Scones
♡ Fudgy Peppermint Mocha Cookies
♡ Healthy Single-Serving Mocha Chocolate Chip Mug Cake
Made these this morning after two ‘healthy’ truffle versions last weekend let me down.
Ok, this is ALL said knowing that I typically include 1 cup heavy cream, 12 ou Ghirardelli chocolate chips, 2 Tbsp butter, and decaf granules to make my truffle filling. So clearly that is a lot to live up to. I rate these a full five stars.
For my husband and me, this filling was too cocoa-ey. So next time, I will use less cocoa (yes, I measure accurately, all that stuff, I’m a nut). To fix it for our taste this morning, I added a spoonful of peanut butter (these are still healthier than what I typically make, so no worries there).
Given that there is no dairy or fat in these truffles, it’s close to unbelievable. I do coat mine with Guittard baking wafers in semi-sweet (it’s a pretty thin coating) and a little flaked salt.
Thank you for posting the recipe! It is a keeper, with a little modification based on our personal taste.