Rich dark chocolate with a smooth and fragrant lavender cream makes these truffles a heavenly treat! They look impressive but are actually quite simple to make using only 6 ingredients.
I recently took a trip to an organic lavender farm and was so pleasantly surprised by how gorgeous it was and of course the heavenly scent of lavender wafting through the air. I picked up a big batch of culinary lavender and couldn’t wait to experiment with it.
I love lavender desserts but I know they aren’t for everyone. There’s a delicate balance between just the right amount of lavender and feeling like you’re eating potpourri. Of all the things lavender can be paired with I find that dark chocolate is one of the best. The slightly bitter and earthy flavor of dark chocolate seems to compliment and balance the floral tones of lavender so perfectly.
The filling of these truffles took me some time to get just right. I wanted a smooth and creamy texture just like conventional truffles. At first I tried making a cashew cream but the texture would either be too thick or too runny. I then tried vegan condensed milk but it was far too sweet and coconut cream was too coconutty. Then I had the idea of using vegan butter which made a smooth, light and creamy filling that doesn’t get too liquidy or too hard when cooled. Perfect!
Making The Filling
The filling is very simple, only 5 ingredients are needed – vegan butter, icing sugar, dried lavender buds, vanilla and purple coloring. Although lavender buds are purple, when ground they become brownish, so to color the filling naturally I used purple sweet potato powder (sometimes called ube powder). Other options you could try are dried blueberry powder, acai powder, taro powder or purple cabbage juice. If you don’t have any of those on hand, you can always keep the filling its natural cream color as the truffles will still be filled with the flavor and aroma of lavender. It’s also important to always purchase culinary lavender for baking as regular dried lavender may have artificial dyes and perfume added to it.
The best way to build your truffles is to spread a thin layer of melted chocolate on the bottom. Let it set in the fridge (about 15 minutes), then pipe the filling making sure that it doesn’t touch the sides of the mold. Then cover them with more melted chocolate and put it back into the fridge to set. Any shape and size mold can be used.
Do I Need To Temper Chocolate?
I find that tempering chocolate isn’t necessary for home baking as long as you use high quality dark chocolate and make sure not to overheat it. Melt it in a double boiler, on a low heat, stirring occasionally, just until it’s melted enough to pour. I would only suggest tempering chocolate if it’s for a gift or for a great masterpiece you’re making. If you would like to know how to temper chocolate I have a guide in this recipe.
Why You Will Love These Lavender Truffles
✓ Incredibly smooth, creamy and light texture
✓ Dark chocolate and lavender balance each other perfectly
✓ Flavored and colored naturally
✓ Not too sweet
✓ Looks fancy but is actually very simple
✓ Perfect for vegans or anyone avoiding dairy
✓ Great for entertaining, birthdays and gifts
Looking For More Dark Chocolate Recipes?
- Cherry Blossom Dark Chocolate Bark
- Chocolate Orange Vegan Truffles
- No Bake Vegan Rum Balls
- Vegan Pumpkin Spice Bonbons
If you’re vegan, avoiding dairy or just like to use more natural ingredients these Vegan Lavender Cream Truffles are a must-try! But make no mistake they’re just as wonderfully delicious and creamy as conventional truffles that non-vegans will love them too! I hope that you are having a wonderful summer wherever you are and happy eating always!
Vegan Lavender Cream Truffles
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup vegan butter (I use Earth Balance)
- 2 tablespoons icing sugar
- 1 tablespoon culinary lavender buds
- 2 teaspoons purple sweet potato powder*
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 300 grams good quality dark chocolate (3 standard bars)
Instructions
- Place the lavender buds in a coffee/spice grinder, making sure to pick out any stems or leaves, and grind until it is a fine powder.
- In a small mixing bowl place the butter, icing sugar, vanilla, purple sweet potato powder and ground lavender. Using a hand mixer, beat until it is smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Cover and place in the fridge to firm.
- In the meantime, break the chocolate into small pieces and place into a medium sized bowl. Fill a small pot with 2 inches of water and place the bowl of chocolate on top of the pot. The water in the pot should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Turn the heat to low-medium. (Double boiler method) Stir the chocolate occasionally as it melts. Alternatively, the chocolate can be melted in the mocrowave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate is melted. Be careful not too burn the chocolate. You want it just melted enough that it is still a bit thick but pourable, not too runny/thin.
- If using a silicon truffle mold, place it on a cutting board or baking sheet, making it easier to take in and out of the fridge. Once the chocolate has melted, fill each mold with about 1/2 a teaspoon of chocolate or just enough to make a thin even layer on the bottom of the mold. Place into the fridge until set, about 10-15 minutes.
- While the chocolate is setting, take the filling out from the fridge and put it into a piping bag or ziplock bag. If using a ziplock bag, push the filling into one corner of the bag and snip the tip so that the opening is about 1/8th of an inch.
- Remove the mold from the fridge and pipe the filling into each truffle, making sure not to touch the sides of the mold with the filling. We want the melted chocolate to cover the sides.
- If the leftover chocolate has solidified place it back on to the pot and melt it again (if your chocolate is still melted and pourable skip this step). Fill each mold to the top with the chocolate. Gently tap the mold on the counter to get rid of any air bubbles and to ensure that the molds are filled all of the way up. If some of the truffles are overfilled with chocolate you can use a pastry/bench scraper to remove any excess chocolate by sweeping it across the mold with light pressure to create a flat surface. Place into the fridge to set, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from the molds and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Eat them straight out of the fridge for a snappy firm truffle or let them come to room temperature for a soft, creamy truffle. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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