Red Velvet Truffles

The other day, I was baking red velvet (beet) brownies with my daughter’s Girl Scout troop, when the idea for these truffles came into my head. I had previously made a no-bake brownie, so I knew I could use more or less the same ingredients to make truffles. To deepen the red color of the filling, I wanted to use both beets and beetroot powder. My visit to four different local grocery stores proved to be fruitless, so I ended up ordering it on Amazon. Then began the long agonizing 4 day wait period until I finally received it. Without further ado, I set out to make these yummy, indulgent and healthy red velvet truffles or beet truffles.

The star ingredient in this recipe is cooked beets and beetroot powder. You can procure packaged cooked beets at the grocery store or cook them at home following one of the methods listed below.

How to cook Beets

Instant Pot Method – This is my method of choice. Pour a cup of water into the inner pot, place the trivet or a steamer basket and place the whole, raw, unpeeled beet in it. Cook at Manual  High Pressure for 18-20 minutes, then release pressure naturally. Pierce the beet with a knife and ensure that it goes through fully and easily. If not, pressure cook for another 5 minutes. Once the beet cools completely, slide the peel off.

Stovetop Method – Add enough water to a pot to cover the beet fully, then cook covered (uncover every 10 minutes to check if there is enough water) for 30-40 minutes until a knife inserted into the beet goes through fully and easily. Cool the beet completely, and peel the beet. 

Oven-roasting Method – Wrap the whole, raw, unpeeled beet in aluminium foil such that it is fully covered and the moisture (while baking) gets trapped inside. Roast in the oven at 400°F or 200°C for 45-50 minutes, checking every 20 minutes.The beet is done when a knife inserted into the beet goes through fully and easily. Once the beet cools completely, slide the peel off.

Now go ahead and make these yummy red velvet truffles or beet truffles! Drop me a comment if you try it.

Red Velvet Truffles

Recipe by theplantpaletteblogCourse: DessertDifficulty: Easy

Yield

20

truffles

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

30

minutes

Easy to make, indulgent yet healthy truffles made with beets, naturally sweetened with dates and coated with dark chocolate. You won’t be able to stop at just one!

Ingredients

• 1 medium beet, cooked and peeled (approx. 100 grams)

• 1/2 cup raw walnuts or pecans

• 3/4 cup raw almonds

• 15 Medjool dates (see notes)

• 1/4 cup raw cacao powder or cocoa powder

• 2 tablespoons beetroot powder (optional, see notes)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

• 8-10 ounces dark chocolate chips or chocolate bar (85% or higher)

• Optional Toppings

• Beetroot powder

• Coarse sea salt

• Optional Drizzle

• 2 tablespoons cashew butter

• 1/2 teaspoon beetroot powder

• 1-2 teaspoons water or plant milk

Directions

• Add walnuts/pecans and almonds to the food processor and process until it becomes a coarse meal. Transfer to a bowl and step aside.
• Chop the beet and add it to the food processor along with the dates, vanilla and salt. Process until the mixture becomes smooth.
• Add the cacao powder, beetroot powder and ground nuts and blend until it is well combined and forms a sticky dough.
• Using a rounded tablespoon or scoop, scoop out spoonfuls of the dough and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. You can use your hands to do this too, but it will be slightly messy. Repeat until all the dough is used. Place the tray in the freezer for an hour. Do not skip this step.
• After an hour, melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave in 15-20 second intervals until completely melted.
• Remove the truffles from the freezer. Dip one truffle at a time into the melted chocolate, gently using a spoon to coat it all over and transfer back to the baking sheet. Sprinkle with a pinch of beet powder and coarse sea salt (optional). Continue with the remaining truffles. If the melted chocolate starts to harden, reheat slightly until it becomes workable.
• Pop the tray into the fridge for 10 minutes, or freezer for 5 minutes until the truffles fully set.
• Remove and enjoy. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for a week.
• Optional Drizzle
• Whisk together the ingredients for the drizzle until they are well blended. Start with 1 teaspoon of the water or milk and keep adding a few drops at a time until the consistency is thick but pourable. Use a small spoon to drizzle over the truffle once it is placed on the baking sheet. Continue with steps 7 and 8 above.

Notes

• If you don’t have Medjool dates, you can use Deglet Noor but you will need to add 18-20 dates since they are less sweet.
• You can skip the beetroot powder, but you may not get a deep red color in the truffles. They will still be delicious.