Fudgy Vegan Beetroot Truffles

Beetroot has a way of making everything that little bit SWEETER... Plus, it's nutritional profile makes it high on the list of every day foods. With extremely high antioxidant properties & hydration, it helps to protect your skin while preventing dryness.

The rich colour of these truffles is an indication of just how indulgent they are, and the best part is there's only 6 ingredients. 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 small beetroot (approx 130g)
• 12 medjool dates (approx 170g) pitted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 6 tablespoons raw cacao powder
• 1/4 cup oat or coconut flour
• 85g vegan dark chocolate
• Topping suggestions: coconut, cacao powder, dried rose buds, hemp seeds, chopped nuts etc.

METHOD:

1. Steam your beetroot (whole & unpeeled) in a steamer basket on top of a saucepan. Cover the pot & steam for about 30 mins or until fork tender. Allow beets to cool completely before peeling & chopping.

2. Add the beetroot, dates, vanilla extract, salt, and 1/4 cup or 4 tablespoons of the cacao powder (or 20g) to a food processor. Process until the ingredients are well combined and starting to come together as a sticky paste.

3. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of cacao powder (or 10g) and the flour to the food processor. Blend again until the ingredients are well combined and a dough has formed. Taste and add more salt, as desired. The dough will be quite sticky at this point.

4. Transfer the dough to a bowl and cover. Freeze for at least 1-2 hours. This step is essential - don’t skip it!

5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt the dark chocolate in a large bowl, using either a double boiler method, or in in the microwave in 30-second intervals. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

6. Remove the truffle dough from the freezer. Using a rounded tablespoon or mini ice cream scooper, scoop the truffle dough and roll into evenly-sized balls. Transfer the balls to the baking sheet. We suggest wearing food-safe gloves to avoid sticky & red-stained hands!

7. Using a slotted spoon or similar utensil, dip one truffle at a time into the melted dark chocolate, and coat it all over. Transfer back to the baking sheet and sprinkle with the toppings of your choice. Work quickly, as the melted chocolate will set pretty quickly and your toppings won’t stick once the chocolate has set. Repeat with each truffle.

8. You can serve them immediately, but I prefer to return them to the freezer for 15-30 minutes to set. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer (they don’t need to be defrosted).

Recipe & Images by Rainbow Plant Life.