Valentine’s Day is almost upon us and what a great holiday! I always enjoy spending the holiday celebrating love, whether it be love for friends, family, or a special someone. Valentine’s Day is a great time to show those special people in your life what they mean to you. This is often done through sweets, which can make staying on top of your health goals tricky. Today, we are bringing you a solution! A dessert recipe that is Valentine’s worthy and can still keep you on the straight and narrow.

These Chocolate Covered Strawberry Truffles are so decadent, yet are made with only whole food ingredients. Coconut butter functions as the base for the strawberry filling in these truffles. It is surprisingly neutral when paired with strawberry puree, and packs in a ton of nutritional benefits. Coconut oil adds richness and healthy fats and the truffles are naturally sweetened with maple syrup. A dunk in chocolate coating and these truffles are ready to serve.

Resisting that box of chocolates can be quite difficult! Unless, of course, you are free to sink your teeth into a Chocolate Covered Strawberry Truffle - guilt free! Now, that’s my kind of Valentine’s Day.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Truffles

Makes: 30 truffles

Cook Time: 0 mins

Total Time: 1 hour 20 mins

Ingredients: 

For the strawberry center:

3/4 cup strawberry puree*

1 cup coconut butter, softened*

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted*

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons coconut milk (from a carton)

For the Chocolate coating:

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

1/4 cup cocoa powder (preferably raw and organic)

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch salt

Directions:

For the strawberry center:

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and place in the refrigerator to firm up, about 30 minutes.

Once the mixture is firm enough to handle, measure out 1 tablespoon of the mixture and roll into a truffle. Place on a cookie sheet lined with nonstick foil or parchment paper. Repeat using all of the filling. If the filling mixture begins to stick to your hands, try rinsing your hands with super cold water (I had great results with this) or return the mixture to the fridge to firm up. Place in the freezer to really firm up, about 30 minutes.

For the chocolate coating:

Combine all of the chocolate coating ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until well combined.

Assembly:

Using two forks, place the truffles into the chocolate coating. Roll the truffles around to coat evenly and remove. Place onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper or aluminum foil. Repeat with the remaining truffles. Transfer to the fridge or freezer to allot the coating to harden. Once the coating is set, serve. Truffles need to be stored in the refrigerator or freezer and will keep up to one week in the fridge, longer in the freezer.

Notes:

• The chocolate coating is thinner than traditional truffles. If you desire a thicker coating, double the chocolate coating ingredients and dip the chocolates a second time after the first coat has dried. Additionally, you could use regular semi-sweet chocolate chips in place of the chocolate coating.
• To make the strawberry puree I pureed thawed frozen strawberries in the blender until the strawberries were a smooth consistency. It took about 2-3 cups of fresh berries to make 3/4 cup puree. This will vary based on the size of the strawberries used. If you find good quality fresh strawberries, they could work as well.
• To soften the coconut butter, place the sealed jar in a medium sized bowl. Fill the bowl with very hot water. Allow to sit in the water bath until softened, about 15-20 minutes.

• To melt the coconut oil, place the sealed jar in a medium bowl. Fill the bowl with very hot water. Allow to sit in the water bath until melted, about 15-20 minutes.