Sometimes you just gotta have some chocolate. You ladies know what I’m talking about. For me, the darker the chocolate the better – which is handy because dark chocolate is incredibly good for you.
Full of flavanols and antioxidants, it can do amazing things for your body. I won’t go all sciency and stuff on you but here’s a direct quote from The American Heart Association regarding the findings from a study they published – “Consumption of flavanol-rich dark chocolate (DC) has been shown to decrease blood pressure (BP) and insulin resistance…”
There you have it folks, chocolate is good for you – especially if you are doing low carb and trying to improve your insulin sensitivity! Who knew?!?! Unfortunately, the majority of the commercial chocolate on the market today is sugar-laden and made with unhealthy fats. You can get the sugar free chocolates, but those are made with sugar alcohols which can derail your weight loss, as well as fillers and franken-gredients that your body doesn’t know what to do with – thus the inevitable indigestion you’ll suffer after eating them.
The solution? Make your own. And with the exception of the magnificent boutique chocolates you can get these days, it’s better than most of what you can buy in the store. And so much healthier for you! These are made with avocado and coconut oil – both proven heart healthy sources of fat. On top of that they contain protein and fiber which keeps you full after eating them. Did I mention they taste amazing???
Supremely chocolately, creamy and rich, you won’t believe you made them yourself – and neither will your friends and family! Assuming you are going to share that is, which is totally up to you – no judgement here!
One important thing to remember – when it comes to cocoa powder, buy the best you can find! That’s where all of your flavor comes from, and you can find premium brands in the baking aisle of most grocery stores. It’s worth the couple of extra dollars you’ll spend over the cheaper stuff. I used Saco with excellent results (this is not a sponsored post, Saco people don’t know I exist) but I know there are other high end cocoas out there that are probably just as good.
I love the flavor of the bourbon in these but it’s completely optional – they taste amazing without it too! And if you don’t feel like rolling them out, you can just keep a container in the fridge and scoop out a spoonful when the mood strikes! This also eliminates the pecan calories if that’s a concern for you.
Side point, I tried freezing this and it was rock solid and impossible to eat. I’ll have to play with it to come up with a fudgesicle version like I was planning. Oh sad, guess I’ll have to make another batch to experiment with! Wow, the sacrifices I make for the sake of this blog – it’s tough to take, I hope you people appreciate the lengths I go to to test these recipes out! ;)
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Bourbon Chocolate Truffles – Low Carb and Gluten Free
- Yield: (12) 1" truffles
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeIngredients
- 2 ripe hass avocados, pitted & skinned
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1/2 cup premium cocoa powder
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar substitute
- 2 Tbsp SF chocolate flavored syrup
- 2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tbsp bourbon (optional)
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except the pecans in a small blender or food processor (I used my magic bullet) until smooth. Chill for at least an hour until firm enough to work with.
- Form into one inch balls and then roll in the pecans. Chill until firm and store in the refrigerator. Hope you like them!!!!
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Truffles
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 truffle
- Calories: 111
- Fat: 10g
- Carbohydrates: 4.5g/ 1.5g net
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 1.5g
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I’ve been delighted with other recipes of yours, but not so much with this one. I followed the recipe to the letter even making sure to use hass avocados and solid coconut oil. It would have been helpful to have a standard measure for the avocado (cup, half cup, etc.) instead of specifying 2 of them because the sizes vary. The resulting mixture was barely firm enough to roll in the nuts even after several hours in the freezer. Also, it made 30 1″ balls instead of 12 and, while the avocado makes the texture silky, they’re quite bitter.
PS: I used a stick blender for this and also for veggie purees. Works like a charm.
Is this syrup ok for Keto? I noticed it has Splenda in it…
Oh my, I absolutely must try this recipe!! I love chocolate and this looks outstanding! Good for you fats? I’m in!!
★★★★★
Outstanding recipe. I had to buy bourbon to make them just right but this is a recipe that will keep my going as I ride the rollercoaster of this new-to-me food plan.
I am new to this site and literally am finishing “day one” of my first attempt at eating keto. I could not possibly have been any more tickled to run across this truffle recipe … I just got home from a “girls’ getaway” with dear friends in Louisville, KY. Needless to say, I have a lovely bottle of bourbon in front of me I thought I couldn’t touch, and I watched my family polish off the last of the bourbon balls this evening. Your recipe is like a “smile from above” that I can really do this!
After years of always looking for the low fat option its been an adjustment to embrace the fat…but im getting there..your site is great i love the meal planners…nothing has been difficult to make..theres a few things i cant get in the Netherlands ..sauces and syrups ( they are not big on sugar free over here)…but im embracing the new life style after being told by my gp i had to stop eating sugar and carbs…thanks for all the recipes..couldnt have done it without you..xxx Adele
Is there anything I sub for the coconut oil? I’m allergic to coconut. So many keto recipes I’ve found look amazing but contain coconut oil. :(
I actually prefer butter, or cream cheese with a teaspoon of vanilla extract for sweets that call for coconut oil. Traditional fudge is typically made with butter so you’re getting even closer to the real thing! ;)
Keep in mind these are dairy products so it will be less “dark chocolately”, go for the butter if you want to try and maintain that dark chocolate flavour, and cream cheese if you prefer milk chocolate.
I bet 1 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp of cream cheese would be really perfect too.
These are fantastic! How long can the finished product last stored in the refrigerator?
Up to a week I would say Lauren – IF they last that long lol!
It would be helpful to me to know how many ounces of avocado you used…the avocados at my store are wildly different in size. My batch turned out much bigger than yours…no way the pecans would cover that many truffles! And mine didn’t get very hard…more like super thick pudding or frosting. No worries though, it won’t go to waste. It tastes amazing! Thank you for the recipe…
Hi could I use pine nuts or coconut? As I can not eat most nuts. Thank you for your time love your blog
I am getting ready to make the truffles since they sound absolutely delicious! I am not sure if you meant unsweetened cocoa or sweetened? I didnt want to use the wrong one, and I’m sure there would be a difference in the total carb count.
Definitely unsweetened baking cocoa!
These look awesome I’m making them right now and I was wondering I don’t have any sugar-free chocolate syrup but I have everything else. Is that going to mess it up?
These look n sound amazing! Starting a low carb diet n i love ur web page so far! Lol.. thnk u for taking ur time to do these for others! Really appreciate it!
Just wanting to know: I thought nuts and fruit were not allowed on phase 1 Atkins induction. Also, if I mess up and eat something I shouldn’t , am I supposed to start phase 1 (two week induction) over again? Thanks! BTW-I loved the cream cheese pancakes!
We made these at my house and did freeze them. I put one in my lunchbox in a small container. By lunchtime, it’s thawed, but still chilled and a delicious treat! Love these sneaky treats.
been on keto for a week and loving your recipes so far! I also couldn’t get this to firm up even after three hours in the fridge, I’m not using any kind of “always liquid” coconut oil, just the normal stuff. I did melt it down in the microwave before adding it, should I skip that part? Or do you think I should just try again with more oil next time?
If you microwaved it and added it hot it may just take longer – did it eventually firm up overnight?
Made these over the weekend… AMAZING!!!!! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes! Thanks for sharing them!
So glad you liked them, thanks for taking the time to let me know!
I made these today….seriously awesome!! I didn’t have any bourbon, but I used orange vovodka instead. It didn’t really impart an orangey flavor, but did give it just a touch of fruitiness. They taste like fancy chocolates!
Im allergic to avacados. What can I use in its place? Cream cheese?
what can I substitute the sugar free chic syrup with? I don’t eat Splenda.
Made these tonight and was so excited to have something sweet. However, they turned out to be so bitter that me nor my husband could eat a whole one. Anyone else have this problem, or are they supposed to be this bitter? Any suggestions? Would adding more granulated sugar substitute work?
I tried them also and while the consistency was creamy, smooth and lovely and they smelled great, sadly the taste was so bitter with that amount of cocoa powder that no one could eat them. They didn’t have any sweet taste whatsoever even with the addition of Torani SF chocolate syrup. We just could not get past the extreme bitter flavor of these.
It’s all about the quality of the cocoa powder you use – what brand were you using if you don’t mind my asking?
Hi,
I used Hershey’s cocoa powder.
Hi Jael, as I mention in the post it’s very important to use a premium cocoa powder to get a good flavor for this recipe. Unfortunately, Hershey’s cocoa powder is bitter and not a very high quality, which reflected in your results. If you try again with a higher quality cocoa powder you’ll see a significant difference, I promise!
Hi,
Can you please make a couple of recommendations on what brand to use, and please add the recommendations to the recipe so someone doesn’t use this type again and make this mistake like I did. I always thought that Hershey’s was a quality brand, it isn’t just a generic brand of cocoa powder like I have seen at several grocery stores. Thanks
I don’t like to disparage brands, and it’s not that Hershey’s is horrible – it’s just not as well suited to a recipe like this where all of the flavor is coming from the cocoa powder, and there aren’t a lot of other flavors or sugar to mask the bitterness. Ghirardelli and Saco are two that I highly recommend though!
They were bitter for me too, despite adding double the sweetener. They also did not thicken enough to roll into balls even after putting them in the freezer.
This is such a neat combination! I managed to leave a little to roll up into balls after extensive tasting during the mixing process. Alcohol doesn’t agree with me so I added 2 tsp of instant coffee dissolved in a little bit of warm water to replace the bite of the bourbon.
Wondering how long these will keep in the fridge since they contain the avocado? Also have you ever tried making them and freezing them to thaw out later for a quick go to dessert?? I cannot wait to try these-my sister is gluten intolerant and my dad is diabetic so these would be a hit! I am having so much fun looking through all your yummy recipes
Finally tried these, I was unsure about the avocados, but damn, these are amazing.
Also, my kids took almost all the cauliflower jalapeño cheese muffins to school today, they are insistent that they are corn muffins. We are eating some tasty food, thank you Melissa!
I made these last night after enjoying your cajun chicken with your cheesy cauliflower mash and it ALL was YUMMY! My husband was in heaven with last nights menu, the crispy spicy chicken and actually loved the cauliflower. I have to say I’ve made many versions of cauliflower mash but yours is the best and simplest. As far as my husbands concerned, the only one to make ever again!
Ok back to the truffles…they were perfect to me. My husband enjoyed, but would have loved them to be a bit sweeter. Should I just add a bit more Stevia for him next time? Well it’s 8am and I swear your truffles are calling from the fridge!
Thanks again for all your great recipes, we appreciate you!
….and love your pancakes too!!!!
Hi Tanya! So glad you guys are enjoying all of the recipes! As far as the truffles go, you can definitely increase the sweetener to taste. That IS the problem with making them too delicious though – one is never enough! ha ha! ;)
Oh my, just made these but rolled them in crispy bacon bits instead of pecans (it is what I had). So very good!
Oh man, that sounds awesome! Wish I’d thought of it!!!! :)
I am so glad I found your website. I made these truffles the other day and they are too liquid and impossible to roll. No matter how long I chill them, they remain very liquidy. I followed the recipe precisely – any ideas what could have gone wrong? (I did not add the bourbon)
I wonder if some of these ladies are using the “always liquid” coconut oil that can be found these days… that would explain why theirs wont firm up.. hmmm. Maybe specify?
Hi
I love every recipe here! This mixture tastes So delicious, but no matter how long I refrigerate them, it stays the consistency of soft cream cheese and not firm enough to roll. Idea?
Thanks for ALL you do here Mellisa!
Courtney
Might need more coconut oil to firm them up Courtney! Hope that helps!
Can I use light coconut milk instead of heavy cream?? Also I am thinking I will use sf coconut torani syrup instead of chocolate syrup and roll in unsweetebed coconut :-)
It has the same consistency as heavy cream so it should work – or regular coconut milk to make sure it’s not too runny. Let us know how they come out, I love where you’re going with the flavors!
Hi Melissa I love collecting recipes and just discovered you. I am a diabetic who is also a chocoholic. I love dark chocolate and avocadoes. I do not eat much chocolate because I am a diabetic and miss it very much. I am going to get the ingredients for these and then share some with my dinner partners. How do I find your website as I am not sure I can find where you are again after ton. Linziight, Could you send it to my e-mail ibelievetoo@comcast.net God bless and good night
Hope you like the truffles Linzi, check your inbox for an email from me as requested! Thanks! :)
I make my own chocolate syrup (one cup cocoa powder, half cup splenda and hot water) would this work or there something in the sugar free chocolate, such as texture, that these need?
The sugar free chocolate syrup is very sweet and thin in consistency. It’s for adding chocolate flavor and sweetness to coffee and other baked goods so it’s going to be much more intense than what you are describing. That being said I don’t know that your syrup wouldn’t work. Guess you’ll have to experiment and report back! :)
Sadly, I did not enjoy these at all. I tried a half batch in my magic bullet but there wasn’t enough liquid for it to handle, so I transferred everything to my mini food processor. It did a little better than the bullet, but I still was unable to get a totally smooth puree. I think maybe my avocado just wasn’t ripe enough? I also didn’t have chocolate flavored syrup or bourbon, so I used vanilla and caramel syrup and Godiva liqueur, so that could have been part of my issue as well. I definitely did not think they were sweet enough (even though I like dark chocolate) and I tried adding more sweetener but I didn’t want to overdo it… I rolled them in chopped macadamias and coconut and tried them the next morning, but I really did not like the texture and ended up throwing them away :(
I love your cream cheese pancakes so I’m just gonna chalk this one up as a learning experience!
Hey Nicole, sorry you didn’t like these! The ripeness of the avocado definitely matters, I’ve made them with avocados that were too firm and they never seem to get smooth and fluffy enough. The different syrups might not have complemented the avocado and cocoa powder as well as my combo but it’s hard to say having not tried it. I like the chopped macadamia and coconut idea for the outside though! Glad you liked the pancakes and hopefully you’ll get better results with some of the other recipes! :)
Did I mention, you’re a genius?!
ha ha! Thanks! :)
Hershy’s does have a SF syrup. 5g carbs, <1g fiber, 4g sugar alcohol. I have a chocoholic husband, so keeping SF and low carb syrup in the house is a MUST!! I can’t wait to try these, hopefully he will like them, too!
Thanks Jessica, I’ll have to see if I can find that Hershey’s syrup!
personally, i dont care for the flavor of hersheys sugar free syrup, which is odd because i LOVE their chocolates, especially the caramel filled ones (in STRICTEST moderation of course) but what i LOVE is smuckers sugar free hot fudge.. ::drools:: wonder if you could put that in here… my go to sweet is simple, cream cheese, cream, splenda (to taste) stevia (to taste) and cocoa powder… and everything is variable to taste LOL i change it up all the time depending on what im after, from a firm, chocolaty paste, to frosting, to pudding.. yum. You should try it, if you havent already hehe.
These are amazing!! I skipped the burbon and the hershey’s syrup and they are still delish. I actually haven’t made them into little balls yet. It’s still in my fridge and I’ve been eating it with a spoon. I paired it with almond butter and a glass of milk and they are to die for!!
I ate a bunch with a spoon too before I finally made the truffles out of them – so good! Just a quick note if you make them again with the syrup, it’s not hershey’s or a chocolate sauce like that, it’s a flavored syrup that is more watery, like Davinci or Torani brand that they use to flavor coffee and things. If hershey’s makes a sugar free it would probably work, but those tend to have starchy fillers to make them thick which usually means more carbs! Or you could just stick with your version and keep a spoon handy – that would work for me too! :)
Oh man i wish i read this far down! I used the Hersey’s chocolate syrup, maybe that’s why i couldn’t for the life of me get this batch to blend in a blender! I kept trying and it wouldn’t budge so i had to spent a lot of time blending it by hand. Quite the workout! I can’t wait to try it though, i hope it still turns out as good.
I am just starting back on low carb and looking for chocolate…these are perfect. Well, as it turns out I only had 1 avocado, so I added an equal amount of homemade cream cheese. Then I figured I was off the grid so I might as well go for it…I dropped the bourbon and added a bit of high quality cinnamon and a bit of powdered ancho chili pepper (less than a 1/4 tsp each). I use pure liquid stevia (about 20 drops), and also added a T of SF vanilla syrup-I like my chocolate a tad sweeter than the darkest dark. They are fantastic, will be even better when rolled in the pecans, I also really like a crunch with my chocolate.
Thanks for the wonderful recipes! They are going to make this journey so much easier!
Chris
Thanks Chris and I love your ideas! I love spicy chocolate and I’m going to try your Mexican inspired version next time I make these! Yum!
Thank you so much for all of your amazing recipes. I made the tuffles for book club on Sunday to somewhat mixed reviews. I did not add the bourbon as I didn’t have any on hand. Some loved them, some thought they were not sweet enough – all thought they were ingenious to use avocado! So I’m going to try again with the bourbon and perhaps add more sweetener. Also thought about adding macadamia nut butter and rolling in macadamia nuts to add a little more sweetness. Please let me know what you think?
I think a macadamia version would be delicious! I’m so used to eating dark chocolate that is barely sweet that I forget that to other people it’s not sweet enough. I made some cookies today that even I thought needed more sweetener so back to the drawing board! Thanks for the comment!
Okay I was headed to bed and you may have heard the skidding stop I made when these popped up. Just had to stop and drool a bit. You are so talented Mellissa. I am in awe every time you post.
Thanks so much Kim, it really means a lot coming from you! And these aren’t even turtles which I know are your favorite! ;)
I will be making them soon! Can you please be more specific about the sugar-free chocolate syrup? BTY, my husband is addicted to the cheesy cauliflower mash!
I used Torani brand but you could also use Davinci. It’s primarily for flavoring things – not a chocolate sauce like what you might pour over ice cream. You can usually find it in the coffee or baking aisles of your grocery store. If you can’t get it though, try increasing the cocoa powder by 2 Tablespoons and the stevia or splenda by another teaspoon and go from there to get it as sweet or chocolatey as you prefer! Hope you guys like them – let us know how they turn out!
They looks yummy, have to try them :o) Thanks for calorie calculation :o)
Your welcome! I HATE math and calculating the nutrition info is my least favorite part of the whole process – so I appreciate knowing that people find it useful! Thanks!
Love this!! I never would have thought to use avocados but it makes perfect sense! I make chocolate avocado pudding(that needs to be thinned out with milk or whatever) so I can just imagine that these are an amazing texture. They look fantastic :)
Thanks Heidi! I remember your delicious looking pudding along with Sonia’s over at The Healthi Foodie, and this recipes started as an attempt at a low carb version but it was so thick that it only took a tablespoon to satisfy my chocolate cravings so I figured why not make it a one bite truffle. So glad I did but I’m still going to experiment with another attempt at pudding though! Or fold it into whipped cream for a mousse. So many delicious variations!!! Mmmmmm….chocolate! :)
Yum! I just love a good chocolate truffle! Have you ever tried Guylian Belgian Chocolates?
I have! Yum! :)
Ok, I swoon. These look so awesome. I so look forward to checking out your site every day! My low carb no wheat mission starts on Monday! Thank you for this site! :)
BC the Barefootcookingirl
Thanks BC – hope your wheat free journey is going well! :)
I just love your recipes….I don’t think I have come across one that I haven’t printed out!! :) These look so amazing and I love how they work for a Low Carb, Gluten Free diet!! I am so trying these…the only thing I am going to have to change is the “cocoa powder” for Carob powder….do you think this would work? And do you have any suggestions for something I could replace the chocolate flavored syrup with? My husband so loved chocolate, but he is now allergic to it and I have been trying to make a few mock chocolate things using the carob powder. ~ Lisa @ Organized Chaos
Hey Lisa – I’m thrilled that you are enjoying all of the recipes! I see no reason why carob powder wouldn’t work and I would just increase it by a couple of Tablespoons and add another teaspoon or so of splenda or stevia to substitute in for the sugar free syrup. Or you could try another flavored syrup that would enhance the carob flavor like hazelnut or coconut. If you omit the syrup and the consistency is too thick I would add just a splash more cream or a little more coconut oil if necessary. Hope you’ll report back on how the carob works out in case anyone else is interested in trying it! Thanks!
Mine never hot hard. . Any ideas why
were you maybe using one of those “always liquid” coconut oils they have on the market? I’ll bet that would make a big difference.
Thanks so much for the tips…I will let you know when I get around to trying these out! We are painting, painting and painting our house right now, but this is at the top of my list when I get some free time! Thanks again!
LOL! Thanks Kristine – it never hurts to have one’s awesomeness affirmed so I appreciate the feedback! So glad you are enjoying the recipes! The cauli puree is a lifesaver for me too! I used to eat cauliflower maybe 3 or 4 times a year – now I eat it at least 3 or 4 times a WEEK at least! Never saw that coming I gotta tell you! Hope you like the truffles!
I never would have thought to use avocado as a filler in my chocolates- what an awesome idea! I bet these are supremely creamy and delicious!!
They really ARE so creamy! You would never ever guess in a million years that there is avocado in there! But it’s sooooo good! Let me know what you think if you try them!
I’m making a half of a batch tonight, but without the bourbon. Gosh i wish I had some Bourbon. LOL
I’m also using baking chocolate. I sometimes don’t know what I’m going to do with the chocolate until it’s melted and sitting there looking at me, and this time your truffles came to mind. I’ll let you know how it turns out..
Can’t wait to hear how they turn out with the baking chocolate! I wonder if it will be too soft – but then once you chill the mix it should firm up so I’m very curious! Let us know!
They turned out very firm. and delicious! A little bitter, because I tend to skimp on the sweetener, but that’s ok, because that means I don’t have to share! I used coconut shreds instead of the nuts, because I didn’t have any. Tasty little treats! Thanks for sharing.
Did you the same amount baking chocolate as the amount cocoa called for? I have some really good baking chocolate I would like to try in these instead.
I don’t think you’d need the same amount of chocolate as the cocoa powder – it’s hard to say but if you experiment with them let me know how they come out!
Thank you so much – I just started no wheat, low carb a week ago and its been great – but today the chocolate cravings have hit hard – these look amazing!!
Hang in there! Once you get out of the wheat and carbs detox your cravings should ease up! Meanwhile, you can eat these (in moderation of course) guilt free! :)
Oh my! I’m definitely going to make these! and share them with my diabetic friend who misses chocolate – thanks!
I hope you guys both like them! They really did the trick for me!