Whole New Mom - https://wholenewmom.com
Healthy Pumpkin Truffles (vegan, keto, paleo)
Servings: 30 truffles
Calories: 95kcal
These Pumpkin Truffles combine a creamy pumpkin cream filling enrobed in a white chocolate shell. They're simple to make, delicious, sure to please and are healthy too so you can indulge guilt-free!
Print Recipe
Ingredients
Vegan Cream Cheese Pumpkin Filling
- 2 1/2 cups macadamias (or cashews or hemp seeds -- see notes)
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons butter (softened--use coconut oil for vegan option)
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (see Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice)
- 3 tablespoons maple-flavored monk fruit syrup (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 tablespoons low-carb sweetener
Truffle Coating
- 1 cup low-carb white chocolate (for dipping; see my White Chocolate Chips)
- 1/4 cup low-carb white chocolate (optional; for orange drizzle)
- cinnamon (for decoration)
- natural orange food coloring
- Small orange or gold decorative candy pearls for topping (natural preferred) (optional)
Instructions
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a food processor, combine nuts or seeds, lemon juice, water, salt. Process until smooth.
- Add butter (or alternative) and granulated sweetener and process until smooth, scraping down sides of processor bowl as needed.
- Add canned pumpkin and process until smooth.
- Add pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, syrup and vanilla. Process until smooth, again scraping sides of bowl as needed.
- Place Truffle mixture in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour.
- Remove from refrigerator.
- Using a scoop (or tablespoon) take tablespoonfuls of the mixture and roll into balls. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
- Place rolled balls in freezer for 30 minutes.
- Place the white chocolate in the top of a double boiler and heat over low heat until melted and smooth when stirred.
- Remove truffle balls from freezer. Dip balls into the melted white chocolate, placing back on parchment paper-lined sheet.
- Place the cookie sheet into the refrigerator to set the chocolate.
- Melt the remaining white chocolate and add one drop of the orange food coloring at a time until you get the desired tint.
- Remove truffles from fridge and drizzle the orange coating on truffles.
- Sprinkle cinnamon on truffles, adding optional candy pearls on top if desired.
- Leave in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to completely set, or overnight for best results.
Notes
These truffles are really versatile for all kind of special diets. Here are some options. Happy to help if you have questions about how to adapt this recipe for your needs.
Cream "cheese" filling options: You can use regular cream cheese if you like, or purchase a ready made vegan cream cheese. Alternatively, you can make your own vegan cream cheese.
Sweeteners: Use whatever sweetener you like. For AIP, coconut sugar, honey, or maple syrup is best. For Low-carb / Keto, some options are an erythritol/monk blend, xylitol, Zen Sweet, or stevia, or any combination of the above. Also note that you can of course adjust the sweeteners to taste. Note that xylitol is toxic to dogs.
THM: This recipe, done with low-carb sweeteners, is THM:S
Vegan: Using a vegan cream cheese and a vegan coating (either plain cocoa butter or chocolate such as this brand of white chocolate) will make this a vegan recipe.
Maple Syrup: You could also use 3 tablespoons of a low carb simple syrup and a splash of natural maple flavoring. I have, however, made this without the maple flavoring and simply used the simple syrup and it worked out well too.
If you choose to make these truffles using dairy (non-vegan) cream cheese, then use 16 ounces and omit the nuts, water, lemon juice, and salt.
Chocolate Coating: You can alternatively use cocoa butter for dipping for a not as sweet treat. Or sweeten the cocoa butter with a sweetener of choice after melting. Of course, you could also be super duper adventurous and coat these with melted dark chocolate (these Homemade Chocolate Chips would work fantastic for that!)
Nut options: Cashews will make the creamiest and the tastiest filling for these truffles. Macadamias will work well too. I have tried them with sunflower seed and that works too but has a somewhat more earthy flavor. Hemp seeds work as well, but their color is deeper.
Topping Options: One reader had a fantastic idea--to top these Keto Pumpkin Truffles with small pieces of crystallized ginger.
Nutrition
Serving: 1truffle | Calories: 95kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 94mg | Potassium: 79mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1306IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg | Net Carbs: 3g