Passover Desserts: Dairy Free Truffles

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Dairy-free truffles make the perfect Passover dessert. Flavored with orange and cardamom, these are a luscious bite for Passover or any time chocolate is the dessert of choice.

Another truffle recipe you might like are my chocolate nutella truffles.

For ease of browsing, here are all of my Passover recipes in one place.

Chocolate truffles in mini cupcake papers on a slate board.

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Why you'll love this recipe!

It's chocolate. It's easy. It's dairy free if you want it to be. In that case it's perfect as a Passover dessert. But please don't wait for Passover to make these and please don't pass them over if you are not Jewish!

This truffle recipe can be made with whipping cream and butter or coconut cream and coconut oil. And it tastes wonderful either way.

You can also prepare this dessert ahead of time and just keep it waiting in the refrigerator.

And the flavors, as written, are excellent. But by no means do you have to stick with my flavor combinations - try your own and have fun with the coatings too!

Ingredients you’ll need

Ingredient shot for dairy free chocolate truffles showing all ingredients labelled.

The ingredients for these chocolate truffles are simple and flexible. If this is a Passover dessert or you are lactose-intolerant, go with dairy free coconut-based products. If you are not concerned about the dairy, then by all means use butter and cream. The coconut cream is not a compromise - they are wonderful either way!

Coconut cream: You can buy a can of it at Trader Joe's but any can of coconut milk will do. Just refrigerate the can and when you open it, the cream will have separated from the water and you have the cream you need!
Coconut oil: There are two kinds - refined and unrefined. The refined coconut oil has no coconut flavor so is best for savory cooking or anytime you don't want the added coconut aroma.
Chocolate: I keep good quality chocolate chips in the house for their ease of use (no chopping chocolate) but feel free to use whatever semisweet or dark chocolate you like.
Orange zest: The liquid will be strained so fine zested rind or strips of rind both work well here.
Cardamom pods: Whole green cardamom pods are easily found at specialty grocers or likely at your large grocery retailer. Slightly crush them to help release the flavor.
Orange blossom water: You will find this at your local Middle Eastern grocer or online. Or try your favorite orange liqueur.
Coatings: Here I used chopped and toasted pistachios, unsweetened flaked coconut, turbinado sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder. Feel free to go crazy and try other nuts and sugars or salt or whatever sounds fun to you!

How to make this recipe

1. Combine the coconut cream or heavy cream in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan with the orange zest and cardamom pods.

Coconut cream, cardamom and orange zest in a pot.

2. As soon as the mixture starts to boil, take it off the heat and let it sit for 15 minutes to infuse the flavor of the zest and cardamom.

Coconut cream and cardamom and orange zest boiling in a small pot.

3. Meanwhile, place the chocolate and butter or coconut oil into a microwave safe bowl

Chocolate and coconut oil in a red bowl.

4.Then place a fine mesh strainer over the bowl.

Strainer over a red bowl for chocolate truffle passover dessert.

5. After the cream has infused with the flavors, reheat it just to bubbling and pour it through the strainer into the chocolate.

Liquid strained and poured through strainer onto chocolate for chocolate truffles.

6. Now mix the cream and chocolate together. It probably won't completely melt from the hot liquid. Place the bowl in the microwave for 15 - 30 seconds, then mix again.

Chocolate truffle mixture with wooden spoon in red bowl.

7. Once smooth, add your orange liqueur or orange blossom water and mix again.

Pouring orange blossom water into chocolate truffle mixture.

8.Then place the mixture in the refrigerator until it firms up – an hour or so but it can stay longer.

9.To form the truffles, scoop about a teaspoonful of the chocolate mixture and use your hands to form it into a ball. Then roll the chocolate ball in your choice of coatings – toasted coconut, toasted nuts such as pistachios or hazelnuts or almonds, a touch of sea salt, cocoa powder. It’s up to you! Experiment and have fun. Serve in mini cupcake containers or on parchment paper. Keep refrigerated until use.

Expert Tips and FAQs

This recipe can easily be doubled. I mean, you can't really have too much chocolate right?
This is the perfect make-ahead dessert for Passover or anytime. Both the unformed mixture and the formed truffles keep well stored in the refrigerator.
The coconut cream/oil dairy-free version softens up a bit quicker than the heavy cream/butter version so don't leave them out of the fridge for too long. And they eat nicely right from the refrigerator.
Have fun with the flavors - try rose water, other liqueurs, vanilla, almond extract. Or leave it out. And just focus on the chocolate and coatings.

How should I store my dairy-free truffles?

I recommend refrigerating them in a closed container or on a platter covered with plastic wrap. The important thing is to keep them airtight so they don't pick up other flavors in the refrigerator.

How long will the truffles keep in the refrigerator.

For optimum texture, I would say about 2 weeks. But properly stored, I don't think a few extra days would be a problem. But really, you'll finish them long before then, I promise!

What can I use the extra coconut water and coconut cream for?

Coconut water is perfect to add to your smoothies. And coconut cream can be whipped into whip cream for a dairy-free dessert topping! Another winner for Passover or anytime you want a vegan or dairy-free dessert option.

Don't pass over these other OMG! Yummy recipes

Chocolate-dipped Macaroons

Close up of a chocolate dipped dairy free macaroon surrounded by other cookies and macadamia nuts and lime quarters.

Matzo Granola

Dairy Free Chocolate Pudding

Browse all of my Passover recipes

Matzo farfel kugel photo showing rolling pin and matzo boards being made into matzo farfel

To learn more about how to celebrate Passover, read my Passover guide!

Four photos of Passover desserts and dishes with a title in the middle.

Gluten Free Passover Apple Cake

Buy my cookbook now!

P.S. If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating and/or a review in the comment section below. I so appreciate your feedback! AND find more inspiration on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Signup for my email list, too!

Passover Desserts: Dairy-free Truffles

Beth Lee

Dairy-free truffles make the perfect Passover dessert. Flavored with orange and cardamom, these are a luscious bite for Passover or any time chocolate is the dessert of choice.

5 from 5 votes

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Prep Time 45

Cook Time 2

Total Time 47

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings servings

Calories 154 kcal

Ingredients

¼ cup coconut cream or heavy cream
grated zest of ½ medium-sized orange
3-4 cardamom pods slightly crushed
5 oz dark or semisweet chocolate chopped or use good quality chips
1 ½ tablespoons coconut oil or butter
1 tablespoon orange liqueur or orange blossom water
A choice of coatings such as cocoa powder, toasted nuts, sea salt, sugar, toasted coconut

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Instructions

In a small pan on medium heat, heat the coconut cream or heavy cream with the zest and cardamom pods, just to boiling. It will bubble quickly – do not walk away. As soon as it starts to boil, take it off the heat and let it sit for 15 minutes or so to infuse the flavor of the zest and cardamom.
Meanwhile, prepare your chocolate. Place the chocolate and coconut oil or butter into a microwave safe bowl.
Then place a fine mesh strainer over the bowl. After the cream has infused with the flavors, reheat it just to bubbling and pour it through the strainer into the chocolate.
Now mix the cream and chocolate together. Because this is a small amount of cream, you may have to place the bowl into the microwave for 30 seconds to finish the melting process.
Once smooth, add your orange liqueur or orange blossom water and mix again.
Then place the mixture in the refrigerator until it firms up – an hour or so but it can stay longer. You can prepare the chocolate mixture ahead of time to fit your schedule and the truffles can be formed later.
To form the truffles, scoop about a teaspoonful of the chocolate mixture and use your hands to form it into a ball. The version with the coconut cream and oil softens quickly so I highly recommend wearing gloves to form the truffles and move along quickly/deliberately.
Roll each chocolate ball in your choice of coatings – toasted coconut, toasted nuts such as pistachios or hazelnuts or almonds, a touch of sea salt, cocoa powder. It’s up to you! Experiment and have fun. Serve in mini cupcake containers or on parchment paper. Keep refrigerated until use.

Notes

This recipe can easily be doubled. I mean, you can't really have too much chocolate right?
This is the perfect make-ahead dessert for Passover or anytime. Both the unformed mixture and the formed truffles keep well stored in the refrigerator.
The coconut cream/oil dairy-free version softens up a bit quicker than the heavy cream/butter version so don't leave them out of the fridge for too long. And they eat nicely right from the refrigerator.
Have fun with the flavors - try rose water, other liqueurs, vanilla, almond extract. Or leave it out. And just focus on the chocolate and coatings.

Inspired by a recipe in The Fearless Baker by Emily Luchetti

Nutrition

Calories: 154kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 1gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 23mgPotassium: 111mgFiber: 1gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 185IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 18mgIron: 1.2mg

Keyword chocolate, dairy-free, Passover

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