Treat yourself to these healthy cocoa avocado balls. Made with simple all-natural ingredients.
This website receives a commission/fee for each purchase bought through the affiliate links on this website.
These cocoa avocado balls can double up as healthy vegan truffles so they're fabulous to make during the festive season, any holiday or perhaps be shared/given as a gift.
However I don't need a reason to make these, I love them as a snack as they are refined sugar free!
Ingredients and Variations
Notes on some of the ingredients, the full list of ingredients and their measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Medjool dates are meaty and super sweet, making them ideal as no additional sweetener is required. Make sure the dates are at room temperature, I add boiling water to this recipe to help soften them further.
Ripe avocado adds a creaminess. As they are virtually flavorless, it is a great way to hide additional fruit and fiber.
Cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder adds the chocolate flavor. 100% raw organic cacao powder (affiliate link) is unrefined powdered chocolate in its purest form. You can find this ingredient in the health food section of your supermarket.
I have also used it in my gluten free oil free vegan sweet potato brownies.
Coating Suggestions
I like experimenting with different coatings for these avocado balls, and sometimes I leave them uncoated too.
Whichever coating you choose, pour it into a bowl for gentle rolling of each ball. As the avocado mixture can be sticky, the coating will adhere easily, and once coated, the balls will no longer be sticky.
Crushed nuts of any kind, pistachio is shown in these images.
Seeds such as sesame seeds or sunflower seeds.
Desiccated coconut is lovely for the contrast in color along with the flavor.
More cocoa powder or maca powder for a malt flavor. I like using this brand of maca powder (affiliate link) as it is organic with no nasties.
Pro Tips
The mixture of these balls is quite sticky and soft (see the pic above and the recipe card below), using a little bit of water on your hands will help the mixture not stick to your hands when rolling them into shape.
The ideal size for these are 1-2 bites, as they are quite sweet. The texture should be soft.
Storage
These will store well in the freezer for up to 2 months in an airtight freezer-friendly snap-lock bag. They will not freeze solid, but stay cold and can be eaten immediately.
More Vegan Treats
For more recipes using cocao powder, try persimmon chocolate pudding or these peanut butter chocolate balls.
Otherwise, another chocolate and avocado recipe is this avocado chocolate mousse.
Or enjoy these with a drink from this mimosa bar.
Did you make this? I'd love to know! Leave me a comment below with a ★★★★★ rating or tag @plantbasedfolk on social media.
Recipe
Healthy Cocoa Avocado Balls
Ingredients
- 20 medium - large Medjool dates pitted, room temperature
- ¼ cup Cacao powder
- ¼ large Avocado
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 smidge Salt
- 2 tablespoons Boiling water
Instructions
- In a food processor, add all ingredients and blend until smooth. You will need to scrape down the sides several times to ensure everything has been processed evenly.20 medium - large Medjool dates, ¼ cup Cacao powder, ¼ large Avocado, 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract, 1 smidge Salt, 2 tablespoons Boiling water
- Spoon out a tablespoon of the mixture and roll in your wet hands (use small amounts of water at a time to wet hands). Each ball should be about 1-2 bite-sized pieces. Roll the ball in your desired coating (see the suggestions I made in the above article) and place it on a parchment-lined tray. Repeat until all of the mixture has been used.
- Ensure balls are not touching each other on the tray. Cover the tray lightly with baking paper and place in the freezer, for at least 1-2 hours. Then transfer them to an airtight container and store them in the freezer. Enjoy cold, straight from the freezer.
Video
Notes
Equipment
Nutrition
N.B., nutrition info is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. This will vary based on the specific ingredients you use.
If you enjoyed this recipe, consider supporting my work for the cost of a cup of coffee.
Janette
How long will these keep in the fridge, and could you freeze them. They look really good for a Christmas treat.
Janelle Hama
They will keep in the fridge for a week. Yes, they can be placed in a freezer; place them individually on a lined tray with a sheet of parchment paper on top and freeze over night. They can be eaten within minutes of taking them out of the freezer, they will be very cold but still edible (not frozen solid). I am still testing out how long they will keep in the freezer, will update that when ready.