VEGAN FERRERO ROCHER Recipe: Homemade version

Vegan Ferrero Rocher is a hazelnut ganache truffle: dark chocolate melted with hot coconut cream, mixed with hazelnut butter and maple syrup, then chilled until firm. Each truffle is wrapped around a whole roasted hazelnut and rolled in chopped hazelnuts for the classic crunchy coating. It uses a handful of pantry ingredients and needs several hours of chilling rather than any baking.

These truffles are not the healthiest vegan recipe you can make, as there are no dates, raw cocoa or coconut oil in them. These sweet balls feature two basic ingredients at their core: 70% fine dark chocolate and 100% hazelnut butter. I personally prepare the hazelnut butter myself in my food processor but you can definitely purchase some in the health food store. My homemade version involves roasted hazelnuts which are richer in flavour and texture, so if you are getting the store-bought version, I would suggest that you go for the roasted kind instead of the raw.

Here the base is a rich hazelnut ganache which is balled into truffles around one roasted hazelnut each and then wrapped in finely cut hazelnuts. It’s so simple. All you need is 6 ingredients, a tad messy hands, and you have created yourself finger bites of chocolate and praline.

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INGREDIENTS

• 5.3oz (150g) fine dark chocolate (around 70% cocoa content)
• 180ml/3/4 cup organic smooth hazelnut butter
• ½ cup & 2 tbsp/150 ml coconut cream or milk (full-fat)
• 150g/1 cup roasted hazelnuts
• ¼ cup (60 ml) maple syrup
• A few drops of vanilla extract
• 1-2 tsp instant coffee

DIRECTIONS

1. Chop the chocolate into big bits (I personally hit a sealed packet against my workstation to break it apart). Place the chopped or broken chocolate into a heatproof bowl overheated water to melt very gradually (use low heat). When you see that the chocolate has melted, take it off the heat, keeping the bowl hovered over the heated water.
2. While the chocolate melts, add the coconut milk in a saucepan or small pot to heat it up. Stir in the instant coffee grounds in the heated milk. I used 2 tsp to add a note of coffee in the truffles. If you don’t want the coffee to be so detectable, simply use 1 tsp just to boost the chocolate flavour a bit.
3. Add the heated coconut milk gradually to the chocolate. If you notice that it becomes a bit hard or grainy, don’t worry as we prepare ganache—just keep whisking in the milk in multiple parts and the chocolate will go back to its smooth and creamy state.
4. Add the maple syrup while stirring well and add the hazelnut butter. If you have hazelnut or vanilla extract, you can add a few drops at this point (you don’t have to but I find the boost the flavour a bit).
5. Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature and keep in the fridge for at least 7 hours or until it toughens up.
6. Before you take the mixture out of the fridge, keep aside a min, 20-22 hazelnuts and finely chop the rest. Place and spread over a baking tray or clear baking sheet.
7. Spoon parts of the mixture and use a kitchen scale to calculate equal-sized balls or just gauge with your eyes, if you don’t have scales. Take each piece in your hand’s palm (a spot where the hands are cold and it helps), make each piece flat, insert one hazelnut in the centre of each piece and wrap the truffle mix around the hazelnut. Then, roll each truffle in the chopped hazelnuts. I suggest you work in small increments as the mixture will become harder to work with after some time sitting. Place ¼ of the mix into a chilled bowl and put the remaining mixture in the freezer while you ball the 5 truffles. Repeat the above steps with the remaining ¾ of the chocolate mixture.
8. Keep in your fridge in an air-proof container, for up to 7 days.

Can I Use a Different Plant Milk Instead of Coconut?

You may use another dairy-free plant milk, such as almond (I suggest you make your own, as store-bought plant milk is quite watery). If you do so, add 4 tablespoons to counteract the fact that coconut milk is fattier and richer than other vegan milks. Note that this substitution will yield less batter and fewer balls.

How Do I Roast My Own Hazelnuts?

If you can’t find any roasted hazelnuts in store, roast them yourself at 180°C (350°F) for 6 to 10 minutes, until fragrant and lightly golden.

How Long Do Vegan Ferrero Rocher Truffles Keep?

Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, these truffles keep for up to 7 days.

• vegan chocolate
• vegan cookies
• vegan dessert