cocoa powder

02.04.20

Paleo Chocolate Truffles

Posted on by Lexi , Views: 88314

Where healthy meets chocolate, these Paleo Chocolate Truffles are made with a few simple ingredients and are down-right delicious. This decadent chocolate treat is simple to put together but looks stunning! Aside from being Paleo Friendly, these truffles are also vegan and don’t have any added refined sugars. Make these for that certain holiday for lovers, or really anytime of year!

Dairy free chocolate truffles with a variety of coatings in a bowl.Easy Paleo Truffles

These Paleo Chocolate Truffles are decadent and down-right delicious, but also super easy to make! Basically you just make a thick chocolate ganache, let it chill and then roll into balls! You can coat these chocolate-y treats in a variety of flavors, but our favorites include the classic cocoa powder finish, as well as shredded coconut and freeze-dried fruit. They’re the perfect sweet treat to share with a friend, partner or to enjoy all by yourself!

Ingredients Needed

  • Dark Chocolate
  • Coconut Cream 
  • Coconut Oil
  • Maple Syrup (optional)
  • Instant Espresso Powder (optional, but deepens the chocolate flavor)
  • Sea Salt

Paleo truffle ball in shredded coconut.Options for Coating

We coated these with three of our favorites for truffles.

Cocoa Powder: This is the most obvious! It’s classic, and for a reason.

Finely Shredded Coconut: You can leave this natural or you can toast it for a deeper coconut flavor.

Freeze Dried Fruit Powder: A fun way to add flavor to these truffles! Freeze dried fruit is now commonly found in most grocery stores and is inexpensive! Make sure to read the label to check that the only ingredient listed is the actual fruit and does not include any additives. We love the 365 brand of them at Whole Foods or the options at Trader Joe’s. Use any type of freeze dried fruit you like, but we found raspberry and strawberry to be a natural pairing with chocolate.

Making Paleo Chocolate Truffles

Essentially, to make these chocolate truffles you’ll be making a thick chocolate ganache, then chilling it until it’s easily rolled into a ball, and finally coating them with your flavor of choice! Nothing here is complicated but there are a few steps to get the chocolate to the right consistency.

The trickiest part for making these is gauging when the chocolate is the right consistency for rolling. First you’ll let the chocolate cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes, and then place it in the freezer until it’s chilled enough to scoop out and roll into balls, about 1 hour.

Because the chocolate has coconut oil added to it, it can be tricky to roll into balls without making a sticky mess. Work quickly, and if it does get to be too messy, you can place the chocolate back in the freezer to harder. I’ve also found that washing your hands if they get too sticky to be helpful.

Chocolate truffle in cocoa powder.

Tips for Working with Chocolate

  • Use a medium to good quality chocolate, especially if you are using chocolate chips. While we love that this is an affordable DIY chocolate option, using low quality chocolate with a lot of additives, will negatively impact the final product. This is especially true if you are using chocolate chips, which are manufactured to hold their shape. Look for chocolate or chocolate chips with only a few ingredients for the best bark taste and texture. It doesn’t have to be the most expensive chocolate, but shoot for a minimum of the mid range brands such as Enjoy Life (for dairy-free), Ghiradelli, Trader Joe’s, 365 Brand, or Guittard, at a minimum. And of course, pay attention to added ingredients if you have dietary restrictions. And if you can afford better quality chocolate, go ahead as this will be the recipe to use it for.
  • Make sure all utensils are clean and dry. Water and chocolate do not mix! Even a small addition of water to chocolate can make it break, which would mean gritty chocolate. Make sure your bowls and utensils are clean and dry.
  • Melt chocolate in a double boiler. We suggest melting the chocolate mixture over a double-boiler because it’s the most gentle way to melt it. Most people don’t have a double boiler at home, so make up your own by placing a heat proof bowl over a simmering pot of water. Just make sure that the bowl is not touching the water. Using this method to melt the chocolate is an easy way to melt it, while making sure you don’t over cook the chocolate. 

Bowl of different flavors of chocolate truffles.

If you like this chocolate recipe, check out these others:

Want more Valentine’s Day recipes & ideas? Here are some we love:

Paleo Chocolate Truffles
Yields 36
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Prep Time
10 min
Total Time
3 hr
Prep Time
10 min
Total Time
3 hr
Ingredients
  1. 12 oz. dark chocolate
  2. 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
  3. 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder
  4. 1 tbsp maple syrup
  5. Dash sea salt
  6. ½ cup cocoa powder for rolling
  7. Optional: 1-2 drops Young Living Lavender Essential Oil
Instructions
  1. Break up chocolate into pieces if it's in bark form
  2. In a pot heat coconut milk and chocolate
  3. Add in espresso powder and maple syrup
  4. Mix until combined; the mixture will be thick and look somewhat gooey
  5. Remove and add in dash of sea salt and lavender
  6. Set the bowl in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours, or in the freezer for 1 hour or until mixture hardens
  7. Set on the counter to soften for a few minutes before scooping
  8. Scoop out about 1/2 inch balls with a spoon and lay them out on parchment paper covered board. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes
  9. Roll truffle balls with your hands to make them evenly round
  10. Roll truffles in cocoa powder and serve
  11. Keep refrigerated when not in use
Lexi's Clean Kitchen https://lexiscleankitchen.com/
12.11.19

Frozen Hot Chocolate

Posted on by Lexi , Views: 35525

This Frozen Hot Chocolate is the perfect treat in the winter, with a twist. Whether you live in hot or cold climates, this chilly chocolate-y drink is fun to sip on, and so delicious. Made optionally dairy-free without any refined sweeteners.

Frozen hot chocolate with whipped cream on topFrozen Hot Chocolate Recipe

When I was young, my dad would take us to Serendipity in New York City. They are known for their frozen hot chocolate and it’s what we always ordered! A drink was double the size of my head and so delicious. I have such fond memories of this that I wanted to recreate it, with options for making it dairy-free.  If you’ve never had it, think of it as a chocolate slushy. 

This fun seasonal winter drink is a twist on the classic hot chocolate drink, made frozen!

Whipped cream with chocolate shavings

Ingredients Needed

  • Dark Chocolate (either a chopped bar of chocolate or chocolate chips)
  • Cocoa Powder
  • Maple Syrup
  • Milk (use regular dairy or dairy-free such as almond milk or oat milk)
  • Ice
  • For Serving: Whipped cream or coconut cream, chocolate shavings and sea salt)

How to Make Frozen Hot Chocolate

Our frozen chocolate recipe uses a combination of real chocolate that is melted and cocoa powder. The chocolate has to be melted first, and then whisked together with the cocoa powder and maple syrup. Then whisk in the milk, gradually. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes to cool.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a blender until smooth and creamy, adding more ice if needed.

Serve it with whipped coconut cream or whipped cream, and chocolate shavings. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if desired. 

frozen chocolate drink made dairy free.

If you like this seasonal recipe, check out these others:

For more winter time sweet treats, check out these recipes:

Sea Salt Frozen Hot Chocolate

Print shopping list
Prep Time 10 min Total Time 0:10

Ingredients

For the Whipped Cream

Garnish

  • Shaved Chocolate
  • Coarse sea salt

Directions

  • Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth
  • Place whipped cream ingredients in your stand mixer and whip until creamy and thick
  • Garnish and enjoy!
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    There may be affiliate links in this post! By clicking on them, or purchasing recommended items I may receive a small compensation, at no cost to you! However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use in my own home! Thank you for supporting Lexi's Clean Kitchen when you shop! See my privacy policy for more information about this, the information we save, and more!
    02.05.19

    Paleo Fudge (Nut-free)

    Posted on by Lexi's Clean Kitchen , Views: 13077

    This Paleo Fudge is a lightened-up chocolate-y treat that is good any time of day and takes less than 10 minutes to whip up! It’s made nut-free with healthy fats and antioxidant rich cocoa powder and is barely sweetened with only a touch of maple syrup. It’s vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and most important out-of-this-world-good! This will be your NEW favorite fudge recipe, promise.

    Easy paleo fudgePaleo Fudge

    February calls for chocolate, and this Paleo Fudge doesn’t disappoint! We have a few festive treats planned for you, and we kicked it off with the Strawberry and Chocolate Ganache Sandwich Cookies from yesterday. Like that recipe, this one is also nut-free, which means it’s inclusive for those with nut allergies and you are able to send it to school with your kids. This Paleo Fudge is a treat you can feel good about eating, made with real food but most importantly insanely delicious.

    Vegan Paleo Fudge

    But this isn’t your average fudge recipe. First off, we call for cocoa powder. We love that it is rich in antioxidants and doesn’t have any added sugar or dairy, but more importantly it’s SO FUDGEY. Second, this one is nut-free. A lot of alternative fudge recipes call for almond butter, including this previous fudge on LCK, but this one uses sunflower butter (or alternatively tahini). Third, we add a bit of coconut flour to help firm up the fudge and give it the perfect texture. We discovered, and fell in love with that trick while testing for our PB & J Fat Bombs. And finally we love the added healthy fats thanks to the coconut oil. Having a piece of this fudge as a snack will definitely give you some energy that will last for a while!

    While this fudge cannot stay for hours at room temperature, it will last for quite a while outside of the refrigerator and they don’t need to be stored in the freezer, and we like that!

    Paleo fudge nut free

    If you like this chocolate recipe, check out these others:

    Paleo Fudge

    Print shopping list
    Prep Time 00:05 Cook Time 00:03 Total Time 00:08 (plus chilling time) Yields 12 pieces

    Ingredients

    Directions

    1. In a medium pot, melt together coconut oil, maple syrup, salt and cocoa powder. Stir until it has all melted and combined.
    2. Add sunflower butter, coconut flour and vanilla extract and whisk together.
    3. Line a 7.5” by 5” container, or a similar size, with a parchment paper sling (for easy removal) and pour the chocolate mixture inside.
    4. Smooth the top and refrigerate until set at least 2 hours, but preferable 6 hours.
    5. Using the sling, remove the fudge mixture and slice to 12-16 pieces. Store in the refrigerator and enjoy within 10 days.

    Recipe Notes

    1. This recipe also works, and was tested with tahini (sesame seed paste). It has a slightly different taste to it, but still delicious so feel free to swap that in for equal portions if desired.
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    There may be affiliate links in this post! By clicking on them, or purchasing recommended items I may receive a small compensation, at no cost to you! However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use in my own home! Thank you for supporting Lexi's Clean Kitchen when you shop! See my privacy policy for more information about this, the information we save, and more!
    09.07.18

    The BEST Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake Recipe

    Posted on by Lexi , Views: 45157

    This Gluten-Free Chocolate Layer Cake may just be the best chocolate cake we have ever eaten, gluten-free or not. It is super moist, with deep chocolate flavor, and truly easy to put together. The chocolate cake layers are dairy-free and paleo-friendly, and we can promise this gluten-free cake will be a hit for any occasion!

    Gluten Free Chocolate CakeGluten-Free Chocolate Cake

    We heard you! After we published the BEST Gluten-Free Layer Birthday Cake recipe a while back you’ve been asking us to make a chocolate version. We got to it right away and we are CRAZY HAPPY with the results. This truly is the best chocolate cake we’ve ever tasted! You won’t know it’s gluten-free (not that that matters around here) and it is so rich and moist!

    Making this recipe wasn’t as easy as adding in chocolate to our vanilla layer cake. A chocolate cake is a whole different beast. We started with a base of almond and coconut flour, which we love. It lends itself to have just the right crumb and moisture level. And then we added in cocoa powder and adjusted the level of sweetener to balance the bitterness. We added some coffee in to boast the chocolate flavor, but feel free to swap it out with additional milk instead. It took us a few tries to get the right amount of fat, which we use avocado oil here, but once we did this cake was SO GOOD.

    Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Recipe Slice

    The cake layers themselves are dairy-free. We choose to frost it with a chocolate buttercream, but if you don’t tolerate dairy you can certainly use a dairy-free chocolate ganache made with coconut milk and dairy-free chocolate to frost your cake.

    As we said above, this cake does have nuts. If you’re looking for a nut-free and school-safe cake recipe, go for the two in my cookbook or this July 4th Classic Cake!

    Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Overhead

    Tips Tools Needed to Frost a Cake Like a Pro

    It’s not essential to frost the cake like we did. But if you want to give it a whirl, getting these tools make it easier to get an even and smooth cake!

    Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

    If you like this celebration dessert, check out these other recipes:

    Watch the video:


    Gluten-Free Chocolate Layer Cake

    Print shopping list
    Prep Time 00:10 Cook Time 00:25 Total Time 00:35 Serves 6-10

    Ingredients

    For Cake Layers:

    For Chocolate Buttercream:

    Directions

    For Cake Layers:

    1. Pre-heat oven to 350ºF and grease 3 6" layer pans (we used avocado spray) and line with parchment paper that fits directly inside. Skipping this step could result in a cake that sticks to the pan. Set aside.
    2. In a medium bowl add almond flour, cocoa, coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt.
    3. In a large bowl whisk eggs. Add in coconut sugar, milk, coffee, avocado oil and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine.
    4. Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients and whisk to combine completely.
    5. Divide batter evenly between 3 cake pans and bake in pre-heated oven for 25  minutes, or until a toothpick inserted and removed is clean or any wet cake batter.
    6. Let cake layers cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing by running a thin knife or offset spatula around the side of the pan to loosen the cake and turning over pan on wire rack. Remove the parchment paper liner if still on the cake. Cool completely before frosting.

    For Buttercream Frosting:

    For Buttercream Frosting:

    1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment beat the butter until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes.
    2. Add the sugar and cocoa powder and mix on low speed until well blended. Increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
    3. Add the vanilla and 1/4 cup of almond milk (or more if needed) and beat on medium speed until lightened in color.

    To Assemble the Cake:

    1. Once cake is cooled place first layer on serving plate and frost with a buttercream layer to prevent the cake from moving once assembled.
    2. Add next layer of cake and repeat with layer of buttercream, smoothing over, and place last cake layer on top.
    3. Place cake in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes, to let set up and to make frosting cake easier.
    4. Once cake has chilled, add about half of frosting to the top of the cake and using an offset spatula frost cake starting with the top and moving excess down the sides of the cake and smoothing as going.
    5. Decorate as desired with additional frosting, chocolate cups and sprinkles on the side.
    6. Cake will keep 3-5 days in refrigerator.

    Recipe Notes

    1. You can omit the coffee and substitute in 1/4 cup almond milk or water. Coffee helps bring out the chocolate flavor, but is not essential.
    2. We have a heavy hand when we frost our cakes. If you think you'll want less frosting, swap the recipe with  3 sticks of butter, 1 cup cocoa powder, 4 cups powdered sugar and follow the recipe as stated. If you do end up with leftover frosting, you can freeze it for later use.
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    There may be affiliate links in this post! By clicking on them, or purchasing recommended items I may receive a small compensation, at no cost to you! However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use in my own home! Thank you for supporting Lexi's Clean Kitchen when you shop! See my privacy policy for more information about this, the information we save, and more!

    09.04.15

    Avocado Brownies

    Posted on by Lexi , Views: 151919

    These dense and fudgey brownies have a secret ingredient that’s packed with nutrients and healthy fats, and nobody will know it! Chocolate Avocado Brownies are the perfect sweet treat to end a meal or even to pack in the lunch box with the kiddos. They’re flourless and Paleo friendly without any refined sweeteners.

    An avocado brownie on a plate with a bit taken out of it.Chocolate Avocado Brownies

    We’re bringing this recipe out from the archives today because it’s worth it! These Chocolate Avocado Brownies, formerly known as Secret Ingredient Brownies are quite the treat! A super fudge-y brownie with a secret healthy fat, because nobody would guess there is avocado in here.

    Avocado brownie batter made in a food processor.

    Here is what you need to make them:

    • Dark Chocolate
    • Grass-fed Butter or Coconut Oil
    • Ripe Avocado
    • Eggs
    • Maple Sugar or Coconut Sugar
    • Cocoa Powder
    • Baking Powder
    • Maple Syrup
    • Vanilla Extract
    • Sea Salt

    Thick avocado brownie batter being smoothed out in a baking dish.

    How to Make Avocado Brownies

    Previously, this recipe was made by pureeing an avocado in a blender and then transferring it to a batter made in a bowl. We’ve found it’s easier to make the whole batter in either a food processor or a high speed blender. It makes for a smoother brownie and dirties up less dishes.

    To make the brownies:

    First Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare an 8″ baking dish by greasing it and lining it with a parchment paper sling.

    Next, you’ll need to melt the butter and chocolate together! To do this: Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil with heatproof bowl over the top. Add the butter and chocolate to the bowl and slowly melt and stir the chocolate until all of it has melted. Remove from heat, let sit a few minutes and then whisk it all together. Alternatively you could melt them together in the microwave at 20 second intervals, whisking in between until it’s fully melted.

    Then make the brownie batter in a food processor or blender: Add ripe avocado to a processor and  blend until smooth. Add in eggs, maple sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, maple syrup, vanilla extract and sea salt and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. 

    Add in the slightly cooled chocolate mixture to the processor and pulse until fully combined.

    Finally, transfer the brownie batter to the prepared baking dish and smooth over the top. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool completely before slicing.

    Watch the video here:

    A forkful of fudge-y and dense brownies made with avocado on a plate.

    If you like this brownie recipe, check out these others:

    If you like this chocolate recipe, check out these others:

    Avocado Brownies

    Print shopping list
    Prep Time 10 min Cook Time 25 min Total Time 0:35 Yields 12

    Ingredients

    Directions

    • Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking dish with parchment paper
    • Heat chocolate and butter in a double boiler over the stove until melted
    • In a blender, blend avocado until smooth
    • Mix avocado into chocolate mixture
    • Add in eggs and whisk to combine
    • Add in maple syrup, maple sugar (or coconut palm sugar), cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and vanilla
    • Add in chocolate chunks and pour into baking dish
    • Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
    • Let cool completely before cutting
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    There may be affiliate links in this post! By clicking on them, or purchasing recommended items I may receive a small compensation, at no cost to you! However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use in my own home! Thank you for supporting Lexi's Clean Kitchen when you shop! See my privacy policy for more information about this, the information we save, and more!