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Mini Vegan Chocolate Turtles

December 27, 2019 by Mia Zarlengo 13 Comments

vegan chocolate turtle truffles on white plate

A new favorite vegan treat! The best mini turtle truffles made with easy date caramel, crunchy pecans, and a sea salt chocolate coating. Yum!!

I hope everyone had the best holidays!! I had the best time relaxing at my parent’s house, soaking up all the family time and delicious food. And lots of couch time- the best!

Lately I’ve had a huge craving for for the classic chocolate turtles, so I wanted to make a healthier/vegan version. And trust me, these ones are easily just as delicious. You would never even believe how simple/healthy the ingredients are!

All you need:

  • Dates
  • Almond Butter
  • Maple Syrup
  • Pecans
  • Chocolate
  • Sea Salt

So simple!

vegan chocolate turtle truffles on white plate

I’m a huge fan of having a homemade healthier treat in the freezer to satisfy those sweet cravings. I’m so happy we have a batch of these ready to grab! I also always have some of my peppermint mocha balls in the freezer!

These are the perfect combo of sweet and salty. Little bites of heaven!

You could easily double or triple these to have more on hand, or if you’re making these for a crowd! These would be perfect for a sweet bite for a New Years Eve party! We’re keeping it super low key for New Years this year because of the wedding, but I am definitely making some of these for us to enjoy 🙂

You guys are going to love these! Enjoy! xx

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Mini Vegan Chocolate Turtles

★★★★★ 5 from 10 reviews
  • Author: Mia Zarlengo
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 14–15 turtles 1x
  • Category: Dessert
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Description

Easy mini vegan chocolate turtles! 


Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of dates, soaked in hot water for 5 minutes
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp almond butter
  • 1/3 cup chopped pecans (more if needed)
  • 1/2 cup dairy free chocolate chips (or any dark chocolate)
  • Sea salt

Instructions

  1. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
  2. After soaking the dates, drain and remove pits and add to a food processor with almond butter, maple syrup, and a pinch of sea salt. Process until smooth and well combined.
  3. Form the caramel into mini patties, about 1 tsp in size. It helps to wet your hands so the caramel doesn’t stick to you.
  4. Dip one side of the caramel patties into the chopped pecans, then place on the lightly greased baking dish. Freeze for 20 minutes.
  5. Line another small baking sheet with parchment paper. On the stovetop on low heat, melt the chocolate until very smooth. Dip each side of the turtles in the chocolate and sprinkle with sea salt and set on the parchment paper. Allow chocolate to harden and store in the freezer. 

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Filed Under: Dessert, Recipes

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tori

    January 25, 2020 at 5:46 pm

    Delicious — love storing them in the freezer!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Mia Zarlengo

      January 27, 2020 at 5:18 pm

      The BEST frozen!! Thanks Tor 😉

      Reply
  2. Victoria

    February 8, 2020 at 4:16 am

    Flawless recipe!! I always have enough chocolate to cover each turtle perfectly. These are definitely treats that impress but are so easy to make!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  3. Maddy

    February 11, 2020 at 4:51 pm

    These are UNREAL. Can’t believe they’re vegan and perfect for a nighttime sweet without the guilt.

    Reply
  4. phaidra

    March 23, 2020 at 3:14 am

    These are delicious!
    They took longer to freeze so people should keep that in mind. And I had to chop more than 1/3 pecans…probably about 3/4 cup. But could hardly wait for them to set, they are so good!
    Also didn’t have almond butter and used peanut butter (crunchy) instead.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Mia Zarlengo

      March 23, 2020 at 1:24 pm

      Thanks for the note Phaidra! Glad you loved them :)!

      Reply
  5. Morgan

    March 28, 2020 at 4:24 pm

    So easy and so good to have on hand for a sweet treat!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  6. Ariej

    March 28, 2020 at 7:03 pm

    So good and perfect to satisfy your sweet tooth!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  7. Carly

    May 12, 2020 at 10:18 pm

    So easy and so tasty! The perfect treat.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  8. Nicole

    May 13, 2020 at 4:37 am

    This recipe was phenomenal! I’ve been making them nonstop and keeping them in the freezer for later. Such a good cure for a sweet tooth! I’m obsessed with every recipe I have tried from this girl and she just seems like a neat human 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  9. Claudia

    May 13, 2020 at 1:45 pm

    These are AMAZING!! My new favorite treat! decided to add crushed walnuts on top of the chocolate for an extra topping.
    I love this recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  10. Nikki

    October 18, 2020 at 10:09 pm

    I don’t have a food processor (used a blender instead) so the caramel was a little on the chunky side but I’m not complaining, they will still delicious!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  11. Allie

    November 25, 2020 at 1:04 am

    I make these once a month and freeze them to make them last! So easy to make and so delicious for a sweet snack. I always use walnuts instead of pecans and they’re amazing!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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Welcome! I am so happy you chose to gather around my table. My name is Mia Zarlengo, and I am a registered dietitian with a passion for simple healthy recipes, women's hormonal health, and overall wellness! Read More…

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