These copycat and fully no-bake vegan Ferrero Rocher truffles are just as delicious as the real thing. I had always wanted to veganize these treats as they were one of my favorites growing up, so that's what I did. Until there is a mainstream dairy-free version of this classic, this recipe will be your best option.
I made the truffles nice and hazel-nutty as I prefer those flavors to be more dominant than the chocolate. The insides of the chocolate balls are filled generously with creamy truffle, chopped hazelnuts, a hazelnut kernal and even more chocolate!
It's really hard not to like these truffles as they are silky smooth and so moreish. I can't wait for you to give them a try. I love to make these around the festive period but they're great all year round.
If you love nut-packed recipes, you're also going to enjoy my vegan chocolate peanut butter cups, vegan pistachio blueberry muffins and my eggless coffee cake loaf with walnuts.
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Why You Will Love These Truffles
- Strong Flavors - If you're a big fan of hazelnuts and hazelnut-flavored desserts, look no further than these chocolate truffles. I used a generous amount of hazelnut butter to create strong, powerful flavors, just like I did in my vegan almond raspberry nutella bars and vegan chocolate ganache filled cupcakes and it worked beautifully.
- Familiar Texture - The texture of these these copycat Ferrero Rocher truffles is very similar to the actual thing. They're equally as soft and they also retain that crunchy exterior which the originals have too. They're so creamy and I could easily eat the entire yield of them in one sitting!
- They're Healthier - Unlike regular Ferrero Rocher's, my version is almost free from refined sugars. With a small tweak, this recipe can also be made completely sugar free. The many hazelnuts nuts in this recipe also makes these quite nutritious due to their high levels of antioxidants.
- Allergy Friendly & Plant Based - This vegan Ferrero Rocher truffles recipe is wholly vegan, gluten free and dairy free.
Ingredient Notes
- Vegan dark chocolate - Make sure that you use a baking-specific chocolate bar for this recipe. These kinds of bars melt more smoothly over the heat, unlike things such as dairy-free chocolate chips which become clumpy when heated. This is why I used dark baking chocolate for my vegan chocolate cheesecake and vegan carrot sheet cake.
- Full fat coconut milk - This ingredient is responsible for the creamy texture which the outer chocolate layer has. Without it the chocolate would be extremely rich and slightly unappetizing.
- Hazelnut butter - I love this so much as it makes the truffle filling so much like the real thing. Ferrero Rocher truffles are well known for their super luscious interiors and I wanted to replicate that as accurately as possible. The hazelnut butter played a big part in achieving that.
- Maple syrup - This natural sweetener is used as an alternative to white granulated sugar in this recipe. I love maple syrup so it wasn't a big deal for me. I think it makes an ideal sugar substitute.
- Hazelnut kernels - These are placed into the center of the truffles just like actual Ferrero Rocher's. This addition was mainly for the 'copycat' vibes. I wanted them to be as realistic as possible.
- Finely chopped hazelnuts - The truffles are rolled in the chopped hazelnuts to create an outer the coating and then dipped in chocolate again.
See recipe card for full information on individual ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- You can make these truffles completely refined sugar free by making one simple swap. As most commercial dark chocolates contain refined sugar, you'll need to find a vegan dark chocolate which is also sugar free. These are becoming more common these days and I have used them myself on multiple occasions. Another recipe that I've enjoyed making recently that can be made refined sugar free are my vegan chocolate bounty bars. Make sure that you check them out too!
- If hazelnuts aren't your favorite kind of nut, you can change the nuts throughout this recipe. Of course, this means that you would have to swap out the hazelnut butter, the chopped hazelnuts and the hazelnut kernel. If you're a big fan of cashews you could add a whole cashew nut to the center, with cashew butter being used for the truffle and finally, chopped cashew nuts for the outside layer. The same could be said for almonds and peanuts.
How To Make Vegan Ferrero Rocher Truffles
For the full method, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1: Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2: Pour warm coconut milk over vegan chocolate. Let it sit.
3: Stir the mixture until you have a smooth chocolate mixture. Let it set in the freezer.
4: Scoop the hardened chocolate into balls.
5: Place a hazelnut kernel into the center of each ball.
6: Roll the balls in chopped hazelnuts. Freeze again.
7: Dip the frozen truffles into melted chocolate. Let them set.
Expert Tips
Change the dipping order - Instead of rolling the truffle balls into the chopped hazelnuts and then subsequently dipping them in chocolate, you can add the hazelnuts after dipping. This is for people who prefer to have the hazelnuts on the outside of the chocolate.
Removing the hazelnut skins - If your hazelnuts aren't already skinless then here's what you need to do. Toast your hazelnut skins inside the oven so that they can roast. Next, cover the hazelnuts inside a clean tea towel so that they can steam. This will take roughly 5-7 minutes. To finally remove the skins, rub the nuts with the towel.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, all of the ingredients that I used in for recipe are naturally gluten free.
At this moment, unfortunately not. They contain dairy products such as, milk and butter and therefore cannot be vegan. However, this is why I made this recipe. You can make your own copycat plant-based version at home.
For my truffles, I used organic hazelnut butter as well as whole and chopped hazelnuts. These nuts are full of antioxidants and beneficial nutrients that we need in our diet. If you decide to use dark chocolate, make sure that is 65% and over.
Store these truffles inside an airtight container inside the fridge for up to 10 days. Also bring them to room temperature for 1 hour before serving. You can also freeze them for up to 1 month. You'll need to thaw at room temperature for at least 90 minutes if you choose this option.
More Vegan No-Bake Chocolate Recipes
If you tried this Vegan Ferrero Rocher Truffles Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
Vegan Ferrero Rocher Truffles (Gluten Free)
Ingredients
Filling:
- 100 g vegan dark chocolate chopped
- 120 g full fat coconut milk* the thick part on top (see notes)
- 100 g hazelnut butter
- 0.25 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 12 hazelnut kernels skinless
- 80 g finely chopped hazelnuts
Chocolate coating:
- 150 g vegan dark chocolate chopped
- 2 teaspoons hazelnut butter
Instructions
Preparation:
- Line a small baking tray with parchment paper. Set aside for later.
Make the truffles:
- Place the chopped chocolate to a heatproof bowl. Add the coconut milk to a saucepan over a medium-low heat until it is simmering. Pour the heated coconut milk onto the chocolate and then leave the mixture to sit for a few minutes.
- Stir the chocolate with a wooden spoon then add the hazelnut butter, salt, maple syrup. Stir again until it’s nice and smooth.
- Let the chocolate mixture cool, then place it into the freezer for 30 minutes to solidify.
- Immediately, scoop the hardened chocolate with a tablespoon or a small cookie scoop and roll into balls with your hands. They should be about the size of ping pong balls. Press a hazelnut kernel into the center of each ball then roll each truffle in the chopped hazelnuts.
- Place the balls into the freezer on the lined baking tray for 2 hours.
Make the chocolate coating:
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Add the chocolate and hazelnut butter to a heatproof mixing bowl over a pan of almost boiling water. Stir regularly over a medium-low heat until the mixture has melted fully.
- Dip each of the truffles into the melted chocolate mixture then place them onto a cooling rack covered with parchment paper to set at room temperature.
- Allow the vegan Ferrero Rocher truffles to defrost and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- Instead of rolling the truffle balls into the chopped hazelnuts and then subsequently dipping them in chocolate, you can add the hazelnuts after dipping. This is for people who prefer to have the hazelnuts on the outside of the chocolate.
- If your hazelnuts aren't already skinless then here's what you need to do to remove them. Toast your hazelnut skins inside the oven so that they can roast. Next, cover the hazelnuts inside a clean tea towel so that they can steam. This will take roughly 5-7 minutes. To finally remove the skins, rub the nuts with the towel.
- Refrigerate the coconut milk can overnight so that it can thicken.
Doreen says
I love this recipe. Need to make it again soon.