I love dessert. I’m open about my love affair with sweet stuff. I rarely test recipes because I always end up loving everything I make and eating way more than 1 or 2 servings worth… Problems people who work from home only understand. This vegan pumpkin truffle is no different.

The holidays are always my excuse for experimenting in the kitchen. I didn’t announce this on my blog yet but Roomie and I have been eating a vegan diet Monday through Friday. I knew my first Holiday cookie recipe had to be in sync with our efforts so we could both enjoy them. My go to for the past few years has been the Oreo Truffle. I love the simplicity and taste but they are far from healthy.

I decided to make my own vegan version using GO Veggie! Dairy Free Cream Cheese Alternative, which I love. It has less calories and fat than traditional cream cheese plus 4x the amount of calcium.

I was also wanted to make this gluten free since it’s also a popular request. Instead of using processed Oreo cookies, I used a mix of coconut flour and coconut palm sugar for texture. Coconut palm sugar is a rich unrefined brown sugar with deep caramel flavor. It also has a lower glycemic index and is made primarily of sucrose and has only 3-9% fructose. You want to keep your fructose levels low and table sugar is 50% fructose. The result is a creamy truffle that doesn’t spike your blood sugar but satisfies your sweet tooth by eating just one or two.

Vegan Pumpkin Truffles

Ingredients:

• 8 oz GO Veggie! Dairy Free Cream Cheese Alternative
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 cup Coconut Palm Sugar
• 1/2 cup Coconut Flour
• 1/4 cup Pureed Pumpkin, I used canned
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/4 cup Cacao Chips (optional)
• 1 cup Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips (I used Enjoy Life)

Combine Go Veggie! Dairy Free Cream Cheese Alternative, vanilla extract, coconut palm sugar, coconut flour, pureed pumpkin, cinnamon and cacao chips.

Place in the freezer for 1-2 hours. Melt chocolate chips in a bowl by placing in microwave for 30 seconds. Take bowl out of microwave and stir around in the bowl. Place it back in the microwave and nuke for another 30 seconds. Stir until chips are creamy. Add more time if necessary but do not over cook!

Once batter is firm, spoon 1 heaping tablespoon out of bowl and form a round ball. Dip entirely in the chocolate mixture or just half. Your call! I did half and half.

Keep in the refrigerator. Makes 2 dozen truffles.

Have you successfully recreated an unhealthy holiday favorite with better for you alternatives? Grasshopper pie is up next for me…

Disclaimer: I am a GO Veggie! brand ambassadors for 2014. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I honestly love the Dairy Free Cream Cheese Alternative. Try it for yourself!