The Shockingly Good Avocado Chocolate Truffles I Just Made

I thought nothing could top my chocolate truffle recipe, but then I got word of this avocado chocolate truffle trend. Could it be just as good? I had to find out. Full disclosure, I love to hate the hype: If anything gets too popular I'm guaranteed to turn my nose up at it. Could these nearly vegan balls (there's dairy in the chocolate) really deliver when we were in need of a decadent chocolate fix? Just because we can make chocolate truffles with avocado in place of cream, should we? Well, I tried them and the jury's in. Avocado can and you should. Here's how to make the most delicious ever avocado chocolate truffles at home:

1. Melt 4 ounces of chopped bittersweet chocolate or chips (that's about ¾ cup) in a heat-safe bowl. You can do this in the microwave. Just start at a minute; stir, then continue to heat and stir at 30 second intervals until the chocolate is smooth and creamy. Alternately, you can place a bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water and stir until melted.

2. Meanwhile, mash 1 small avocado in a separate bowl. The size of the avocado actually matters here. If you happen to have a great big one, just use half, otherwise the truffles will end up too soft. When the chocolate is melted, add the avocado, 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Stir and mash until the avocado disappears into the chocolate. Refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.

3. Scoop a small amount of the chocolate-avo mixture into your palms and roll into a ball. I like mine about an inch in diameter but you can go slightly bigger or smaller if you prefer. (This can be slightly messy work, but that's half the fun) Then, roll the balls in whatever finely chopped or pulverized coating you like. Some ideas to get your creative truffle juices flowing:

4. Sprinkle in some cocoa powder and several dashes of cinnamon. Add a pinch of cayenne for Mexican hot chocolate vibes

5. Choose a topping. For purists, plain unsweetened cocoa powder or powdered sugar will get the job done. But, if you're in the mood to experiment a bit more, here are some of our favorite truffle toppings:

• Finely chop roasted salted almonds (or any toasted nut, really). Do this in the food processor for ease and speed.
• Make some crushed sugar cookie cones. Why didn't we think of this sooner? Pulse in the food processor until finely chopped. Transfer the crushed cones to a fine mesh sieve and give it a tap tap tap like you were going to dust the top of something with powdered sugar. This will get rid of some of the very fine dust that will prevent the crunchy pieces from sticking.
• Rainbow or chocolate sprinkles are pretty and festive, while crushed freeze-dried strawberries are an unexpected twist.
• Toasted Coconut or sesame seeds offer sublime flavor and crunch and toffee bits take these over the top.

Check out our recipe for super perfect traditional truffles or, give these new age balls a spin. I promise avocado chocolate truffles are as good as everyone says they are!