Vegan Chocolate Truffles

This is the sixth installment of a monthly series that shows the effect small simple changes in our lives can have on our finances. Last month, we looked at buying no name brands. This month, we’re going to look at the difference in cost from store bought holiday treats and compare them to homemade. The one I want to focus on what has the biggest “easy to make” to “pay way too much for” ratio: Chocolate truffles. While we’re at it, I suppose a recipe would be appropriate as well.

As the holiday season comes around, you’re sure to run into the typical treats associated with Christmas: candy canes, eggnog, chocolates, etc. As is the case in all food production, a premium is paid on part of the consumer for the convenience of not making it yourself. That may include the cost of the ingredients or maybe even the machinery and most certainly the time invested in making it. I feel that Christmas coming once a year, that it might be a good time to put in the time and effort which, as you’ll see, is minimal.

A Chocolate Treat

At Purdy’s, a box of truffles (130g) will set you back $13. My recipe will yield 750g, so let’s multiply the price of the Purdy’s truffles by 5 (I’m being generous I know… It’s Christmas). That comes to $65. Here are the numbers for my recipe:

  • 2x 250g Semi-sweet chocolate, $3.50 = $7.00
  • 1x 250ml Whipping cream, $2.50 = $2.50
  • 1x 350g Cocoa powder, $3.50 = $3.50
  • Total cost = $13.00

I designed this recipe so that you could use the whole contents of the package because I know there are those anal retentives out there that would object that you have a whole bunch of stuff left over. The method is embarrassingly easy.

Put the chocolate in a metal bowl and put the bowl on top of a pot of simmering water and let it melt. Bring the whipping cream to a boil and dump it into the bowl with the chocolate and whisk it together until it’s completely mixed. Leave it at room temperature and let it cool completely. It’ll have a very dense texture. Take a spoon and scoop spoonfuls of the chocolate mixture and place it on a plate. With your hands, roll the lumps of chocolate into a ball and toss it in the cocoa powder and voila: chocolate truffles.

A Treat for Your Wallet Too

$13 compared to $65 is a pretty big difference. I won’t bother plugging this into an equation because I doubt anyone would go through this simply for the sake of saving money on a long term basis. However, in the short term, it’s a great way to beef up the Christmas budget I know everyone is thinking about. If nothing else this should help you understand for yourself how much you’re actually willing to pay to let someone do something for you.

*All the prices in the recipe were from Superstore.