I know marzipan is kind of a Christmastime confection, but let's make it a year-round thing! With me? You will be once you try these keto marzipan truffles with fresh berries. Keto marzipan makes the ideal truffle filling and is incredibly easy to make. The marzipan alone only requires four ingredients, and the chocolate shell is made of melted, sugar-free chocolate chips. What's even better is you can adapt the recipe however you like! Wrap the marzipan around pecans or walnuts, nut butter, or opt for plain old marzipan on its own. And we haven't even gotten to the keto truffle toppings yet!
what is marzipan (and is it keto-friendly?)
Marzipan is a sweet and nutty confection made of ground almonds and powdered sugar. It's often used in baked goods, candies and cakes. It tastes similar to almond paste and is sometimes made with raw egg whites and rose water.
Traditional marzipan is not keto-friendly because all the SUGAR, but this version is made sugar-free by using a powdered monkfruit sweetener blend by Lakanto. I'm not a huge fan of erythritol on its own because it can have a cooling aftertaste. However, Lakanto's monkfruit/erythritol blend is the best keto sweetener I've tried.
If you don't have the powdered kind, you can make your own! Blitz the granulated sweetener in a blender or run it through a coffee grinder until it's fine. Powdered erythritol (Swerve) will also work.
how to make keto marzipan
If you're on a keto diet, you know candy isn't really on the menu. But this marzipan candy recipe will leave you wondering how in the world is this keto?
I adapted Elavegan's marzipan recipe and mine is a tad less sweet. If you want your marzipan sweeter, add one extra tablespoon of sweetener at a time, tasting before adding more. Here's what you'll need to make these keto chocolate truffles:
- almond flour
- powdered monkfruit sweetener by Lakanto** (or powdered erythritol)
- almond extract
- coconut milk (or plain water works too)
**Note: I know some of you follow this blog for gluten-free recipes, and are not necessarily keto. Know you can also use powdered sugar for this recipe. The keto-friendly powdered sweetener is a 1:1 replacement, so the recipe is the exact same for regular powdered sugar. **
The marzipan process is this simple:
- In a blender (I use a Ninja) or food processor, combine the almond flour, powdered sweetener, almond extract and coconut milk.
- Pulse the mixture several times until it's combined and forms a dough.
- Remove the dough from the blender, roll it into a log, and cut it into 8-10 equal portions. Roll each to form little dough balls.
how to use sugar-free marzipan to make keto truffles
To form the keto truffles, you'll need sugar-free chocolate chips, raspberries or blackberries, and a topping of choice . Here's how to make them:
- Press and flatten a marzipan dough ball, place a berry in the center. Carefully wrap the marzipan around the berry to enclose it. Repeat for each truffle.
- Freeze the truffles for 15 minutes.
- Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler.
- Dip/roll the marzipan truffles in the melted chocolate. Sprinkle with sea salt (or topping of choice) and place back in the freezer to set.
pro tips for keto marzipan truffles
- This keto truffles recipe is so simple, but dipping the truffles requires some technique. I hold the truffle with a small spoon or fork, turning it in the chocolate and smoothing it over with a toothpick. However, next time I make these, I am totally trying this little trick from Saveur that requires toothpicks and styrofoam.
- After the chocolate sets (it will only take a few minutes), transfer them to the refrigerator to store.
- Make sure to sprinkle the toppings on immediately after dipping the truffles. If the chocolate sets even a little bit, the toppings won't stick to the chocolate!
- You can absolutely enjoy the marzipan on its own, dipped in the chocolate! You'll probably end up with about 6-7 truffles instead of 9-10.
These keto marzipan truffles with fresh berries are delicious little keto treats that are getting all my heart-eyes right now. They're fun, easy, and a great way to celebrate Valentine's Day (or any special occasion) with chocolate, while staying sugar-free!
you might also love...
- Chocolate almond pound cake for a rich and chocolate-y keto dessert!
- This blood orange almond cake (doable with regular oranges too!) with cashew buttercream 🙂
- Coconut chocolate chip tahini cookies for a quick, low-carb cookie with the perfect flavor combination!
keto marzipan truffles with fresh berries {gluten-free + dairy-free}
Keto marzipan truffles with fresh berries are a simple and delicious low-carb dessert! Berries are wrapped in keto marzipan and dipped in sugar-free chocolate to make these sweet and addicting treats.
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour
- 5 tablespoons powdered monkfruit sweetener from Lakanto* (see notes for substitutions)
- 2 tablespoons coconut milk (or water)
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ cup sugar-free chocolate chips (I like Lily's semi-sweet or vegan dark chocolate chips)
- about 10 fresh raspberries or blackberries
- 1-2 tablespoons sea salt, shredded unsweetened coconut, or chopped nuts to use as truffle toppings (optional)
Instructions
- In a food processor or blender, combine the almond flour, powdered sweetener, almond extract and coconut milk.
- Process/pulse for about 1 minute, until the mixture forms a dough, similar consistency to cookie dough. If it's too sticky, add a little more almond flour. If it's too dry, add a little more coconut milk (or water).
- Dump the dough out on top of a sheet of parchment paper. Knead it with your hands for a few seconds to make sure all the ingredients are incorporated. Roll it into a log and use a knife to cut it into 8-10 equal pieces, depending on the size of the truffle you want.*
- Use your hands to roll each piece into a small dough ball. To wrap the berries, flatten a dough ball with your hands, place a berry inside, then carefully wrap the marzipan around the berry. Use your fingers to smooth out the marzipan so it forms a ball again. If the marzipan breaks, reshape it together and smooth with more marzipan. Repeat with each truffle.
- Place each truffle on a parchment-lined plate or dish and set it in the freezer for at least 15 minutes. Remove when you're ready to dip them in chocolate.
- After the truffles have chilled, pour the chocolate chips into a heat-proof bowl. Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan, lower the heat until the water is just simmering, then place the bowl on top (or use a double-boiler set). Slowly stir the chocolate chips as they melt. All the chips should melt in about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Using a small spoon or fork, lower each truffle into the chocolate and roll it until it has a chocolate coating on each side. Carefully lift it out and drip excess chocolate off. You can also use a toothpick to help scrape off the excess and smooth chocolate over the truffle. Place the truffle back onto the parchment-lined dish, immediately sprinkle with your topping of choice, and repeat for each truffle.*
- Place the truffles back in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to let the chocolate shell harden.
- Store the truffles in the refrigerator.
Notes
*You can also use powdered erythritol (Swerve) but I think Lakanto's powdered monkfruit sweetener has the best taste. If you are gluten-free and not sugar-free, regular powdered sugar will work but just know that it changes the calorie/nutrition counts.
* If you only have granular monkfruit sweetener or erythritol, you can make your own by running the "sugar" through a coffee grinder or blitzing it in a blender until it's super fine.
*If you're only dipping the marzipan, and not wrapping berries, you will likely end up with 6-7 truffles.
*When dipping the truffles, the excess chocolate will drip down to the base, which is okay. If the chocolate puddle at the base of the truffle is too large, you can always break it off once it has hardened in the freezer.
*Marzipan recipe adapted from Elavegan.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 153Total Fat: 12.6gSaturated Fat: 1.1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gSodium: .5mgCarbohydrates: 5gNet Carbohydrates: 2gFiber: 3gSugar: .9gProtein: 5g
This nutritional information is approximate and is provided for convenience as a courtesy.
Allison says
These were incredibly easy! I used Turbinado sugar instead of what the recipe called for, delicious, easy and really fun to try something new! Thank you!
Abby says
So glad to hear it! Thanks for sharing! I do love how easy these are. 🙂