For today’s Light and Tasty column, I’m offering you coconut and chocolate couscous truffles, which are a real delight.

I’ve long had the idea of making couscous in a sweet version, and thanks to Light and Tasty, I took the opportunity to try what for me was a real experimentation.
I did some research by reading various recipes here and there, chose one, tried it, and… my friends, unfortunately, it didn’t work out! (There were a couple of errors in the ingredient weights, which can happen!).
But I’ll tell you, nothing is ever wasted. 😊
I modified everything (because we don’t waste anything here, you know?), adding an ingredient, removing another, and replacing a third, resulting in surprisingly good couscous truffles that were the test for the subsequent ones.

After evaluating the small flaws of the first production (mainly one: they weren’t chocolaty enough!), I started over, changing almost all the ingredients – except for the couscous, of course! – and in the end, I achieved this recipe, which for me is the definitive one, because it was approved by my entire family jury.
Unanimously!!! 😃

👇 Here are more truffles, try them! 👇

Difficulty: Very Easy
Cost: Economical
Rest time: 25 Minutes
Preparation time: 15 Minutes
Portions: 16 truffles
Cooking methods: Stovetop
Cuisine: Fusion
Seasonality: All Seasons

Ingredients

3.5 oz couscous
7 oz chocolate-flavored soy milk
2.8 oz sugar
1 oz dark chocolate chips
0.7 oz grated coconut (+ extra for decoration)

Tools

Small Pot

Preparation

Heat the chocolate-flavored soy milk in a small pot with the sugar and stir to dissolve.
Note: The chocolate-flavored soy milk is (usually) already sweetened, so I also tried using half the sugar, which is 40g. It’s a valid option; even with less sweetness, you get delicious truffles that we enjoyed. Of course, the sweeter version… c’mon… 😀
Add the coconut and bring to a boil.
Pour in the couscous.
Mix well, cover with the lid, and turn off the heat.
Let it rest for 25 minutes.
👉 The couscous only needs 10 minutes to cook (time needed for the couscous to swell by absorbing the liquid). However, for this recipe, the couscous should be soft yet compact, not fluffy, which is why I extended the resting time to 25 minutes. If you prefer a shorter cooking time, you can add a teaspoon of corn starch (or potato starch) as a thickener.
At this point, add the chocolate (I used dark chocolate chips, but I’m sure finely chopped chocolate would work too).
Mix with a spoon; the chocolate will melt (the couscous is still warm after half an hour).
At this point, you can start shaping the truffles.
👉 If you like, you can put the mixture in the fridge to cool it down and shape the truffles when the mixture is cold. I’ve tried both methods; both are effective, although personally, I preferred the first case, with a warm mixture.
After shaping the chocolaty couscous balls with your hands, roll them in coconut. Or use your imagination: in colorful sprinkles that children love, in hazelnut crumbs, or simple cocoa. And we also liked them plain.
Chill the couscous truffles in the fridge for half an hour (or more) before serving.
But I also tasted them warm, just made. So good! 😉😊
Enjoy!
These couscous truffles turned out to be a real discovery. For us who love ricotta or mascarpone truffles so much, like:
these hazelnut cream truffles
and these ricotta and biscuit balls
I assure you they are truly an excellent alternative.
I recommend them for the kids’ snack, or as a sweet idea to offer friends, even if they are lactose intolerant.
And then it’s enough to use cane sugar to consider the recipe completely vegan. Vegan desserts are all fantastic; every time I try one, my conviction strengthens!
The extra idea: double the doses and add two fingers of rum to half the mixture (for the adults)! 😉