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These Raw Date & Orange Truffles are no-bake chocolate orange truffles made with Medjool dates, hazelnuts, cacao powder, and fresh orange zest.

Naturally sweetened and fiber-rich, these healthy orange truffles are perfect for holiday gifting – or keeping in the fridge for a smarter sweet bite.

Soft, rich, slightly citrusy, and deeply chocolatey – they deliver that classic chocolate-orange flavor combination in a simple, real-food format.

No baking. No refined sugar. Just wholesome ingredients blended into small, satisfying bites.

Raw chocolate orange truffles dusted with cacao powder
Raw Date And Orange Hazelnut Holiday Truffles

Table of Contents

Why These Orange Truffles Work

These aren’t meant to taste exactly like boxed chocolate candies. Instead, they’re inspired by that nostalgic chocolate-orange flavor – but made with whole ingredients.

  • Naturally sweetened with dates
  • No refined sugar
  • No baking required
  • Gluten-free and dairy-free
  • Fiber-rich from dates and hazelnuts
  • Easy to customize

They come together in about 15 minutes, plus a short chill time.

Healthy orange truffles made with dates, hazelnuts, and cacao powder
Raw Date And Orange Holiday Truffles

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • Medjool dates (pitted)
  • Fresh orange zest and juice
  • Raw hazelnuts (or other raw nuts)
  • Raw cacao powder
  • Dried cranberries
  • Coconut oil
  • Optional: orange liqueur

Simple pantry ingredients. Big flavor payoff.

How To Make Orange Truffles

  1. Soak the dates and cranberries briefly in orange juice to soften (optional).
  2. Process hazelnuts until finely ground.
  3. Blend soaked dates and cranberries until smooth.
  4. Combine everything with cacao, coconut oil, and orange zest.
  5. Scoop, roll into balls, and chill.
  6. Roll in cacao powder or festive sprinkles.

No oven. No complicated steps. Just blend, roll, chill.

What Makes These Orange Truffles Different?

Unlike traditional chocolate truffles, these:

  • Use dates instead of sugar
  • Get structure from nuts instead of cream
  • Are naturally dairy-free
  • Can be adjusted for sweetness
  • Are perfect for make-ahead gifting

They’re rich enough to feel indulgent – but light enough to enjoy without heaviness.

Tips for the Best Texture

  • Use soft Medjool dates. If dry, soak longer.
  • Finely grind the hazelnuts for smoother texture.
  • Chill the mixture before rolling if it feels sticky.
  • A small cookie scoop helps keep them uniform.

Looking for more simple homemade desserts? Check this Pumpkin Roll  or cupcakes.

Orange truffle mixture made with dates, hazelnuts, cranberries, and cacao in a food processor
Raw Date And Orange Christmas Truffles

Substitutions

No hazelnuts?
Use almonds, cashews, or walnuts.

No cranberries?
Swap with dried cherries or skip entirely.

Want deeper chocolate flavor?
Use Dutch-processed cacao.

Prefer extra citrus?
Add more zest – not juice – for stronger orange flavor.

Raw chocolate orange truffles dusted with cacao powder
Raw Date And Orange Holiday Truffles

FAQ

Do these taste like chocolate orange candy?

They’re inspired by it, but less sweet and more natural in flavor.

Can I freeze orange truffles?

Yes. Freeze up to 2 months in an airtight container. Thaw in the fridge.

Do I have to soak the dates?

If they’re soft, no. If dry, soaking improves texture.

Can I skip the nuts?

You can use sunflower seeds, but texture will change.

No-bake orange truffles on a plate, naturally sweetened with dates
Raw Date And Orange Truffles

Storage

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Best served slightly chilled.

Final Thoughts

If you love chocolate and citrus together, these no-bake orange truffles are an easy way to enjoy that flavor without refined sugar or baking.

They’re simple, naturally sweetened, and perfect for holiday trays – or a quiet treat with coffee.

More Truffles Recipes

Raw chocolate orange truffles dusted with cacao powder
4.86 from 7 votes

Orange Truffles (Raw Date & Hazelnut)

By Lyubomira from CookingLSL
These no-bake orange truffles are naturally sweetened with dates and flavored with fresh orange zest and cacao. Made with hazelnuts, dried fruit, and real ingredients, they’re soft, chocolatey, and perfect for gifting or holiday treats.
Prep: 15 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Servings: 12
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Ingredients 

For the Orange Truffles:

  • 1 medium orange, zested and juiced
  • 12 Medjool dates, pitted
  • 2 oz 57 g dried cranberries (unsweetened if preferred)
  • 5 oz 142 g raw hazelnuts (or almonds/cashews)
  • 1 oz 25 g raw cacao powder
  • 1 tsp coconut oil, melted
  • ½ tsp orange liqueur, optional

For Rolling:

  • Cacao powder
  • Finely shredded coconut
  • Chopped hazelnuts
  • Holiday sprinkles, optional
US Customary – Metric

Video

Instructions 

  • Line a plate or small baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a bowl, combine the dates, cranberries, and half of the orange juice. Let soak for 10–15 minutes to soften.
  • In a food processor, pulse the hazelnuts with the remaining orange juice until finely ground.
  • Add the soaked fruit mixture and process until combined.
  • Transfer to a bowl and stir in cacao powder, melted coconut oil, orange zest, and liqueur (if using). Mix until a soft dough forms.
  • Scoop about 1 tablespoon of mixture and roll into balls.
  • Chill for 15–20 minutes until firm.
  • Roll in cacao powder, coconut, or chopped nuts. Store refrigerated in an airtight container.

Notes

For lower sugar, reduce the cranberries or use unsweetened dried fruit.
For a deeper chocolate flavor, increase cacao powder by 1–2 teaspoons.
For a protein boost, add 1–2 tablespoons unflavored or vanilla plant-based protein powder and adjust with 1 teaspoon orange juice if needed.
Texture should be soft and fudgy — if too dry, add 1 teaspoon orange juice; if too sticky, add 1 tablespoon ground nuts.

Nutrition

Calories: 156kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Potassium: 307mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 17g, Vitamin A: 60IU, Vitamin C: 7.2mg, Calcium: 36mg, Iron: 1.1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @cookinglsl or tag #cookinglsl!
Raw date and orange truffles made with hazelnuts and cacao, no-bake holiday dessert

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Hi! I'm Mira.

I share simple, mostly low-carb and Keto recipes, that don't take a lot of time to make and use mostly seasonal, easy to find ingredients. I'm a supporter of healthy eating, but you'll also find some indulgent treats too.

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64 Comments

  1. Ohhhh they look SO CUTE! Can you believe I’ve never had date truffles before? I need to try ’em ASAP! 🙂

    Reply

  5. Mira, I’m so happy that you liked my bars enough to put your own Christmas spin on them! You’ve definitely convinced me to make truffles with my mixture next time I make some. I love the idea of adding some alcohol, too …. delicious!

    Reply

    1. I definitely saw those chocolate orange bars of Helen’s and they got the wheels spinning in my brain. I can’t believe things like chocolate bars and truffles can actually be pretty healthy overall. What will you marvelous ladies come up with next?!? Gasp. I love how you sweetened these with medjool dates Mira, I’ve heard they are absolutely delicious and sweet and everything wonderful, I need to brave the grocery store today to get some! Beautiful photo’s as always =)

      Reply

      1. Thanks Laura, I’m glad you like these! I’ve recently discovered Medjool dates and they work perfectly for healthy chocolate bars and truffles 🙂

        Reply

  6. I love the Christmas-y touch you made to this! They look so beautiful and delicious! Pinned!

    Reply

  7. These truffles sounds delicious. Must be very flavorful with orange flavor. Have tried some dates truffles before, with white chocolate. Delicious as well.

    Reply

  9. These look so delicious….but what do you do with the melted coconut oil? Am I missing this when I read the recipe?
    Thanks.
    Pauline.

    Reply

    1. Thanks for stopping by Pauline! Sorry I just corrected it- you add the coconut oil to the nut/date mixture, it makes balls moist and soft.

      Reply

  10. Hi Mira, how are you?

    I love truffles, and these ones besides beautiful they might be too delicious. I like this recipe a lot.

    xo

    Reply