These chocolate filled strawberries are perfect for special occasions and make a delicious addition to any sweet table. This fingerfood dessert is refined sugar free, vegan, gluten free, nut free, and paleo diet friendly. These would make a great school-safe snack for kids to share with their class on Valentine’s Day. Or enjoy these chocolate stuffed strawberries in the summertime during strawberry season.
What to serve with these chocolate filled strawberries
If you’re serving these treats at a party and would like to include more tasty options for your guests to enjoy, try these almond butter chocolates. They’re easy to make and can be prepared in advance. Or try these chocolate strawberry truffles. They’re mouthwateringly good.
Main ingredients and substitutions
These strawberries are stuffed with a simple mixture of dates, unsweetened cocoa powder, pure vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt to round out the flavors. Plus a little bit of water to help all the ingredients blend together nicely in a food processor or blender.
You can use any type of unsweetened cocoa powder in this recipe. Dutch process cocoa powder and natural cocoa powder are the two main types you typically find in grocery stores and either kind will work well in this recipe.
You can use any type of dates you like in this recipe. I’m partial to Medjool dates because they’re so sweet and juicy but other varieties will work just fine.
Be sure to use pure vanilla extract as opposed to artificial vanilla flavor if possible because you can really taste the difference.
How to make them
Start by slicing off the leaf side of the strawberry, creating a flat surface for your strawberries to sit on. Then slice off the tips of the strawberries.
Next you’ll hollow out each strawberry, creating a space to stuff as much of the chocolate filling as you can. I like to hollow out the strawberries using a paring knife, but if you have little kids helping then you can use a mini melon baller instead. Another option is to use a quarter teaspoon measuring spoon to hollow out the strawberries. I prefer the paring knife though as I find it’s the quickest and easiest method to prepare the strawberries.
Once your strawberries are prepped, use a piping bag (or plastic freezer bag with one corner snipped off) to pipe the chocolate filling into the strawberries. Then refrigerate them for up to twelve hours until you’re ready to serve them.
Preparing them in advance
These chocolate stuffed strawberries are still tasty the next day, but they do taste fresher and the texture of the strawberries is firmer and more appealing if you serve them the same day you’ve prepared them. You can prepare the chocolate filling up to two days in advance, cut and fill the strawberries up to twelve hours before you’ll be serving them.
Optional garnish
If you want to fancy these chocolate filled strawberries up a bit, you can garnish each one with a fresh mint leaf for an elegant presentation.
More gluten-free dessert recipes
- This buckwheat chocolate cake is nutritious yet decadent.
- These delicious chocolate coated dates are perfect for entertaining.
- This chocolate black bean cake is moist, rich, and delicious.
- These pumpkin seed butter cookies are nut free, gluten free, and vegan
Chocolate Filled Strawberries
Equipment
- Blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 18 strawberries
- 1 cup dates
- Boiling water (for soaking the dates)
- 6 tablespoons cocoa powder (Fairtrade certified)
- 4 tablespoons cold water
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the chocolate filling:
- Place the dates in a bowl and pour enough boiling water over them to cover the dates completely.
- Let the dates soak in the boiling water for 20 minutes (you can prepare the strawberries while the dates are soaking).
- Drain the dates and discard the water.
- Add the soaked dates, cocoa powder, 4 tablespoons of cold water, pinch of salt, and vanilla extract to a food processor or blender and process/blend until smooth.
Preparing the strawberries:
- Cut a slice off the leaf side of each strawberry, creating a flat surface so the strawberries can stay upright.
- Cut the tips off of each strawberry, then use a paring knife to hollow them out.
Filling the strawberries:
- Fill a piping bag with the chocolate filling (alternatively you can use a plastic freezer bag and cut one corner off to create a makeshift piping bag).
- Fill each strawberry with the chocolate filling.
Notes
- These can be assembled up to 12 hours in advance, but you can prepare the chocolate filling up to two days in advance.
- Store these chocolate filled strawberries in the fridge until you’re ready to serve them.
Nutrition
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