Easter time calls for Easter eggs! What if we told you that making homemade Easter eggs without a mold is actually incredibly easy and doesn't take much time? These vegan and dairy-free chocolate Easter eggs are made with dark chocolate and a crunchy almond butter filling. We promise that you won't be disappointed: they melt in your mouth and are incredibly addictive. Taste testers say that they taste a bit like peanut butter eggs, but with almond butter. If you're looking for more dark chocolate treats, you could try this vegan dark chocolate truffle recipe.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- You can make this dark chocolate Easter egg recipe really easily as only requires with only 5 ingredients! You won't need cocoa butter, coconut milk or coconut oil.
- It comes with step-by-step pictures to show you exactly how to make Easter eggs without a mold.
- This vegan version of the usual Easter eggs is specifically targeted at people with food allergies (e.g., dairy intolerance) or on a vegan diet. We understand the struggle of reading countless labels to find Easter eggs that are vegan, dairy-free and even gluten-free.
- Although these dairy-free chocolate eggs would look really cute in Easter baskets, making them with the family could be really fun. Involve your kids and nephews if you can.
Key ingredients and substiutions
Almond butter makes up the homemade Easter egg filling. You can use sunflower seed butter if you want to keep the eggs dairy- and nut-free.
Maple syrup allows to lightly sweeten the dark chocolate Easter eggs. They are perfect if you have a sweet tooth but do not want to overdo it on the sugar. You can substitute it with agave syrup if needed. Do not replace it with granulated sugar as the filling will remain raw.
Cocoa powder. We like Dutch-processed cocoa powder as it's slightly less bitter.
Praline or caramelized crushed nuts. Candied pecans, maple pecans and toffee almonds are great alternatives to praline (see picture below). Simply crush them into tiny pieces with a knife.
Dark chocolate. We recommend using the 70% mild dark chocolate by Lindt if it is available in your country. It is dairy-free (and vegan) but not too bitter. Feel free to use vegan white chocolate if you can find some.
Elo's tips
- Give your almond butter a good stir while it's still in the jar. The oil needs to be evenly incorporated with the almonds to avoid your filling from being too runny.
- If your eggs are too soft to be dipped in chocolate, it's probably due to the consistency of your almond butter. Simply place them in the freezer for 10 minutes until they are a little harder. Also, act quickly when coating the eggs because the chocolate will harden much faster on ice-cold eggs.
- Let the chocolate cool down a little after melting it. This will help the Easter eggs hold their shape.
- Use a small and deep bowl for dipping. The depth of the bowl will make it easier to coat the eggs evenly.
- Let the chocolate drip off before putting the eggs onto parchment paper. This will make them look like perfect Easter egg truffles. You could also put them on a piece of parchment paper, let it sit there for a minute and then move them to another piece of parchment paper once the excess chocolate has dripped off.
How to make Easter eggs without a mold (+ pictures)
Make the filling. Combine all the almond butter, maple syrup and cocoa powder in a small mixing bowl with a spoon. Even though it might look runny at first, it will thicken once you combine it.
Add the praline nuts. You should obtain a texture similar to the one in the picture. You can add a pinch of sea salt to the filling if you'd like.
Shape the eggs and melt the chocolate. The trick to making vegan chocolate eggs without a mold is to shape the eggs first and then, coat them with chocolate. You are free to form large eggs or mini eggs based on your preference. We like to use a heaped teaspoon of filling to form the Easter eggs.
Elo's tip: form little balls first and pinch in one point to make them look like eggs. Place it on parchment paper to prevent it from sticking to your board or plate.
Coat the Easter eggs with melted chocolate. Place an egg on a teaspoon and dip it into the chocolate until it's evenly coated. Put it back on the parchment paper. When you covered eggs with chocolate, place them in the fridge for the chocolate to harden. Optionally drizzle with the leftover chocolate.
Frequently asked questions
Keep the chocolate eggs in an air-tight container in the fridge. Line the container with parchment paper to avoid the homemade Easter eggs from sticking to the bottom. If it's hot outside, don't let them out of the fridge for too long as they might melt (be careful if hiding them during Easter egg hunts).
Milk, powdered milk, nuts and soy lecithin are the most common allergens. Several brands may also contain traces of gluten.
Praline is made from nuts that are boiled in melted sugar. The caramelized nuts are then ground into what we call praline. Praline is mostly used as a filling for chocolates and sometimes as cake decorations.
Pour the chocolate onto some parchment paper and let it harden. If you'd like, you can top it with some crushed nuts, sea salt or dried fruits to make chocolate bark.
The recipe
Homemade Dairy-Free Chocolate Easter Eggs
Equipment
- 1 Kitchen scale
- Small mixing bowls
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 50 g almond butter*
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 ½ teaspoon cacao powder
- 20 g praline nuts see notes
- 40 g dark chocolate (70%)
Instructions
- Melt the dark chocolate in the microwave in 30-second intervals or over low heat on the stove. Pour the chocolate into a very small bowl to make it easier to coat the eggs afterward. Set it aside while you prepare the filling.
- Give your almond butter a good stir while it's still in the jar. The oil needs to be evenly incorporated with the almonds.
- Add the almond butter, maple syrup, cacao powder and praline nuts to a small mixing bowl and combine. The mixture should become thicker (see step-by-step pictures in the post above).
- Form 10 little balls or eggs with your hands and place them on parchment paper. If the eggs are too soft, put them in the freezer for 10 minutes before coating them with chocolate.
- Dip each egg in melted chocolate and let the chocolate drip off. Put it back on the parchment paper. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes for the chocolate to harden.
- If desired, drizzle with more chocolate once the first chocolate layer has hardened.
Notes
- To obtain the right texture, use a kitchen scale for your measurements.
- If you can't find praline nuts, you can use candied pecans, maple pecans or toffee almonds that you crush finely with a knife. Alternatively, roast some almonds or hazelnuts and crush them with a knife or in a mortar with a pestle.
- Keep the chocolate eggs in an air-tight container in the fridge. Line the container with parchment paper to avoid the homemade Easter eggs from sticking to the bottom. If it's hot outside, don't let them out of the fridge for too long as they might melt (be careful if hiding them during Easter egg hunts).
Nutrition
More vegan Easter recipes
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Simply delicious!
Very yummy!
I took roasted almond butter - the caramel made the bits even more sweet and crunchy.
That's such a good idea! I have to try that!
These little Easter-Eggs were SO delicious! Made them for my whole family and we ate them all in seconds! They already asked me to make them again next weekend🤩
Oh that's amazing! Enjoy them!