An easy chocolate truffle recipe with just 4-ingredients that’s smooth and silky, just like truffles should be.
I love making batches of truffles for Valentine’s Day, holiday gifts, and to add to my mom’s Christmas cookie tray. That’s a tradition I’ll never stray from.
What are Chocolate Truffles?
A chocolate truffle is a soft, smooth, silky and typically round “candy” that’s coated in either melted chocolate, nuts, cocoa, sprinkles or coconut. The soft center that melts in your mouth is made from chocolate ganache, a smooth and glossy mixture that involves heating cream and pouring it over chopped chocolate.
How to Make Chocolate Truffles
Find the complete list of ingredients with amounts in the recipe card below.
Chocolate truffles are very simple to make, yet they’re heavenly to eat! I also add a bit of high-quality butter in my recipe, which makes them a bit richer and even easier to form.
Prepare the Ganache: Chocolate, cream and a small amount of butter are melted together, then left to firm up so it can be scooped and rolled into truffle balls.
Refrigerate: The chocolate ganache mixture is placed in the fridge until it’s chilled enough to hold a shape.
Roll: The firmed up ganache mix is then rolled in either melted chocolate, chopped nuts, sprinkles, coconut, sprinkles or anything you can think of. Rolling them can get a little sticky and messy, so it’s important the filling is chilled well before rolling into balls. You can also purchase truffle molds to help with this process.
Tips & Variations
Use High-quality Ingredients: With such few ingredients, it’s crucial that you use high-quality ingredients. The chocolate, cream, and butter should all be “real” with no artificial ingredients. Look for chocolate that has at least 62% cocoa, organic cream and REAL butter.
Candy Boxes: Once the chocolate truffle candy is made, they can be put into candy boxes and given as gifts. It’s an inexpensive but heartfelt way to give gifts to all of your favorite people!
Chocolate Truffle Topping Ideas
I used coconut, pecans and cocoa powder to coat the truffles but there are many ingredients to decorate and add flavor to these truffles. Here are few creative topping suggestions to customize your way:
- Powdered sugar
- Crushed cookies, pretzels, graham cracker, candy or cereal
- Sprinkles, nonpareils, jimmies, drageés (little balls)
- Colored sugar
- Edible gold or silver dust
- Chili powder or cayenne
- Chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds, peanuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, macadamia)
- Crushed candy cane or peppermint
- Pixy sticks
- White chocolate drizzle for contrast
- Cinnamon or cinnamon sugar mix
- Espresso powder
- Cocoa nibs
- Mini chocolate fruit
- Sea salt flakes
- Freeze dried strawberries or raspberries
- Crystallized or candied ginger
- Crushed toffee
- Matcha powder
- Chia seeds
How long do chocolate truffles last?
Chocolate truffles are made with fresh cream so I recommend enjoying them for up to a month but no longer. Who can resist them longer than that anyway, am I right? 🙂
If they’re stored at room temperature, they should be eaten within a few days. If you’re giving yours as gifts and don’t have time to deliver them right away, just keep them in the refrigerator. Store the truffles in in an airtight container to prevent the smells of other foods from permeating the truffles.
Easy Chocolate Truffles Recipe
An easy chocolate truffle recipe that's smooth and silky, just like truffles should be.
Ingredients
- 8 oz high-quality semi-sweet or dark chocolate (at least 62% cacao), chopped into small pieces
- 2 tbsp high-quality, "real" butter
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- Unsweetened cocoa powder, chopped coconut flakes or finely chopped pecans, for coating
Instructions
- Heat the butter and cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until it's very hot and steaming, about 5 minutes.
- Place the finely chopped chocolate in a bowl. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate and stir until it's melted and smooth.
- Place the chocolate ganache mixture into the refrigerator for about 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until it's chilled enough to hold a shape.
- Place a sheet of parchment or waxed paper onto a sheet pan. Spoon rounded teaspoonfuls onto the paper. Place back in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
- Shape into balls, placing it back into the refrigerator for 5 minutes at a time if they become too soft to hold a shape (work quickly).
- Roll each ball in finely chopped pecans, cocoa powder or coconut flakes. You can also roll them in melted chocolate, candy sprinkles or both (chocolate first, then sprinkles, then let it set).
Notes
Store at room temperature for up to three days, and the refrigerator for up to a month.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 104Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 20mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 1g
This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.
Chocolate Truffle Flavors
There are countless flavors of truffles, not just chocolate. I’ll buy Lindt truffles on impulse every so often; I have no truffle willpower. Sea salt is my favorite, but they have a few caramel versions I’ve succumbed to a few times.
And these exotic truffle flavors sound heavenly! (I haven’t tried them but if anyone who’s buying me a present this year needs any ideas, well…) Just reading the flavors has me drooling! Kirsch + 62% cacao dark chocolate + dried Michigan cherry? YES, please! Guajillo y pasilla chilies + 62% cacao Tanzanian dark chocolate + pumpkin seeds? I. AM. DROOLING. First press Tuscan olive oil + 36% cocoa butter white chocolate + green olives? Maaaaybe. Probably. Definitely yes.
But we’re not delving into exotic flavors today. We’re sticking with tried and true, everybody-loves-them kind of flavors. Chocolate & Coconut, Chocolate & Pecan, and Chocolate and Cocoa.
I’m pretty sure no one will be complaining. Especially when they bite into the smooth, silky center.
More Christmas dessert recipes:
- Mini Cheesecakes with Chocolate-Stuffed Raspberries
- Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods
- Coconut Rum Balls
- Peppermint Bark Recipe
- Easy Chocolate Fudge
- Easy Christmas Cookies with Holiday Pretzels
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