Chocolate truffles are easy to make! Heat cream and pour over dark chocolate to make a ganache. Flavor and roll in nuts or cocoa powder to roll your own. Make a batch for your next special occasion!
In this recipe
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The best chocolate for truffles
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Flavoring the ganache
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truffle coatings
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Troubleshooting chocolate truffles
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How to store chocolate truffles
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More praline recipes
BE PICTURED IN; CHARACTERIZED IN:
Wanna romance me and sweep me off my feet? Then cook for me.
Gifts and tokens are cute. And while I might say thank you out loud, I’m mentally saying, “Great, now I have more dirt in my house and no place to do it!”
If you want to make me faint then cook for me. If you can’t cook, make me chocolate truffles.
How to make homemade truffles
Truffles are the easiest candy to make. Cream, chocolate and time are all it takes to create something delightfully elegant, decadent and delicious.
Be sure to use organic cream and high-quality chocolate. If you can find it, chocolate with 62% cacao or higher is best. The quality of these ingredients affects the end product.
The best chocolate for truffles
The best chocolate for making truffles is block chocolate or chocolate bars (no chocolate chips), preferably with higher cocoa content. Look for chocolate with 60% or more cocoa solids in the baking aisle. Guittard makes chocolate bars with 64% and 70% cocoa content. Ghirardelli’s also makes baking bars with 60% and 70% cocoa content. We also like Scharffen Berger.
Any chocolate with more than 85% cocoa can be too bitter and contain too many dry cocoa solids to emulsify properly, resulting in a broken or not very creamy ganache. For truffles with more than 70% cacao, look for another recipe.
Use chopped chocolate, not chocolate chips, if you want creamy truffles. Chocolate chips have a non-melting coating to help them hold their shape and this keeps the ganache from melting in your mouth as well. If you only have chocolate chips on hand, by all means use them.
Do not use chocolate coating made from vegetable shortening.
CONTINUE READING:
Flavors for chocolate truffles
Put your own stamp on your truffles by adding exciting flavors.
- Add a touch of extracts like vanilla, coconut or almond.
- Spike the ganache with some liqueur, like Chambord, or schnapps, like Whiskey (reduce the amount of cream accordingly).
- Sprinkle some cayenne pepper for a tingle of heat.
- Infuse the cream by topping it with cinnamon sticks, mint leaves, cardamom pods, or even lavender buds. Just make sure you let the solids steep in the warm cream for at least an hour. Strain the cream and reheat to continue making the ganache.
Coatings for chocolate truffles
We recommend finely chopped nuts or unsweetened cocoa powder to roll the ganache balls. But powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, and even colored or chocolate sprinkles would work! We also like to roll them in finely shredded candy canes for the holidays.
Troubleshooting chocolate truffles
- Be sure to chop the chocolate as finely as possible. It melts faster and more evenly.
- If you have hot hands, it helps to wear a few layers of food-safe gloves when shaping (to protect the ganache from the heat of your hands).
- If your ganache is too soft to shape, scoop out rough balls on a parchment-lined sheet, then refrigerate for a while or freeze before rolling.
- Ganache still too soft after freezing? Your chocolate to cream ratio may vary. You can either gently reheat the ganache (preferably in a double boiler or briefly in the microwave, followed by plenty of stirring) and add more chopped chocolate…or simply embrace the soft ganache and use it to glaze cakes or enjoy warmed up for the best chocolate sauce ever. You can even use it as a base for hot chocolate.
- If the ganache is too hard to roll, let it sit at room temperature until it’s soft enough to handle.
- If your cream isn’t hot enough to melt the chocolate, place the bowl of ganache over a saucepan of gently simmering water and stir until smooth.
How to store chocolate truffles
Homemade truffles can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks and in the freezer for up to 6 months. For best texture and flavor, bring to room temperature before serving.
Even if you plan to give your chocolate truffles as gifts, be sure to store them in the fridge or freezer. Then place them in your choice of chocolate box or bag before giving to the lucky recipient. Since the ganache is made from cream, do not store the truffles at room temperature.
More homemade chocolate candy recipes to try!
- English toffee
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar
- Homemade Almond Roca
- Christmas cracker candy
- Chocolate covered pretzels
From the editors of Simply Recipes
How to make homemade chocolate truffles
ingredients
Basic ingredients for truffles
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8th ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (high quality, 62% cacao or higher), finely chopped
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1/2 Cup heavy cream
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional base flavors:
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mint leaves (1 bunch, stems removed, chopped, approx 1 Cup)
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cinnamon and cardamom (1 Cinammon floor2 cardamom pods)
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amaretto (1 to 2 tablespoon)
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almond extract (1 teaspoon)
truffle coatings
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Unsweetened cocoa powder
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Fine chopped walnuts
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Fine chopped almonds
method
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Heat cream to simmer:
In a small, heavy saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a simmer (stir every few minutes and scrape the sides with a spatula).
If you’re using a liquid flavor, stir it in with the heavy cream (ignoring the vanilla in the next step).
If you’re adding mint or other flavor solids, remove the cream from the heat, add the flavor solids, and let steep for 1 hour. Then strain the solids and bring the cream back to a simmer. Proceed with the recipe.
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Make the chocolate base (ganache):
Place the chocolate in a separate bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Add the vanilla (if you didn’t use a different flavoring in the previous step) and let it sit for a few minutes. Then stir smooth. (This chocolate base is called ganache.)
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Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate:
Allow the ganache to cool to room temperature. Then place in the fridge for two hours.
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Roll into balls and refrigerate overnight:
Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Scoop balls out of the ganache with a teaspoon. Quickly roll in your hands (since the heat from your hands will melt it) and place on the prepared baking sheet. Place in the fridge overnight.
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Roll in cocoa powder or your choice of coating:
Roll in cocoa powder or chopped nuts and serve.
If not serving immediately, store the coated truffles in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For the best flavor and texture, allow the truffles to come to room temperature before serving.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 51 | calories |
| 4g | Fat |
| 2g | carbohydrates |
| 1g | protein |
