How to Make Chocolate Truffles (2024)

Tessa’s Recipe Rundown

Taste: Rich with bold chocolate flavor! You can also easily customize these.
Texture: Ultra smooth, fudgy, and creamy.
Ease: Easy just a little messy and time-consuming. A fun holiday project!
Pros: So much tastier than the overly sweet packaged truffles on the shelves of the grocery store.
Cons: None!
Would I make this again? Every year around the holidays!

Sprinkle of Science

The BEST Chocolate Truffle Recipe

What Are Truffles?

A chocolate truffle is essentially a firm ganache, made of melted chocolate, cream, butter, and flavorings, shaped into balls and coated. It’s super simple but impressive – and so delicious!

How to Make Smooth, Creamy Chocolate Truffles

A bonus dose of butter and heavy cream help make these truffles rich and creamy. Don’t use light cream or half and half which contain less fat. That fat is essential to setting up these truffles.

What Kind of Chocolate Should I Use for Truffles?

• Do not use chocolate chips, which include ingredients that prevent them from fully melting to help preserve that chip shape even after baking (think chocolate chip cookies).
• Use finely chopped high-quality baking chocolate instead, for ultra-smooth truffles.
• I love to chop up bars of Ghirardelli chocolate, or even the Trader Joe’s Pound Plus chocolate as an economic and convenient option. A serrated knife is best for chopping chocolate. The smaller the pieces, the more quickly and evenly they’ll melt.
• If you want to splurge on super high-quality chocolate, try Guittard, Scharffen Berger, or Valrhona. You can find these brands at gourmet grocery stores, sometimes even Target or Whole Foods, or simply order online.
• I don’t recommend coating truffles in melting wafers, as they’re not real chocolate and I don’t prefer the taste. Instead, we’re going to temper our chocolate – learn how to temper chocolate here!

Do I Have to Use Semisweet Chocolate? Can I Use Different Chocolate?

I personally think semisweet chocolate lends the perfect balance of sweetness and chocolate flavor. You can use bittersweet instead, if preferred. If you use milk chocolate, reduce the amount of cream by 2 tablespoons. This recipe does not work with white chocolate which doesn’t contain cocoa butter.

Do I Have to Use Corn Syrup?

Nope! It’s an optional ingredient. It simply helps to keep the truffles smooth and fudgy without getting too hard.

Do I Have to Use Alcohol in My Truffles?

No – but it adds a wonderful punch of flavor. Some of my favorite options include:

• Rum
• Brandy
• Bourbon
• Raspberry liqueur (such as Chambord)
• Orange liqueur (such as Grand Marnier)
• Hazelnut liqueur (such as Frangelico)
• Irish cream (such as Bailey’s)
• Coffee liqueur (such as Kahlua)

Chocolate Truffle Flavor Ideas

If you didn’t want to use liqueur to flavor your truffles as listed above, here are some more options. You could even couple these options with some of the coating ideas below!

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon orange extract
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon + 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

Tips For How to Shape Chocolate Truffles

1. The truffle mixture must be well chilled, otherwise it’ll just be a mess and your balls won’t hold their shape.
2. Use a spring-loaded scoopto make quick work of shaping perfectly uniform truffles.
3. Pop the scoops of truffle filling onto a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate until slightly hardened, about 15 minutes. This makes them MUCH easier to roll into smooth balls.
4. Roll the balls between your palms to smooth them into even spheres. Use disposable gloves to prevent your hands from melting the chocolate. Or, dip your hands in ice water every few minutes as you roll the truffles. If the chocolate begins to melt too much, return to the fridge.

How to Dip Truffles in Chocolate

1. Make sure your shaped truffles have chilled for at least 30 minutes before dipping in chocolate. They should be nice and firm.
2. Your chocolate should be completely smooth and melted, but not scalding hot. Place the chocolate in a small but deep heat-proof bowl. This allows you to reheat the chocolate in the microwave if it gets too cold and hard.
3. Use tempered chocolate to get a professional snappy and shiny coating, which stays hard without refrigeration.
4. Avoid swirling the truffles in chocolate. Drop your truffle in the chocolate and spoon the chocolate over the top. Swirling can make a mess.
5. Use a fork or chocolate dipping tool to lift the truffle out of the chocolate. The excess chocolate will drip down through the tines of the fork or tool.
6. Tap your hand, not the fork, to allow the excess to drip off. This prevents you from damaging the truffle or creating an uneven chocolate coating.
7. Use a toothpick to help transfer the truffle from the fork to your cookie sheet for minimal pooling of chocolate at the base of the truffle.

Other Chocolate Truffle Coating Options

If you’d prefer to coat your truffles instead of dipping them in chocolate, simply place your chosen coating(s) in separate small bowls. Place the truffle in and turn to coat completely, pressing in the coating if needed. If your truffles are too cold and hard, they may not coat easily, so allow them to warm up slightly.

Below are some of my favorite coating options:

• Finely chopped nuts (like pecans, pistachios, or hazelnuts)
• Unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• Sprinkles
• Crushed freeze-dried strawberries or raspberries
• Shredded coconut
• Powdered sugar
• Finely chopped crystallized ginger
• Matcha powder
• Crushed peppermint candy canes

How to Store Chocolate Truffles

The truffles can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

How to Gift Chocolate Truffles

• For wrapping and gifting chocolate coated truffles, I highly recommend using tempered chocolate. This way it won’t get soft and melty. Instead, it’ll stay nice and hard, shiny, and snappy.
• Placing the truffles inside a small festive gift box makes them look so cute and special. Treat boxes & bags are easily found at stores like Michael’s or Hobby Lobby – or these are available on Amazon.
• You could even use a plastic egg container for an upcycled option. Or a mason jar for a reusable option.
• If gifting truffles coated in something a little messy, I’d highly recommend using mini cupcake liners to place each truffle into.

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