Chocolate truffles are decadent and rich candies that are super easy to make. They are perfect for any special occasion, including Christmas, Valentines Day, and other time you want an impressive sweet to serve.
Any chocolate lover can tell you that it is hard to beat a good chocolate truffle…unless it’s this chocolate tart that’s basically a chocolate truffle in a chocolate graham cracker crust.
But these little candies are just as rich and decadent AND they are super easy to make.
This simple recipe doesn’t require a lot of fuss, but it does create an impressive, velvety chocolate everyone will absolutely love.
I like to package them up with some peppermint bark, rolo pretzel turtle candy, and some of my favorite Christmas cookies….snickerdoodles, gingersnaps, sand tarts, chocolate spritz cookies…take your pick…and make tins of goodies to give out to friends and family during the holidays.
They also make an excellent Valentine’s Day treat for that special someone in your life. The only problem is they are going want them all year long!
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Ingredients You’ll Need
These truffles are super easy to make and only need a few ingredients, including:
- Dark Chocolate – For best results, use a baking chocolate or other high quality bar that is between 60% – 72% cacao.
- Heavy cream – Heavy cream is needed for the creamiest texture and decadence.
- Vanilla extract – We use real vanilla extract, but you could use artificial if you prefer.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – For an elegant look, use cocoa powder, or you could use just about any topping you can think of, like crushed peppermint or sprinkles.
Toppings for Truffles
Traditionally, chefs roll truffles in a topping to coat the outside. This adds another layer of flavor to the silky smooth chocolate balls. We’ve given you the basic recipe with a coating of cocoa powder but there is a whole range of toppings you can chose from.
If you want to try some new ideas for toppings to roll your truffles in, these are some of our favorites:
- Other powders – powdered sugar, matcha powder, freeze-dried powdered raspberry, freeze-dried powdered strawberry, or freeze-dried powdered blueberry
- Chopped nuts – pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, or pistachios
- Chopped dried fruit – cranberries, blueberries, apricots, or oranges
- Dried coconut flakes
- Crushed peppermint
- Nonpareils or sprinkles
Chocolate Covered Truffles
You can also dip your truffles in chocolate instead of rolling them in a topping.
For this method I suggest refrigerating your rolled (uncoated) truffles for 30 minute to an hour.
I like to use melting chocolates (dark, milk, or white chocolate) for these because they melt super smoothly. Melt the chocolate according to the instructions on the package.
Once melted place your chilled truffle on a fork and dip it into the chocolate. Pull it up out of the chocolate and lightly tap it against the side of the bowl to let any excess chocolate drip away. Tapping it keeps that outer coating nice and smooth.
Place the dipped chocolate on a parchment paper or wax paper lined baking sheet to allow the chocolate to harden.
Once they have fully hardened, you can store according to the instructions below.
Giving your truffles a different flavor
You can easily add some flavor to your chocolate ganache before you roll it up into a truffle. Just add a few drops of a different flavor extract in place of the vanilla.
For added or different flavor, try one of these suggestions:
Instructions
Step 1 – Prep the chocolate. Use a sharp knife to cut the chocolate bar into small, thin pieces. The smaller and thinner the better to help it melt in the step below. Place the chopped chocolate in a bowl.
Step 2 – Heat the heavy cream. Pour the heavy cream into a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup and then microwave for 1 minute or until it begins to boil.
Next, add the vanilla extract to the cream and stir to combine.
Step 3 – Melt the chocolate. When still hot, pour the cream over the chopped chocolate and let it sit for 2 minutes. Once it has sat for a few minutes, stir until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
Step 4 – Cool the chocolate in the fridge. Once the chocolate and cream are smooth, place the bowl in the fridge for 30 to 60 minutes or until it cools enough that you can scoop it out and easily roll it into a ball.
Step 5 – Form the balls. Scoop out about 1 tablespoon of chocolate and roll into a ball with your hands. For best results, we recommend wearing plastic gloves. This helps keep the heat from your hands from making the balls super sticky.
Once the ball is ready, roll in the topping(s) of your choice to finish. You can store them at room temperature for 3 to 4 days or for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
Tips for Making Truffles
When making truffles, follow these tips for best results.
- Work in batches. Remove your chilled chocolate from the refrigerator and scoop out several 1 tablespoon scoops then place the remaining chocolate back into the refrigerator. Roll the chocolate you have scooped out into balls before removing the chocolate from the refrigerator again. This helps keep the chocolate cool so that it does not become melty and sticky.
- Wear gloves. We suggest you use gloves when forming your chocolate into balls as it helps to keep the heat of your hands from melting the chocolate. When the chocolate heats up, it makes it extra sticky. And when you’re ready to roll the balls in their topping, it also helps to keep the toppings from sticking to your hands.
Use the Right Chocolate
The best chocolate for truffles is low in sugar, high in cacao, and comes in bar form.
The right quality of chocolate is key to getting a decadent, silky truffle. It’s tempting to use chocolate chips (less chopping), but you’ll get the best results when you use a high quality bar of chocolate, such as Ghirardelli bars of baking chocolate.
Chocolate chips often have stabilizers mixed into them to make them hold their shape when baked. This will affect how smooth your chocolate gets when it melts with the cream.
You also want to use a chocolate with less sugar and higher cacao. We suggest a cacao level between 60% and 72%, but you can go higher if you like a really bitter dark chocolate.
Finally, you can use milk or white chocolate, but the ratio of cream to chocolate varies, so you won’t get perfect results when using this recipe.
How to Make it Ahead of Time
To make ahead, follow the instructions as written and then store in the following ways:
Room Temperature – If you’ll be serving these in the next 3-4 days you can store them in an air tight container at room temperature and serve immediately. If you are storing them in layers, it works best to place a sheet of wax or parchment paper between each layer to keep them from sticking together.
Refrigerator – If you are making these up to 2 weeks ahead of time you can store them in an air tight container in the refrigerator. Again, make sure to separate layers with wax paper or parchment paper to keep them from sticking together.
When you are ready to serve allow them to warm to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
Freezer – You can also store them in the freezer. Place them in an airtight container with wax or parchment paper between the layers and freezer for up to 2 months.
When you are ready to serve allow them to warm to room temperature for about 60 minutes before serving.
Note for best results when refrigerating or freezing
Because there tends to be a bit of condensation that appears on top of the truffles as they come to room temperature the powder coated truffles don’t do as well. The powder gets a bit moist from the condensation.
If you want to make the powder coated variety or sprinkle coated variety ahead of time I suggest making the truffles and refrigerating or freezing before coating them in the powder.
When you are ready to serve let them come to room temp and quickly roll in powder or sprinkles before serving. This will guarantee the best results every time!
Looking for More Easy Candy Recipes?
- Rocky Road Chocolate Bark
- Homemade Peppermint Bark
- Reindeer Chocolate Bark
- Rolo Pretzel Turtle Candy
- Slow Cooker Spiced Nuts
- Homemade Candied Nuts
- More Candy Recipes…
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Servings: 24
Prep Time: 40 minutes mins
Total Time: 40 minutes mins
Chocolate Truffles
This easy dark chocolate truffles are decadent chocolate ganache candies rolled in fruit, nuts, powders, or dipped in chocolate.
Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes
Ingredients
- 16 ounces Dark Chocolate, 60% – 72% cacao
- 8 ounces Heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder or other toppings
Instructions
Start by finely chopping the chocolate. You want it to be small thin pieces so that it will melt smoothly in the next step. Place the chopped chocolate in a bowl.
Pour heavy cream into a microwave safe measuring cup or bowl. Microwave the heavy cream for 1 minute or until it begins to boil.
Add the vanilla extract to the cream and stir together.
Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate in the bowl and let it sit for 2 minutes. Then stir until chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
Place the chocolate in the refrigerator for 30 – 60 minutes or until it cools enough to be a consistency that can be molded easily.
Scoop out about 1 tablespoonful of chocolate and roll into a ball.
Roll completed ball in topping of your choice.
Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator or freezer.
Notes
To make ahead, follow the instructions as written and then store in the following ways:
Room Temperature – If you’ll be serving these in the next 3-4 days you can store them in an air tight container at room temperature and serve immediately. If you are storing them in layers, it works best to place a sheet of wax or parchment paper between each layer to keep them from sticking together.
Refrigerator – If you are making these up to 2 weeks ahead of time you can store them in an air tight container in the refrigerator. Again, make sure to separate layers with wax paper or parchment paper to keep them from sticking together.
When you are ready to serve allow them to warm to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
Freezer – You can also store them in the freezer. Place them in an airtight container with wax or parchment paper between the layers and freezer for up to 2 months.
When you are ready to serve allow them to warm to room temperature for about 60 minutes before serving.
Note for best results when refrigerating or freezing:
Because there tends to be a bit of condensation that appears on top of the truffles as they come to room temperature the powder coated truffles don’t do as well. The powder gets a bit moist from the condensation.
If you want to make the powder coated variety or sprinkle coated variety ahead of time I suggest making the truffles and refrigerating or freezing before coating them in the powder.
When you are ready to serve let them come to room temp and quickly roll in powder or sprinkles before serving. This will guarantee the best results every time!
Nutrition
Serving: 1truffle, Calories: 150kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 14mg, Sodium: 8mg, Potassium: 170mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 146IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 22mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition Disclaimer: We are not certified nutritionists. Nutrition facts are an estimate and are provided as a courtesy. They are generated by an online API which recognizes ingredient names and amounts and makes calculations based on the serving size. Results may vary.
Author: Kat Jeter & Melinda Caldwell
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chocolate truffles recipe, dark chocolate truffles, how to make chocolate truffles, how to make truffles
