Homemade Chocolate Truffles

Chocolate Truffles are the easiest homemade candies. You need just 4 ingredients to make a silky ganache base, then choose your favorite add-ins and toppings to customize the recipe.

To make Chocolate Truffles you can simply make a basic 2-ingredient Chocolate Ganache recipe and roll it into balls. But that’s just the beginning of the endless possibilities for making homemade truffles.

At the very least, I like to add a little butter for luscious texture and a hint of liquor to enhance the flavor of the chocolate. Dark chocolate truffles are a grown-up candy treat that is remarkably easy to make.

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

• Chocolate – Semi Sweet Chocolate is best for making dark chocolate truffles.
• Cream – Use heavy cream or whipping cream. Do not use light cream.
• Butter – A little butter makes truffles extra luscious.
• Liquor – Enhances the flavor of the chocolate.
• Sprinkles – For a sweet and pretty finish on the truffles

How to make Chocolate Truffles

Step 1: Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and butter. Set it aside for 3-4 minutes then stir until combined.

Step 2: Stir the optional liquor into the ganache then set it aside to cool completely at room temperature. Once the ganache is set at room temperature, chill for several hours before forming the truffles.

Step 3: Use small scooper or teaspoon measure to scoop 1″ balls of ganache. Line them up on a tray. If they start to get too soft chill before proceeding.

Step 4: Roll each truffle in traditional cocoa, sprinkles or your choice of topping. The baking aisle in your market is a great source for an array of pretty and tasty sprinkles.

Step 5: Continue coating all the truffles, line them up on pan lined with clean parchment and store at cool room temperature until serving.

Pastry Chef tips for making truffles

• For the smoothest texture, cool the ganache completely at room temperature before chilling. Chilling the ganache too fast causes the cocoa butter to form large crystals which compromises the silky smooth texture.
• Use semi-sweet chocolate in the 55%-72% range.
• A little alcohol enhances the flavor of the truffle. Some flavor molecules are alcohol soluble. With just a hint of rum or other liquor, the truffles will have a deeper chocolate flavor.
• Stir the ganache just until it’s combined. If you continue stirring the ganache as it’s cooling you’ll add too much air to the ganache and the truffles won’t be as smooth.
• See my Milk Chocolate Ganache recipe if you want to make milk chocolate truffles or my White Chocolate Ganache recipe for white chocolate truffles.
• A scooper makes consistently sized truffles and keeps your hands from warming the ganache.

FAQs

Flavor variations and add-ins

• Rum is a great flavor partner for dark chocolate. But you can use the liquor of your choice or simply use a little vanilla extract (1 teaspoon) if you don’t want to use liquor.
• To make chocolate orange truffles add the finely grated zest from 1 orange zest plus a tablespoon of orange liquor in place of the rum.
• For coffee flavored truffles add 1 tablespoon of instant espresso powder to the heated cream and use Kahlua instead of rum.
• For cinnamon truffles add a 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the heated cream and use brandy instead of rum.
• For almond truffles add a 1/2 teaspoon of natural almond extract to the cream, use amaretto instead of rum and roll the truffles in ground almonds.

More recipes for chocoholics: Chocolate Mousse, Chocolate Molten Cake, Chocolate Swiss Cake Roll, Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie, Chocolate Mousse Pie, Dark Chocolate Sorbet.

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