Chocolate Truffles

You only need two main ingredients to make classic chocolate truffles: chocolate bars and heavy cream. Flavor them with vanilla and coat in cocoa powder for a classic truffle, or switch it up with different extracts, spices, liqueurs, and coatings for variety! Over the years, I’ve seen a few readers have issues with the chocolate breaking. I’ve tested this recipe so many times that I have a simple way to both avoid and fix this problem. It all comes down to evenly heating the chocolate so it doesn’t get too hot. In this recipe, I walk you through how to flavor the truffles and troubleshoot any potential issues!

A reader, Kaiya, says: “I literally just made this for my dad’s work last night…So delicious! I was short on cream by a bit, so I topped it off with eggnog! And I rolled some of them in crushed candy canes.” ★★★★★

Quality Ingredients Are Key

There are two required main ingredients you need to make chocolate truffles—the others are flexible! The quality of chocolate you use, though, will make a huge difference in your truffle’s taste and texture. You can find the full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.

Chocolate — use high-quality chocolate bars for the best chocolate truffles with incredible flavor. Choose the cocoa percentage based on whether you want milk, dark, or extra dark chocolate truffles. The higher the percentage, the more bitter and less sweet the truffle will be. I often use semisweet or bittersweet chocolate. If you use a lower cocoa percentage chocolate (under 60%), like milk chocolate, reduce the heavy cream by 2 to 4 tablespoons to make sure the chocolate ganache is stiff enough to roll. I have also made this recipe with chocolate chips, and it works, but chocolate bars will give you the best flavor and texture. Avoid white chocolate, which will turn out too runny in this specific recipe.

Heavy cream — you need to use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream for the best results. You are essentially making a stiff chocolate ganache as the truffle filling, and the high fat content (at least 36%) in heavy cream is needed to emulsify with the chocolate to produce a velvety, dense truffle. Regular whipping cream or milk will not work due to their lower fat content, making the truffles too soft or less malleable for shaping.

Flavoring and coatings — there are so many options here! You could technically skip both, but the added vanilla enhances the flavor of the chocolate, and a coating keeps the truffles from getting too sticky on the outside. This recipe allows a lot of flexibility to easily change up the flavor of your truffles. Vanilla extract and a cocoa powder coating are classic choices, but sprinkles and nuts are great, too. I have lots of ideas for you just below!

Chocolate Truffle Flavoring and Coating Ideas

Vanilla is the typical flavoring in classic chocolate truffles because it complements the flavor of the chocolate while also allowing it to shine. But it’s really simple to change the flavor of the truffles based on what you like!

• Extracts: In addition to (or instead of) vanilla extract, add about ½ to 1 teaspoon coconut extract, peppermint extract, orange extract, raspberry extract, or almond extract.
• Spices: I like to steep whole cinnamon sticks or mint leaves in the heavy cream by gently warming the cream, adding the spices or herbs, and letting it sit until it cools to room temperature, then straining it. Or you can add up to ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon or ground nutmeg to the chocolate mixture along with the vanilla.
• Liqueur: For a slightly boozy, adults-only chocolate truffle, add up to 2 tablespoons of your favorite liqueur along with the vanilla extract. Some good options are Frangelico, Grand Marnier, Kirsch, and Kahlúa.

A classic cocoa powder coating never fails, but this recipe is a wonderful opportunity to get creative! Here are some ideas:

• Freeze-dried fruit: Powdered freeze-dried fruit not only gives the truffles a vibrant, colorful coating (great for themed holidays like Valentine’s Day), but they also provide a fantastic flavor contrast— it’s hard to beat the pairing of fruit and chocolate, after all! Strawberry, raspberry, and mango are some of my favorites.
• Festive sprinkles: I love coating homemade truffles with colorful sprinkles to correspond with specific holidays. For example, I’ll use red and green for Christmas or pink and white for Valentine’s Day. You can use either jimmies or nonpareils as a coating.
• Coconut or nuts: Desiccated coconut or finely chopped nuts add crunch and texture, which complements the smooth, velvety truffles.
• Melted chocolate: Dip the truffle balls in the melted chocolate of your choice, place on parchment paper, and refrigerate until the chocolate shells set.

Shaping Chocolate Truffles

Rolling the ganache into balls is an easy technique, but it can be a little bit tricky since ganache melts around body temperature (90-100°F). Roll them quickly between your palms to eliminate the ganache from warming up too much. The outer layer will get a bit sticky, but a little bit is good because it helps the coatings stick!

If the truffles are very sticky in your hands, wearing a pair of gloves or coating your palms with a light dusting of cocoa powder can help!

Do I Have To Roll Them Into Balls?

No, you can make truffle squares instead! Fully line an 8-inch square pan with plastic wrap or parchment paper (leave excess parchment on the sides to make removal easier). Pour in the ganache and let it chill in the fridge until firm. Lift the chilled ganache from the pan by holding onto the excess lining like handles. Cut the ganache into small squares, then coat the square truffles as you wish.

Troubleshooting Issues When Making Chocolate Truffles

A few readers have shared some issues they have experienced when making chocolate truffles. I’ve tested this recipe many times over the years and have some simple fixes for these potential problems.

• The mixture is grainy, greasy, or separated: This happens when the chocolate gets too hot while melting it, and the cocoa butter and solids break apart. Be sure to reduce the heat to low after the water in the pot comes to a boil in Step 2. This can easily occur when melting chocolate in the microwave, which is why I avoided that for this recipe and used a double boiler instead. To fix broken ganache, whisk in hot water a teaspoon at a time until the ganache turns glossy again.
• The mixture is too hard to roll: If the ganache is too firm to roll, it’s because it is too cold. Let it warm up for a few minutes at room temperature and try again.
• The mixture is too soft to roll: There are two likely culprits here: The ganache is simply too warm, and needs to chill a little while longer, or the chocolate bars did not have a high enough cocoa content to set the ganache. For the latter, you just need to add more chocolate. Gently reheat the ganache over a double boiler, and add another 1-2 ounces of chopped chocolate.

Pro Tips For Making The Best Chocolate Truffles

Chopping chocolate into finer pieces makes it melt more evenly and faster. This decreases the risk of some of the chocolate getting too hot and breaking before the rest of it is melted.

Use a cookie scoop or measuring teaspoon to make perfectly uniform truffles. Use a #110 scoop for 1-teaspoon-sized truffles or a #100 scoop for 2-teaspoon-sized truffles. (Just keep in mind that larger truffles will mean you have a smaller yield overall!)

How To Make Chocolate Truffles

Below, I’ve highlighted portions of the recipe in step-by-step process images along with instructions for making homemade ganache truffles. You can find the full set of instructions in the recipe card below.

1. Finely chop the chocolate into very small, uniform pieces.

2. Place it in a large heatproof bowl along with the heavy cream. To make a DIY double boiler, fill a small pot with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low. Place the bowl with the chocolate and cream on top of the pot (make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water). Stir often until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is fully combined.

3. Turn off the heat, carefully remove the bowl from the pot, and add the vanilla to the cream mixture.

4. Pour the chocolate ganache into a loaf pan or small baking pan and chill for about 1 hour in the refrigerator. It should be firm, but your finger should easily leave an indent when pressed.

5. Scoop the truffle mixture into 1- to 2-teaspoon-sized portions (use a cookie scoop to be more precise, if you like). Roll it into a ball between your palms and place it on a plate or baking sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper.

6. Roll each truffle ball in the coating of your choice and chill for another 30 minutes at least.

5 from 38 votes

Chocolate Truffle Recipe

These easy Chocolate Truffles are a lovely sweet treat that is so simple to make. There are many options for different flavors and coatings, or you can stick with the classic and coat them in cocoa powder!

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Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Chill Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 32 balls

Calories 81kcal

Author John Kanell

Video

Equipment

• ▢
  Large bowl
• ▢
  Parchment paper

Ingredients

• ▢ 12 ounces high-quality semi-sweet chocolate bars (338g)
• ▢ ¾ cup heavy cream (180ml)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ▢ Coatings: cocoa powder, chopped toasted nuts, sprinkles

Instructions

• Finely chop the chocolate and place in a large heat proof bowl. Add the cream.
• Fill a small pot with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low.
• Place the bowl on top of the pot making sure the bowl isn’t touching the water. Stir frequently until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth, fully combined, and glossy. Remove from the pot and stir in the vanilla. Pour the ganache into a loaf or small baking pan.
• Chill for about 1 hour or until the ganache is firm to the touch but your finger can press into it without much force. (It should feel like playdough.)
• Line a plate or small baking sheet with wax or parchment paper.
• Scoop the chilled ganache into 1 to 2 teaspoon-size portions. Roll between your palms to create a ball and place it on the paper. (If your hands are naturally warm, it may help to wear nitrile or latex gloves when shaping the ganache.) Roll each ball into the coating of your choice and return to the fridge to chill until firm, at least 30 minutes. Truffles can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 months.

Notes

• If the ganache is too soft, make sure it has chilled for long enough. If so, and it is still too soft, you will have to gently reheat the mixture and add more chopped chocolate to it.
• If your ganache is too firm to scoop or roll, let it stand at room temperature for a few minutes and try again.
• Have fun with the coatings! Cocoa powder, powdered sugar, sprinkles, nuts, coconut, and powdered freeze-dried fruit all work great! You can even dip them in melted chocolate for a hard chocolate shell.

Nutrition

Calories: 81kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 65mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 87IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg

*Nutrition Disclaimer

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Make-Ahead and Storing Truffles

Storing: Store chocolate truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

Freezing: Freeze for up to 3 months in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying.

How To Package For Gifting

For a thoughtful and decadent homemade gift, put individual truffles in mini cupcake liners or wrap them in truffle foils, then pack them in a tin or gift box.

More Candy Recipes To Try

Who doesn’t love homemade candy? Try one of these recipes next to satisfy your sweet tooth.

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Chocolate bonbons are a bit involved to make, but the effort is worth it for the thin, snappy tempered chocolate coating and silky ganache center.

If you need a quick no-bake dessert recipe, try my Oreo balls! You can use classic Oreos or swap out the type of Oreos to easily change their flavor.

I love making a batch of rum balls a couple of days in advance, as their flavor deepens as they sit. They’re rich, a little boozy, and so fun!

Dalgona candy (Korean honeycomb toffee) rose to fame worldwide thanks to the TV show Squid Game. You can use cookie cutters to make them in a variety of cutouts!

If you’ve tried this homemade chocolate truffles recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!