When it comes to homemade decadence with minimum effort, you can’t beat Chocolate Truffles! Chocolate Truffles are made by melting chocolate with cream and butter. Chill, roll then coat. They’re EASY if you use my little trick to make these with minimum fuss without getting chocolate all over yourself!!!
Bonus: you get to lick the bowl clean. I’ll take that over cake batter any day!
Chocolate Truffles
5 years ago when I embarked on a chocolate truffle mission, I was rather surprised that it wasn’t as easy as I thought to find a “normal” chocolate truffle recipe.
All I wanted was a basic truffle recipe that I could make without having to use $40/kg ($20/lb) Lindt 85% cacao dark chocolate, without liquor in it, without a salted caramel centre, without using a candy thermometer, without a double coating of chocolate.
Was I asking for the impossible?? Was I reaching for the stars??
So I just muddled together my own. All you need is chocolate, cream and butter. How hard could it be? (*She thought confidently, overly confidently it turned out because it did end up requiring a few batches to get the ratios right for the perfect rollable-yet-melt-in-your-mouth consistency)
What you need
The world’s easiest sweet treat – chocolate, butter and cream!
Chocolate – the better the quality, the better the truffle. But still so luxurious made with mainstream brand chocolate you get in grocery stores. Just be sure to use the chocolate you buy in the baking aisle, not eating chocolate. Baking chocolate is made for melting smoothly, eating chocolate does not melt properly and also has a different consistency once it resets.
Cream – full fat all the way! I’m not just being fussy here, it’s actually required. Don’t use a cream with less than 30% fat because then the chocolate won’t firm up enough to scoop ‘n roll (as I found out the hard way when I attempted to make “low fat” chocolate truffles, SERIOUSLY WHO DOES THAT??!!)
Butter – it adds another layer of richness to the chocolate truffles as well as assisting with consistency (because butter firms up in the fridge to make the mixture roll-able but then softens once the truffles are at room temp).
How to make Chocolate Truffles
Rolling truffles can get quite messy, so here are my tips to make truffles with ease:
1. Make sure that the truffle mixture is properly chilled before rolling them so I recommend chilling for at least 5 hours, preferably overnight. Don’t be tempted to freeze it to speed it up because then the chocolate will set unevenly which will result in some parts that are too hard to scoop out.
2. Keep your hands cold with an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas (covered with a tea towel) – I have hot little hands. Plenty of built-in insulation. 😂 Which is great for saving on the power bill in winter. Not so good for making chocolate truffles because my hot little hands melt the chocolate while I’m rolling the balls so they slip and slide everywhere.
So before you start rolling, run your hands under cold water and keep an ice pack, frozen peas or something cold nearby to keep your hands cold throughout the rolling process.
***I know this sounds weird, but it is so effective!****
Gifting and eating!!
And when to make these little beauties??
Post meal “light” treat, rather than committing to a whole grand dessert. I don’t know about your family and friends, but mine tend to overload on the mains (possibly because the vast proportion of my cooking attention is focussed on the main affair) and often too full for dessert. Sound familiar to you too??
After dinner coffee or cocktail – just like at fine dining restaurants! Try it with an Espresso Martini (*she swoons at the thought*);
Afternoon tea, morning tea, and everything in between; and
GIFTING – the main reason I make these! I will go all year without making truffles, then suddenly go on a truffle binge as we approach Christmas! Pack them in sweet little boxes with tissue paper and tie with ribbons or I’m little cellophane bags.
They last for yonks (that’s Aussie for “ages”), as in weeks and weeks. Keep them in the fridge if it’s hot where you are but definitely serve at room temperature so the chocolate is creamy and melty the moment you bite into it!! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Easy Chocolate Truffles
Ingredients
- 285g / 10 oz dark chocolate melts (chocolate chips, or chocolate block coarsely chopped)
- 2 tbsp (30g) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup (125ml) cream (full fat, not low fat, not whipped)
Coating ideas (each enough to coat 24 truffles)
- 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch Processed is darker, looks "posh")
- 1/2 cup crushed peanuts (small, so can stick)
- 1/3 cup sprinkles or similar
- 1/4 cup icing sugar / powdered sugar
Instructions
- Place chocolate, cream and butter in a microwave proof bowl. Microwave on high for 4 x 30 second bursts, stirring in between.
- Cover bowl with a plate and stand for 5 minutes, then stir until chocolate is melted and smooth (this is a ganache!)
- Place the bowl in the refrigerator for 6 hours. Do not be tempted to shortcut it by freezing it! (Note 2)
- Put a dinner plate or tray that you will use to place the rolled truffles on in the fridge as well.
Rolling the Truffle Balls
- Place cocoa / coatings of choice in a small bowl or plate.
- Remove Ganache from fridge. The chocolate mixture should be firm – softer than cold butter but harder than peanut butter.
- Get an ice pack or bag of frozen peas from the freezer and place on the bench. Cover with a couple of paper towels. ("Freezer Pack").
- Scoop up a tablespoon (using tablespoon measure), then use a teaspoon to scoop the mixture out into your hands (see video). Roll into ball then place on chilled plate. Repeat with remaining chocolate mixture, chilling hands on Freezer Pack as needed.
- Once all balls are rolled, roll in cocoa or Coatings of choice. Serve at room temp so the chocolate is beautifully creamy inside!
Recipe Notes:
- Cold plate or tray for placing the balls on
- Keep your hands COLD. I have hot little hands. I keep a bag of frozen peas or ice pack handy to chill my hands!
Nutrition Information:
First published November 2014. About time I updated it!!!
Life of Dozer
At a “no dogs allowed” beach. He’s ALWAYS pushing the boundaries!!
Thank you so much for all the extra detail you’ve added to this recipe method! It’s extremely helpful and I’m looking forward to making these later! ?
I do hope you try it!! These are so crazy delicious! N x
heyy
have you ever tried this recipe with white chocolate? is the recipe still the same
thanks
Hi Mia, no I haven’t and I’m not sure it is the same because white chocolate usually requires a slightly different ratio of cream. Sorry!
So i Substituted canned coconut milk for the cream, and coconut oil for the butter. The truffles turned out to be amazing 🙂
Yay yay yay! I’m updating the recipe! 🙂
When substituting, are the measurements the same?
Thanks, these sound great!
Hi CarrieLou! Yup they are 🙂 N x
can I use canned coconut milk in place of the heavy cream?
Hi Avery! I haven’t tried this with coconut milk before based on it’s consistency, it should work. I would be interested to know if you try it! 🙂
Hi Nagi!
So I am having a bit of trouble finding regular cream is there a specific brand that sells it? And would heavy whipping cream make a vast difference in the overall result?
Thanks.
Hi Yesenia! I switch around the brands and type of cream I use all the time! Heavy whipping cream will definitely work – as long it is not whipped! Different brands of cream produce slightly different consistencies but barely noticeable. Oh, and also just make sure not to use low fat cream!! Hope that helps!!
Thank you so very much! I cannot wait to make this for my Christmas Eve party! 🙂
Merry Christmas!
I love this recipe. I just put it in the fridge. And can’t wait to get them finished. I making these as a trial run and hen going to make more later on as Christmas gifts for work. I will let you know how they turn out.
Please do Lydia!! Love to know what you think. I just got back from the supermarket – I bought 4lb/2kg of chocolate chips to make these as gifts for friends!!
Decades ago I had a delish and easy recipe for truffles that I lost. Been looking for one ever since. There is only one thing I remember from that recipe. Using a melon baller to create the truffles. I’ll have to give this recipe a try for Christmas.
I wish a had a melon baller! It would be easier to scoop out near rounds, but I still think you would need to use your hands to make them into balls. From memory when I used a melon baller, the chocolate kind of rolls into the scoop so unless you roll it with your hands, you will have air pockets in the middle and/or the ball won’t be a nice round. 🙂
Definitely a perfect recipe for the Christmas period.. loving your presentation of the truffles in the little gingerbread box especially Nagi!
Thanks Thalia!
Oh, Nagi, where were you with this recipe a year and a half a go when I was making 55 bags of truffles for my wedding?! Haha! Actually, I think in the end I used a recipe for classic truffles from a British chef – someone like Jamie Oliver or Gordon Ramsey as I remember. They turned out brilliantly. Next time I want to make some truffles I know exactly where to come (because I think I’ve lost my original recipe – oops!)
55 bags of truffles? For your own wedding? Who does that? You are MAD! Get divorced and remarry – I’ll make the truffles! 🙂
I am loving your 15 minute recipes, my friend! These are decadent and divine!!
Thanks Annie! It’s nuts right, that it’s so fast and easy to make truffles??
These sound wonderful, and that’s a great suggestion, using the ice pack. Question about adding flavorings: how much do you recommend per batch, and should the cream amount be adjusted downward to keep it from getting too soupy?
Hi Susan! The quantity of flavourings depends on what you are adding. I do not adjust the cream and add 2 tbsp of Bailey’s and the consistency is still very close to the original (I could not tell the difference). But if I were to add, for example, orange juice (plus I would add zest), I would add 2 tbsp of juice but reduce the cream by 1 tbsp because juice is more watery than Bailey’s. If I were to add peppermint, because you only need a wee bit, I would not change the cream amount at all. I think the key to this recipe is the butter which gives this recipe a bit of flexibility to add flavourings without really worrying too much about it getting too soupy/soft. If you have a particular flavouring in mind, let me know and I can add it to the recipe because I am making more batches soon so I could do the flavouring you want!
Perfect for stuffing into the gingerbread jars and boxes! 🙂 I like how the recipe is so simple – those are the best!
Thanks Sarah! You’re so kind!
These look fabulous !!!! What are dark chocolate melts? Are they chocolate chips? Also, you have that these can be flavored…..when do you add the flavoring & how much do you use? Thanks.
Linda, yes Chocolate Melts are just chocolate chips, they are just slightly larger! But chocolate chips are just fine – I’ll update the recipe! Thank you for asking the question 🙂
Awesome truffle making tip! I’d never have thought of it…These are so pretty. I love truffles because they are fairly easy to make and always look so fancy! 😉
Thanks Marissa! I know it’s a weird tip, but it really works!
OMG – this is SO adorable! What wonderful Christmas gifts these would make! And those truffles, oh those truffles – you know I’m not a huge sweets person, but I will eat an entire tin of truffles like it’s my last day on earth! But…I have never made them! I’m gonna have to change that!
I’m with you! I rarely bake because I’m not that into cakes etc, but truffles are another story!
These look fantastic! I love how simple these are (and those gingerbread boxes are genius!).
Thank you! I’m so glad you like them!