Chocolate Truffles Recipe

For this chocolate truffles recipe, all you need is good quality chocolate and a few simple ingredients to make delicious, creamy, rich chocolate truffles that will wow everyone who tastes them. Milk, white, or dark chocolate truffles are perfect for a special occasion gift, valentine’s day for a chocolate lover, or just a treat for yourself! The best part is that you can customize them with your favorite toppings. There is no big secret when it comes to making a basic chocolate truffle, it is an emulsion of chocolate and cream. Once you get that down the flavor possibilities are endless! Using 3 types of chocolate and ideas from my pantry we created 18 different flavor combinations to indulge in!

The truffle gets its name because it looks like the mushroom-like fungus that is highly sought after and difficult to find. Chocolate truffles are easy to make and a fun way to get creative in the kitchen with different flavors. Classic French chocolate truffles are rolled in unsweetened cocoa powder, which is a delicious place to start, but I had a lot of fun looking through my pantry for fun things to pair with chocolate.

Chocolate Truffle Ingredients

Dark Chocolate that's 64% or more is best for dark chocolate truffles. Semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolate has the most cocoa solids and cocoa butter in it, but typically no milk. This will give you the firmest truffle, but the deepest most intense chocolate flavor. The slight bitter aspects of dark chocolate are what make it so interesting and pair really well with so many things from fruits to spices. 

Milk Chocolate has made by combining cocoa solids and cocoa butter with sugar, and milk. Sometimes an emulsifier, such as soy lecithin, is added to enhance its smoothness. The definition of milk chocolate must contain at least 10% chocolate liquor and 12% milk, this is why it is much sweeter than dark chocolate. 

White Chocolate is typically made of sugar, milk, and cocoa butter, but no cocoa solids. So technically it isn’t real chocolate, but a very close cousin. There are many confections out there claiming to be white chocolate, but if there is no cocoa butter in the ingredients, it isn’t white chocolate. It will not perform the same as white chocolate when trying to make truffles. 

High-quality chocolate will result in much better-tasting results and will be much easier to work with than cheaper imitation chocolate. If you are going to put in the time and effort to make truffles, don’t waste your time or money on lower-end ingredients. Some of the brands I like are Lindt, Cacao Barry, and Ghirardelli. 

Heavy whipping cream has the highest percentage of fat, and the fat is what emulsifies with the chocolate creating a rich, smooth truffle. Lighter cream can be used, and even milk, however, the ratio of the chocolate will have to be adjusted to accommodate the change in fat content.

Making 3 Types of Chocolate Truffles

The process for dark, milk and white chocolate truffles is the same. The only difference is that there is corn syrup added to the dark chocolate ganache to help make an extra-creamy texture.

Making Dark Chocolate Truffles

1. Measure the heavy cream and corn syrup in a microwave-safe bowl, then mix briefly and microwave in 20-second sessions until the cream is steaming. Mix between sessions so that it heats evenly.
2. Pour the hot cream over the heatproof bowl of measured chocolate, making sure that the chocolate is evenly distributed under the cream.
3. Let the chocolate mixture sit for 5 minutes to let the chocolate melt. 
4. Whisk the chocolate and cream together and it should begin to emulsify and smooth out. If there are still some chocolate chunks in it, microwave again for 10 seconds and continue to stir until smooth. 
5. Add in the butter and continue to stir until the butter is fully incorporated and the ganache smooth.
6. Cover the ganache with plastic wrap making contact with the surface (to prevent a dry skin on top) and let it rest until the ganache has cooled completely and becomes firm, this could take 1-2 hours. With dark ganache, you can chill it in the refrigerator, but it will be more difficult to scoop if it is cold. 
7. Once the ganache has set, prepare a baking sheet tray with parchment paper.
8. Using a cookie scoop, melon baller, or spoon, measure a scoop of ganache to your desired size. I chose to make truffles that are 0.5 oz and about 1-1.5” across and this made about 25 truffles. The ganache will warm up quickly in your hands, so handle the chocolate as little as possible. 
9. Place the ganache scoops on the sheet tray and refrigerate them for 10 minutes. 
10. While the ganache is resting, set up your desired ingredients for the coating of the truffles. 
11. Roll a scoop of ganache into a smooth round ball, and then roll it in the topping of choice. Do one topping at a time so that you do not cross-contaminate the toppings into other bowls. Pro-tip: Wear gloves or make sure your hands are clean and cold. 
12. Place the truffle back on the sheet pan and let set up for about another 10 minutes before serving and storing.  

Making Milk Chocolate Truffles

1. Heat the cream in the microwave or in a saucepan over the stove until the cream is steaming.
2. Pour the hot cream over the milk chocolate, making sure that the chocolate is evenly distributed under the cream. 
3. Let it sit for 5 minutes to melt the chocolate. 
4. Whisk the chocolate and cream together and it should begin to emulsify and smooth out. If there are still some chocolate chunks in it, microwave again for 10 seconds and continue to stir until smooth. 
5. Add in the butter and continue to whisk until the ganache is fully incorporated and smooth.
6. Cover the ganache with plastic wrap making contact with the surface of the ganache and set aside for 1-2 hours until the ganache is cooled and firm. You can chill milk ganache in the refrigerator. It is a softer ganache so if it is slightly cool before rolling, it will be less likely to melt in your hands.
7. Once the ganache has set, prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper to set the scoops of ganache on. 
8. Scoop the ganache into equal-sized balls. This recipe will make about 25, 0.5-ounce (1 Tablespoon) truffles. 
9. Place the ganache scoops on the sheet tray and let them sit for 15 minutes in the fridge to set up. 
10. Roll a scoop of ganache into a smooth round ball, and then roll it in the topping of choice.
11. Place the truffle back on the sheet pan and let set up for about another 15 minutes before serving and storing.

Making White Chocolate Truffles

1. Heat the cream in the microwave or in a saucepan over the stove until the cream is steaming. 
2. Pour the hot cream over the white chocolate, making sure that the chocolate is evenly distributed under the cream. 
3. Let it sit for 5 minutes to melt the chocolate. 
4. Whisk the chocolate and cream together and it should begin to emulsify and smooth out. If there are still some chocolate chunks in it, microwave again for 10 seconds and continue to stir until smooth. 
5. Add in the butter and continue to whisk until the ganache is fully incorporated and smooth.
6. Cover the ganache with plastic wrap making contact with the surface of the ganache (to prevent a dry skin on top) and let rest until it has cooled completely and become firm, this could take up to 1-2 hours.
7. Once the ganache has set, prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper to set the scoops of ganache on.
8. Scoop the ganache into equal-sized balls. This recipe will make about 25, 0.5-ounce (1 Tablespoon) truffles. 
9. Place the ganache scoops on the sheet tray and let them sit for 20 minutes in the fridge to set up. 
10. Roll a scoop of ganache into a smooth round ball, and then roll it in the topping of choice.
11. Place the truffle back on the sheet pan and let set up for about another 20 minutes.

Storing Chocolate Truffles

The finished truffles are now ready to eat, package or store. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge if you plan on saving them for longer than 4 days. If you are giving them as a gift, remind the recipient to eat them within 4 days or keep them in their refrigerator. 

How to Flavor Chocolate Truffles

The possibilities are endless when it comes to flavoring truffles. Rolling the truffle in a fun coating is one way, but you can also flavor the ganache itself. 

Here are 3 ways to do it:

1. Steeping the Cream: To make rose-flavored truffles, I chose to use edible dried rose petals to steep in the cream to add flavor to the ganache. You can use teas or different spices like cinnamon, cardamom, or chili powder.
2. Add Extracts: For rose truffles, I added a teaspoon of the rose extract by Amoretti. Add the extract after you have emulsified the ganache, while it is still warm and liquid. Start slow with a teaspoon and taste the ganache after the addition to get the flavor to where you want it. Lemon extract, vanilla extract, and raspberry extract are also good options.
3. Flavored Liqueur: Start with adding a teaspoon at a time and tasting, but don’t use more than 2 Tablespoons altogether for this recipe ratio. The additional liquid will throw off the ratio and will change the final texture of the ganache. I like using Chambord, Bourbon, or Grand Marnier for boozy truffles.

Check out my rose-flavored dark chocolate truffles blog post for the full recipe. 

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