Easy Chocolate Truffles

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

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats

Prep: 15 mins

Chilling: 6 hrs

Total: 15 mins

Gift, Sweet

Western

4.93 from 13 votes

Servings24 truffles

Tap or hover to scale

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Recipe video above. A basic but luxurious chocolate ganache truffle recipe, made using ordinary dark chocolate melts from the supermarket! These are rich and creamy and a great base to add flavourings of choice (suggestions below). Makes around 24 truffles. Use for gifting, post dinner treats, serve with coffee!

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:

1. Chocolate - even using everyday dark chocolate will make luxurious chocolate truffles. But if you do indulge in expensive chocolate, it makes it even more amazing!

Note: you must use COOKING chocolate here, ie the chocolate sold in the baking aisle of grocery stores. Eating chocolate doesn't melt properly / smoothly and may not set to the right consistency. Cooking chocolate is intended for the purpose of melting and using in recipes.

2. Ganache consistency - it needs to be firm enough to roll into balls, but soft enough to scoop. If you leave it overnight (as I often do), just leave it out for 30 minutes or so to soften to scoop able.

3. Rolling tips: can get messy, so follow my tips! The chocolate is supposed to be creamy and soft at room temperature, so it softens quickly once you start handling it.

• 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!

4. Other coating suggestions: cocoa powder (this is the classic coating), icing (confectioners) sugar, caster sugar, crushed nuts, sprinkles or other decorating bits, crushed candy cane, chocolate shavings.

Coconut alternative: A fabulous reader - Avery (see comment thread below) - was kind enough to share that she substitute the butter with coconut oil and coconut milk for the cream and it turned out fabulous!! Hurrah! Thank you for sharing Avery!!

5. Flavouring suggestions: any liquor, orange, peppermint, coffee, coconut, almond essence.

6. Storing and serving - weeks and weeks in the fridge! Or even out of the fridge if it's not too warm where you are. MUST serve at room temp so the chocolate is so creamy and melts in your mouth when you bite into it - JUST like those expensive truffles that cost a fortune to buy from gourmet stores!

7. Nutrition per truffle.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 15gCalories: 83cal (4%)Carbohydrates: 7.5g (3%)Protein: 1g (2%)Fat: 5.5g (8%)Saturated Fat: 3.9g (24%)Cholesterol: 6mg (2%)Sodium: 18mg (1%)Potassium: 52mg (1%)Fiber: 0.6g (3%)Sugar: 6.3g (7%)Vitamin A: 50IU (1%)Calcium: 20mg (2%)Iron: 0.4mg (2%)

Keywords: chocolate truffles, chocolate truffles recipe

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First published November 2014. About time I updated it!!!

Life of Dozer

At a “no dogs allowed” beach. He’s ALWAYS pushing the boundaries!!

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