Bittersweet Chocolate Truffles

In this post, we’re going to make chocolate truffles. If you’ve never made them before, the process is simple: the inside is a smooth, creamy chocolate ganache that we roll into balls, dip in melted chocolate, and then finish with your favorite toppings.

Traditionally, truffles are rolled in unsweetened cocoa powder, but you can really have fun with the coatings. Some of them are:

• Chopped pistachios or hazelnuts
• Chocolate sprinkles
• Powdered sugar or dried coconut
• Shaved chocolate

Why You’ll Love This

What you will love about this recipe is that it feels like opening a fancy box of chocolates, but you made them right in your own kitchen.

• The Texture Contrast: The way to finish these is with a tempered chocolate coating. It creates a hard, brittle shell that you have to snap through to get to the soft, creamy center.
• Totally Customizable: You can flavor the ganache with your favorite liqueur or keep it classic with vanilla.
• Make-Ahead Friendly: These keep beautifully in the fridge for a month or in the freezer for a couple of months, making them a perfect DIY gift.

things we need

Special Equipment/Instruments:

• Digital Candy Thermometer: Essential for tempering.
• Heating Pad: To keep the tempered chocolate warm while dipping.
• Small Ice Cream Scoop: 1-inch (2.5 cm) diameter (or a melon baller).
• Latex Gloves: Optional, but helps keep the mess down when rolling.
• Heatproof Bowls: Stainless steel or glass.

Ingredients:

For the Chocolate Ganache Centers:

• 8 oz (240 g) Semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate (55% – 70% cocoa content), finely chopped.
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) Heavy whipping cream (35-40% butterfat).
• 2 tbsp (25 g) Unsalted butter, cut into small pieces.
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) Liqueur (Hazelnut, Grand Marnier, Brandy) or Vanilla Extract (optional).

For the Coating (Tempered Chocolate Method):

• 2 lbs (900 g) Good quality semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, divided.
  • Note: You will not use all of this, but a larger mass holds its temperature better. Leftovers can be stored.
• Optional Toppings: Chopped hazelnuts, pistachios, cocoa powder, sprinkles, dried coconut.

The Secret is in the Chocolate

Because truffles are mostly chocolate, you want to use a high-quality bar—the kind you would enjoy eating on its own. You can tell a good chocolate by its glossy finish and the way it “snaps” when you break it. For this recipe, I recommend a semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate with a cocoa content between 55% and 70%.

step 1: Making the Ganache

In a heatproof bowl, start with 8 oz (240 g) of finely chopped chocolate. Shave the chocolate with knife. It takes a little extra work, but it ensures the chocolate melts instantly when we add the cream.

step 2: Shaping and Rolling

Once the ganache is firm, use a 1-inch ice cream scoop or a spoon to form small rounds. Each one should be about 13–15 grams—roughly a “two-bite” size.

Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill for another 15 minutes. When they are firm enough to handle, roll them between your palms into balls. Don’t worry about making them perfectly round; They look much better when they are a bit rustic and misshapen.

Pro Tip: If you want to keep your hands clean, wear non-powdered latex gloves. If you don’t have gloves, lightly dust your hands with cocoa powder to prevent the chocolate from sticking.

step 3: The Professional Coating (Tempering)

You can simply roll your truffles in cocoa powder or nuts and be done. But if you want that professional “snap,” you need to dip them in tempered chocolate.

Tempering creates a brittle shell that cracks when you bite into it. Because we need to keep the chocolate at exactly 90°F (32°C) while we dip.

The Heating Pad Hack: Wrap a standard heating pad in plastic wrap and place it inside a large bowl. Set your bowl of tempered chocolate on top. This acts as a warmer, holding the chocolate at the perfect temperature so you don’t have to rush.

The Tempering Process:

1. Melt 1.5 lbs of chopped chocolate over a saucepan of simmering water until it reaches 115°F (46°C).
2. Remove from heat and begin “seeding” it by adding another 0.5 lb of finely chopped chocolate, stirring constantly.
3. Continue stirring until the temperature drops to 90°F (32°C). Once it hits that mark, place it on your heating pad to keep it there.

The Final Touch

Drop a ganache ball into the tempered chocolate, roll it around, and lift it out with a spoon. If you want to double-coat them, immediately roll the chocolate-covered ball into your chopped nuts or sprinkles.

Since the chocolate is tempered, it will set at room temperature with a beautiful gloss. You don’t even need to put them in the fridge to harden!

Storage and Leftovers

• Leftover Chocolate: Never throw it out! Pour it onto a parchment-lined sheet, let it harden, and save it for your next baking project.
• Storing Truffles: Store them in a well-sealed container in the fridge for up to a month, or in the freezer for two months. Chocolate picks up fridge odors easily, so wrap them well in foil or plastic!
• Serving: To keep them at room temperature. Take them out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you want to eat them.

There is nothing quite like biting through a crisp chocolate shell into a soft, boozy ganache center. It’s like having a fancy box of chocolates, but better, because you made them yourself.

Happy baking!

Checkout more recipes

• Probiotic Gummy Treats
• Mochi Ice Cream at Home (Step by Step)
• Mason Jar Overnight Oats 3 Ways

If you like this recipe Explore more recipes

Save

Ultimate Chocolate Truffles

Recipe by Sana ReiCourse: DessertCuisine: French / AmericanDifficulty: Intermediate

Servings

24-26

truffles

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Calories

90

kcal

Chill time

60

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

25

minutes

Homemade truffles with a smooth, creamy ganache center and a crisp, tempered chocolate shell. Customizable with your favorite liqueurs and toppings.

Ingredients

• Equipment Needed:

• Candy thermometer

• 1-inch scoop

• Heating pad (for tempering hack)

• Saucepan

• Heatproof bowls

• Ingredients:

• 8 oz (240 g) Semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate (finely chopped)

• 1/2 cup (120 ml) Heavy whipping cream

• 2 tbsp (25 g) Unsalted butter

• 1 tbsp (15 ml) Liqueur (optional)

• 2 lbs (900 g) Chocolate for dipping (optional, for tempered shell)

• Toppings: Chopped nuts, cocoa powder, sprinkles

Directions

• Chop the Chocolate: Place the 8 oz (240 g) of chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Finely chop or “shave” the chocolate so it melts evenly.
• Heat the Cream: In a small saucepan, combine the heavy cream and butter. Place over medium-high heat. Bring just to a boil (look for bubbles around the outside and foam starting to rise).
• Make the Ganache: Immediately remove the cream from heat and pour it over the chopped chocolate. Let it sit for 1 minute. Using a whisk, stir gently starting in the center in small circles, gradually getting bigger until the mixture is smooth and glossy. Stir in the liqueur or vanilla if using.
• Chill the Ganache: Pour the ganache into a flat-bottomed dish (this helps it set evenly). Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface. Refrigerate for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until set but still soft enough to scoop.
• Scoop and Shape: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using the 1-inch scoop, scoop mounds of ganache onto the sheet. If the ganache is too soft, refrigerate the mounds for 15 minutes.
• Roll: Wearing gloves (or dusting hands with cocoa), roll the mounds into balls. They don’t have to be perfect!
• Prepare the Tempering (Optional but Recommended):
• Coarsely chop 1.5 lbs (675 g) of the coating chocolate. Finely chop the remaining 0.5 lb (225 g).
• Melt the 1.5 lbs of chocolate over a double boiler until it reaches 115°F (46°C). Do not exceed 120°F (49°C).
• Remove from heat. Add the finely chopped “seed” chocolate in batches, stirring constantly, until the temperature drops to 90°F (32°C).
• Dip: Place the bowl of tempered chocolate on a heating pad set to low (lined with plastic) to maintain temperature. Dip each ganache ball into the chocolate, lift out, and place on a parchment-lined tray.
• Top: Immediately sprinkle with nuts or coconut before the chocolate sets.
• 10. Set: Let stand at room temperature until the shell is hard and glossy..

Notes

• Storage: Store in a covered container in the fridge for up to a month. I recommend wrapping them in foil as chocolate absorbs fridge odors easily.
  
• Serving: Best served at room temperature. Take them out of the fridge 30 minutes before eating for the best creamy texture.
  
• Leftover Chocolate: If you temper the large batch, pour the excess onto a plastic-lined sheet pan, let it harden, and store it for your next baking project. Don’t throw it out!
  
• The “Feet”: If you get a little pool of chocolate at the base of the truffle (the “foot”), don’t cut it off! It’s extra chocolate—enjoy it!