If you're looking for the perfect gift for the chocolate lover in your life you've found it!
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❤️ Why you'll love it
- Making your own artisan truffles is easy
- Homemade chocolate truffles cost less and taste better
- Best of all? Quick, easy, and no bake!
Dark chocolate truffles are creamy, elegant, and so easy to make!
Butter is the secret to this ultra-rich, homemade candy recipe. You can create countless variations by using different types of chocolate and flavorings.
They're the perfect gift -- if you don't eat them all first!
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
- Heavy cream is a major part of ensuring the melty mouthfeel of the truffles. Get the highest fat percentage that you can find.
- Bittersweet chocolate adds the flavor and the density.
- Butter adds even more creaminess.
- Vegetable shortening is used in the coating to help it stay shiny and enrobe the truffle properly.
- White chocolate can be tricky to work with. Be sure to melt it at the lowest temperature possible.
🎥 Video
Click on the image to watch me make this recipe from start to finish with extra tips! (Video opens in a new tab).
🥫 Storage
Wondering how to store truffles or if you're going to need to plan on eating every single one of these creamy bites of perfection?
Good news! Truffles can be stored easily in the freezer or refrigerator.
Add chocolate truffles to an airtight plastic container with waxed paper or parchment paper between the layers. You can refrigerate them for at least two weeks or freeze them for several months.
Make sure the refrigerator is odor free, though. Truffles pick up weird flavors really fast.
📖 Variations
There are plenty of possibilities with different flavorings and coatings. here are some of my favorites.
- Use milk chocolate in place of bittersweet.
- Add a tablespoon of Liqueur to the melted chocolate and cream mixture (ganache).
- Add a ½ teaspoon of flavoring.
- Roll finely chopped candy canes in with the ganache.
- Roll finely chopped Heath Bars in with the ganache.
- Roll the truffles in ground pecans or macadamia nuts.
- Roll the truffles in finely chopped candy canes or hard candies.
💭 Tips
Expert Tip: The main thing to remember is that you need really high quality chocolate. There are just a few ingredients so you have to make them count!
- Get the best chocolate you can. Some brands to look for are Valhrona, Scharffen Berger, or Callebaut. They are more expensive than Nestle or Hershey but the difference in flavor is massive.
- Try to use a chocolate with at least 60% cocoa solids.
- BUT don't let the lack of high end chocolate stop you. If you can't afford the premium brands go for what you can afford and have access to. Let's face it, it's chocolate. How bad can it be?
- Make sure everything is very dry. Even a drop or two of water will cause the chocolate to seize up and be grainy. If that happens you'll just need to throw it out and start over.
- When you're stirring the chocolate into the cream be careful not to stir air into the mixture. Too much air will make it fluffy instead of the rich, creamy texture you're looking for.
🤷 Troubleshooting
- The ganache is grainy - It's likely that the chocolate didn't melt all the way and small, hard pieces are causing the problem. Make sure the cream is hot enough next time. What you can do - put the whole mixture over a bowl of very hot water or double boiler and stir until smooth.
- The chocolate won't melt - This can happen with less expensive chocolate or if the chunks of chocolate are too big. Chop it into small pieces Before adding to the hot cream.
- The chocolate is clumping up and is grainy - This usually only happens if you're trying to melt the chocolate by itself and once it does you have to throw it out and start over. It's from either too high of a heat or water getting into the chocolate as it's melting.
- The chocolate looks weird and it looks like it's separating - The cream was too hot. It's a loss - you'll need to start over.
- The toppings aren't sticking - Roll the truffles between your hands to warm them up a little and try again.
👩🍳 FAQs
A chocolate truffle is a homemade candy that is soft and rich. Usually the center is made of ganache (a combination of melted chocolate and cream) and then rolled in cocoa or dipped in more chocolate.
2 or 3 days at room temperature unless it's July in Texas. You can also refrigerate them or freeze them. Check the storage tips above.
Truffles melt easily and can really get messy when you're working with them. Wearing gloves can help. I plunge my hands into ice water, dry them, then work as long as they're cold before repeating the process!
📚 Related recipes
🍽️ Serve with...
I like to end a meal with a homemade truffle and a cup of strong coffee!
If you are looking for ideas for a special dinner consider making this easy roasted quail, broccoli salad, and ending with coffee and truffles.
📞 The last word
Here's that homemade truffles recipe. It's classically rich and creamy. If you are making a collection of truffles as a gift try these peanut butter pretzel truffles as well - perfect for those who love sweet and salty!
Try this cute Valentine snack mix for the kids.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Dark Chocolate Truffles Recipe
Print Pin Recipe SaveEquipment Needed
Ingredients
Chocolate Ganache
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 3 tablespoons butter at room temperature
Chocolate Coating
- 2 cups bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
- 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
White Chocolate Drizzle
- ½ cup white chocolate, chopped
- 1½ teaspoons vegetable shortening
Instructions
Chocolate Ganache
- Cut the butter into squares and set aside.
- Bring the cream just under a boil – bubbles will form around the sides of the pan. (about 185F on an instaread thermometer)
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the chopped chocolate.
- Let stand 2 minutes.
- Carefully stir the mixture until smooth.
- Add the butter.
- Stir until smooth and well mixed.
- Refrigerate until cold and firm, about 1 hour.
- Form the mixture into tablespoon sized balls.
- Place the balls in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
- Dip in the melted coating and drizzle with the white chocolate.
- Store in the refrigerator in a tightly covered container.
Chocolate Coating
- Add the chocolate and the vegetable shortening to a microwave safe bowl.
- Melt on 50% power for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. (you may not need the whole 2 minutes.
White Chocolate Coating
- Melt the white chocolate and shortening as above.
- Stir until blended.
Notes
- The ganache is grainy - It's likely that the chocolate didn't melt all the way and small, hard pieces are causing the problem. Make sure the cream is hot enough next time. What you can do - put the whole mixture over a bowl of very hot water or double boiler and stir until smooth.
- The chocolate won't melt - This can happen with less expensive chocolate or if the chunks of chocolate are too big. Chop it into small pieces Before adding to the hot cream.
- The chocolate is clumping up and is grainy - This usually only happens if you're trying to melt the chocolate by itself and once it does you have to throw it out and start over. It's from either too high of a heat or water getting into the chocolate as it's melting.
- The chocolate looks weird and it looks like it's separating - The cream was too hot. It's a loss - you'll need to start over.
- The toppings aren't sticking - Roll the truffles between your hands to warm them up a little and try again.
Nutrition Facts
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We'll never share your email or send you spam. Pinkie swear.Truffles Are an Easy Homemade Gift
I first learned to make truffles early in my first marriage. We didn't have much money and I had to come up with homemade gifts that family members and friends would actually like.
My Dad's appetite for all things chocolate was legendary.
My two oldest kids used to make him a chocolate basket for Christmas every year. It was huge and filled with all kinds of homemade chocolate from brownies to truffles.
My dad loved it and looked forward to it every year.
The Christmas after he passed away the kids made a chocolate basket in memory of him and we devoured it.
There was some laughter and some tears as you can imagine. Still, what better than chocolate to celebrate someone's life and ease the pain of missing them?
And by the way... yes, these dark chocolate truffles are literally easy enough for kids to make by themselves with a little supervision.
First published September 2016. Last updated February 1, 2022 for readability and better images.
Shelly
Perfection.
Jenna
Yes!!! I hope you had other yummy delicious treats in Paris though. These truffles look hard to beat and I adore making candy for the holidays 🙂
Marye Audet
Oh I did, Jenna! Thanks!
allie
Oh my goodness Marye - these truffles look sinfully delicious! Thanks for all the great tips and which kinds of chocolate to buy. Great tutorial!
Marye Audet
They are my favorite basic truffle!
Jocelyn @BruCrew Life
I'm pretty sure I would eat way to many of these yummy truffles if they were in front of me right now! Yum!
Marye Audet
🙂