Salted Caramel Chocolate Truffles

I don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day, but I’ll take any excuse to eat more chocolate. When I’m living large I prepare an extravagant chocolate charcuterie board, but I’m just as happy indulging in my easy, delicious chocolate truffles.

These Salted Caramel Chocolate Truffles are a delicious twist on that recipe. They’re a dreamy combination of homemade salted caramel sauce and dark chocolate for the perfect balance of sweet and salty.

If you’ve seen my post on how to make chocolate ganache, you know that warm heavy cream is poured over chopped chocolate and a bit of butter, then the mixture is stirred until it’s combined into rich, chocolatey goodness.

The biggest difference in this recipe is that hot caramel sauce (which includes the heavy cream and butter) is poured over the chopped chocolate, then it’s combined to form a caramel ganache that is pure bliss.

It’s chilled until it’s firm enough to roll into truffles, then the fun part is rolling the truffles into your favorite coatings. I love cocoa powder, chopped nuts and chocolate jimmies!

You won’t believe how easy (and decadent) these are to make, and they make impressive gifts if you’re so inclined to share them. 🙂

Why you’ll love this recipe

• These truffles are a dreamy combination of homemade salted caramel sauce and rich dark chocolate.
• This recipe is so easy to prepare and the truffles are a fraction of the price of store bought chocolates.
• They can be made entirely in advance and they keep for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
• They can be rolled in your favorite coatings, including cocoa powder, chopped nuts, sprinkles and so much more.

Recipe ingredients

The homemade caramel sauce takes under 10 minutes to make. You can use store bought in a pinch!

• Granulated sugar. You’ll need just 1/2 cup for the caramel sauce.
• Heavy cream. Caramel sauce is basically melted sugar, which is thick and sticky. The heavy cream provides a smooth, velvety texture and loosens it up so that it’s pourable.
• Butter. Softens the caramel sauce, adds a glossy finish and buttery flavor.
• Chocolate. Use 4 ounces of good quality bittersweet chocolate, and be sure to chop it fine with a serrated knife so that it will melt easily. Since the caramel sauce includes sugar, it’s best to use dark chocolate as it’s less sweet. A combination of bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate would work, but definitely don’t use milk chocolate.
• Salt. 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt or regular sea salt enhances the flavor of the caramel and chocolate.
• Coatings. Roll the caramel truffles in the coatings of your choice, such as cocoa powder, coconut, chopped nuts or sprinkles.

See the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and their quantities.

How to make caramel truffles

Making homemade salted caramel sauce may sound intimidating, but it’s very easy. And it comes together in about 10 minutes!

Once the caramel sauce is done, it’s poured over finely chopped chocolate and combined to form a decadent chocolate caramel ganache that’s the base of the truffles.

Pro tip: Prepare the caramel sauce in advance and reheat when you’re ready to make the ganache, or prepare the caramel ganache 1-2 days before you plan to make truffles. 

See the recipe card below for full instructions.

Prepare the salted caramel sauce

1. Place the sugar and water in a medium sauce pan and stir very gently until the sugar is well coated with water. Cover the pot and cook over medium heat just until the sugar has melted, about 3-4 minutes, then remove the lid and stir gently to combine. If there is any sugar on the sides of the pan, remove it by brushing it off with a damp pastry brush as it can cause crystallization.
2. Once the sugar has melted, cook it over high and do not stir. The mixture will bubble rapidly, then the bubbles will become bigger and slower, and it will begin to color. The edges will normally color first, and you can swirl the pan ever so gently to distribute the color so the mixture doesn’t burn.
3. When the caramel is a golden amber color, remove it from heat.
4. Slowly whisk in the cream a bit at a time, as the mixture will bubble over if you add too much, then whisk in the butter and finishing salt until well combined.

Prepare the chocolate caramel ganache

1. Place the finely chopped chocolate into a medium bowl. Pour the hot caramel sauce over the chocolate, rap on the counter once, and let stand 1-2 minutes untiil the chocolate has softened.
2. Once the chocolate has softened, stir the mixture slowly until it’s smooth and emulsified, about 1-2 minutes. If there are any stubborn bits of chocolate that won’t melt, place the bowl in the microwave and heat at 50% power for 15-20 second intervals, stirring slowly in between until smooth. Do not overheat as the ganache can break. Chill the ganache for 1-2 hours until firm enough to roll.

Assemble the truffles

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Using a teaspoon or small melon baller, scoop out the dough in rounded teaspoonfuls.
2. Roll the ganache until smooth in your hands and place on the prepared baking sheet. If the truffles are too sticky to roll, chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes or so until they’re easier to handle.
3. Roll the truffles in the desired coatings.
4. Place on the baking sheet and enjoy at room temperature.

Recipe FAQs

Recipe notes

• Pro tip: If you prefer not to make homemade salted caramel sauce, you can use your favorite store bought in a pinch. Simply heat 1/3-1/2 cup of caramel sauce in the microwave or sauce pan over medium low heat and heat until hot enough to melt the chocolate.
• If you prefer not to make homemade salted caramel sauce, you can use your favorite store bought in a pinch. Simply heat 1/3-1/2 cup of caramel sauce in the microwave or sauce pan over medium low heat and heat until hot enough to melt the chocolate.
• Roll the truffles in your favorite coatings such as cocoa powder, finely shredded coconut, chopped nuts or your favorite sprinkles.
• Store caramel truffles in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Before serving, let them stand at room temperature for 20-30 minutes to soften. They are much creamier at room temp!

More homemade candy recipes

• Almond dragees
• Chocolate peanut butter fudge
• Rocky road candy
• Homemade peanut butter cups
• Peppermint bark