This Chocolate Truffles Recipe is so easy to make, and yields decadent, creamy truffles that are worthy of any occasion. Roll in your favorite coatings for an impressive dessert or homemade gift!
8ouncesquality bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate bars or baking wafersfinely chopped into 1/4" pieces or smaller
2tablespoonsunsalted buttercubed; butter is optional but it adds creaminess
1/2cupheavy cream or heavy whipping creamdo not use milk or half and half; full fat coconut milk may be substituted
1teaspoonvanilla extractoptional; sub with your favorite extract
cocoa powder, peanuts, coconut, chocolate sprinkles, for rollingoptional
Instructions
Place the finely chopped chocolate and butter in a medium heatproof bowl.
Heat the heavy cream over medium heat until bubbles form and it begins to steam, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and pour evenly over the chopped chocolate, then add the vanilla extract if using. Let stand for 1-2 minutes or until the chocolate has softened.
Once the chocolate has softened, stir slowly until smooth and emulsified, about 1-2 minutes. If there are any stubborn pieces of chocolate that won't melt, place the bowl in the microwave and heat at 50% power for 15-20 seconds to soften and stir slowly until smooth.
Place the bowl in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours until firm enough to roll.
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a cookie scoop or melon baller, scoop the truffles into 2 teaspoon portions and place on the prepared baking sheet. Roll into balls. If the ganache is to sticky to roll, chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes or so until it's easier to handle.
Roll the chocolate truffles into the desired coating(s) and serve at room temperature. Enjoy!
Notes
Pro tip: Rolling truffles can be quite messy, so I recommend chilling them for 10 minutes or so after scooping them onto the baking sheet to firm them up before rolling.
Be sure to use good quality chocolate baking bars or wafers. For this recipe, use chocolate with a cocoa content of at least 50% (this includes semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolate). Keep in mind that the darker the chocolate, the less sweet your chocolate truffles will be. Milk chocolate and white chocolate cannot be substituted here as they include more cocoa butter, therefore they require less cream.
Store truffles at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. They're best at room temperature, so if they're chilled, let them soften at room temperature before serving.
Freeze chocolate truffles in an air tight container for 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.