Homemade Chocolate Truffles (Perfect to Make Ahead for a Holiday Party or Any Dinner Party)
These chocolate truffles can bring so much class to your holiday celebration. They are easy to make, and you can coat them in so many delicious toppings. They are great at any time of year but I especially like making these for family and friends for the holidays.
My personal favorites are the coconut chocolate truffles, but I’ll be honest: all of them taste magical when you bite in!
Ingredients
To make my chocolate truffles, you’ll need the following ingredients:
For the Truffles:
- Heavy Cream – 1 cup of heavy cream (in the UK, this is double cream)
- Chocolate – 12 oz of chocolate (340 grams) – you can use plain dark chocolate or a mix of plain dark and milk chocolate
- Butter – 3 tbsp of unsalted butter (or 42 grams) for the truffles (+ 1 tbsp unsalted butter more for greasing the container in which we’ll cool the truffle mixture and for rolling the truffles)
A Variety of Toppings/Coatings for the Chocolate Truffles:
- Chocolate Sprinkles
- Pink, Gold, and White Sprinkles
- Coconut Flakes
- Almond Flakes (toasted and chopped)
- Pistachios (roasted and chopped)
- Cranberries (chopped)
Other toppings/coatings you could consider include: cocoa powder, powdered sugar, espresso powder, other dried fruits and nuts, cinnamon, matcha powder, melted chocolate, candied ginger, freeze-dried berries, sesame seeds, and crushed cookies.
How to Make the Chocolate Truffles (Step-by-Step Instructions)
Step 1 – Chop the chocolate into small chunks using a chef’s knife. The smaller the chunks the easier it will melt when you pour hot cream over it.
Step 2 – In small pot over medium-low heat, add the heavy cream and 3 tbsp of unsalted butter and bring to a boil. Stir continuously so that the cream doesn’t burn on the bottom. As soon as it starts boiling/bubbling, take it off the heat.
Step 3 – Pour the hot cream and melted butter over the chocolate chunks in a heatproof bowl.
Step 4 – Let it sit for a minute and then stir until all the chocolate is melted.
The chocolate should all melt without issues if you’ve cut it into small chunks and if the cream and butter were hot enough. If it hasn’t, you can use a bain-marie. Essentially, bring water to a boil in a pot, and then place the heatproof bowl over the pot with the boiling water and stir until everything is melted.
Step 5 – Transfer the melted chocolate mixture to a baking dish or heatproof dish greased with a touch of butter and then let it cool to room temperature (about 15-20 minutes). Once cooled, cover it with some plastic wrap (cling film) and refrigerate it for about 2 hours until the mixture is cold and you can roll the chocolate truffles into balls.
Step 6 – After about 2 hours in the fridge, remove the container and roll the truffles into small balls. Use just under a tablespoon of the mixture and roll it with your hands until it has a round shape. To help it not stick to your hands, grease your hands with butter first. It also helps if your hands are cold (I placed my hands under running cold water for about 10-15 seconds before greasing them with unsalted butter and rolling them).
Step 7 – Then, roll the truffles through your desired toppings/coatings.
Step 8 – Once they’re rolled through the toppings, refrigerate them again for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight.
Serving Suggestions
You could lay them out on a large plate or serving platter in rows or sections, and even make calligraphic signs for each flavor.
For an Instagram-worthy spectacle, try stacking them in a pyramid. Your guests won’t be able to get enough of it!
Serve them after dinner with coffee, and maybe even a chocolate dipping sauce.
I have lots of topping suggestions for this recipe, but I would love to know in the comments if you have tried any other types of toppings.
Enjoy these bite-sized treats, and bring a little holiday magic to your get-together!
Recipe Card
Chocolate Truffles
Ingredients
For the Truffles:
- 1 cup of heavy cream (double cream)
- 12 oz of plain dark chocolate or a 50-50 mix of dark and milk chocolate (340 grams total)
- 3 tbsp of unsalted butter (42 grams)
For rolling the truffles
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter (14 grams)
For the toppings/coatings (optional, pick your favorites):
- chocolate sprinkles
- pink, gold, and white sprinkles
- coconut flakes
- almond flakes (toasted and chopped)
- pistachios (roasted and chopped)
- cranberries (chopped)
Instructions
- Chop the chocolate into small chunks using a chef’s knife. The smaller the chunks the easier it will melt when you pour hot cream over it.
- In small pot over medium-low heat, add the heavy cream and 3 tbsp of unsalted butter and bring to a boil. Stir continuously so that the cream doesn’t burn on the bottom. As soon as it starts boiling/bubbling, take it off the heat.
- Pour the hot cream and melted butter over the chocolate chunks in a heatproof bowl.
- Let it sit for a minute and then stir until all the chocolate is melted. The chocolate should all melt without issues if you’ve cut it into small chunks and if the cream and butter were hot enough. If it hasn’t, you can use a bain-marie. Essentially, bring water to a boil in a pot, and then place the heatproof bowl over the pot with the boiling water and stir until everything is melted.
- Transfer the melted chocolate mixture to a baking dish or heatproof dish greased with a touch of butter and then let it cool to room temperature (about 15-20 minutes). Once cooled, cover it with some plastic wrap (cling film) and refrigerate it for about 2 hours until the mixture is cold and you can roll the chocolate truffles into balls.
- After about 2 hours in the fridge, remove the container and roll the truffles into small balls. Use just under a tablespoon of the mixture and roll it with your hands until it has a round shape. To help it not stick to your hands, grease your hands with butter first. It also helps if your hands are cold (I placed my hands under running cold water for about 10-15 seconds before greasing them with unsalted butter and rolling them).
- Then, roll the truffles through your desired toppings/coatings.
- Once they’re rolled through the toppings, refrigerate them again for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight.
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Looking for dessert ideas for celebrations or the holidays? Save this recipe to one of your recipe idea boards, so that you can revisit it when you’re read to start prepping for your event.
