How To Make Foolproof Chocolate Truffles: The Easiest, Simplest Method — Cooking Lessons from The Kitchn

November 29, 2017


Every single homemade chocolate truffle is a masterpiece. That beautiful exterior coated with salty nuts or a dusting of chocolate coating holds within it a moment of bliss in the form of creamy, melt-in-your-mouth dark chocolate. Something so sublime should take hours of work to perfect, right? Hardly. The truth is truffles are dead simple to make. You won't even need a stove — just a little cream and some good-quality chocolate will give you fail-proof chocolate truffles at home. Here's how to do it.

What Are Chocolate Truffles?

Truffles are bite-sized chocolate confections made from ganache — a mixture of melted chocolate and warmed cream — cooled until firm, rolled, and coated with chocolate, cocoa powder, or chopped nuts. Building these treats from classic ganache means they're a breeze to make, so you can have truffles on hand for gift giving or serving as an after-dinner dessert.

Read more: How To Make Chocolate Ganache for Any Dessert

For Your Information

  • Know the ratio: This recipe makes a ganache using a 2:1 ratio of chocolate to cream. We recommend weighing the ingredients for best results.
  • Seek out good chocolate: Look for high-quality chocolate in the 60 to 70% range. Avoid chips or bars that can have hardening agents.
  • Use whipping cream or heavy whipping crema: Heavy cream is sometimes labeled whipping cream or heavy whipping cream. There's a small but distinct difference between the two (whipping cream being 30 to 35% milk fat, and heavy cream being 36% milk fat). Either can be used for making truffles.

Step-by-Step Guide to Truffle Success

  • Finely chop the chocolate. A serrated knife will make this easy, and finely chopping the chocolate will help it melt more quickly and evenly.
  • Heat the cream in the microwave. You can always heat the cream on the stovetop, but a few minutes in the microwave will get the cream hot enough to melt the chocolate.
  • Cover the chocolate with the cream. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and stir to combine, then let the cream work on melting the chocolate while you get a pan to cool the ganache in.
  • Cool the chocolate ganache before scooping and rolling. Once the chocolate is melted, whisk the ganache mixture until smooth and shiny. Then pour the ganache into a shallow pan to cool in the fridge. You can scoop the ganache into tablespoon-sized rounds after about 30 minutes. Work with gloves on to make cleanup easy.

Storing and Serving Chocolate Truffles

Left unadorned, chocolate truffles are delicious, but for bonus points, roll the finished truffles in cocoa powder, nuts, or sprinkles. You can also dip the finished truffles in tempered chocolate. Store truffles in the fridge for up to two weeks and bring them to room temperature for serving.

Know the ratio: This recipe makes a ganache using a 2:1 ratio of chocolate to cream. We recommend weighing the ingredients for best results. Seek out good chocolate: Look for high-quality chocolate in to 60 to 70% range. Avoid chips or bars that can have hardening agents. Cream deets: Heavy cream is sometimes labeled whipping cream or heavy whipping cream. There's a small but distinct difference between the two: whipping cream being 30 to 35 % milk fat and heavy cream being 36% milk fat. Either can be used for making truffles.

How To Make Failproof Chocolate Truffles: The Easiest, Simplest Method

Makes 12 (1 ounce) truffles

What You Need

Ingredients
 8 ounces 60% chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream
For coating: Dutch cocoa powder, chocolate sprinkles, finely chopped hazelnuts, or melted chocolate

Equipment
 Serrated knife
Cutting board
Measuring cup
Mixing bowl
8x8-inch baking pan
Small scoop
Small bowls for coating

Instructions

  1. Finely chop the chocolate. Finely chop the chocolate — a serrated knife will do this quickly and efficiently. Transfer the chocolate to a medium bowl.
  2. Heat the cream. Microwave the cream on high until hot but not boiling, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Alternatively, heat the cream over low heat in a small saucepan until steaming.
  3. Cover the chocolate in the cream to melt. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and set aside for 5 minutes.
  4. Whisk until smooth. Whisk the cream and chocolate together until smooth and shiny.
  5. Pour the ganache into a shallow pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Pour the ganache into a shallow pan or baking dish, such as an 8x8-inch baking dish. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
  6. Scoop and roll the truffles. Use a tablespoon or small cookie scoop to portion the ganache into 1-ounce portions (about 2 tablespoons each). Roll the balls between gloved hands until smooth and place on a plate. Refrigerate for a few minutes while preparing the coatings.
  7. Coat the truffles. For best results, pour the coatings into small dishes or bowls. Dip and roll the truffles in the coatings.
  8. Storing and serving the truffles. These truffles keep best in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving.

Recipe Notes

  • Storage: Truffles can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

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