Christmas Truffles
Truffles are the Christmas candy that looks like a chocolatier made it and never needs the oven: warm cream over chopped chocolate, chill, scoop, roll. These thirty run from cocoa-dusted classics and candy cane to rum balls and gingerbread cookie truffles. The coat is where they dress for December, so roll generously.
Start With These Six
One from each section below, from candy-cane-topped cocoa truffles to pistachio balls that look like tiny ornaments. Start here if you only have one afternoon.
Christmas Truffles, Two Ways
One ganache, two finishes: half rolled in cocoa with a pinch of cinnamon, half crowned with crushed candy cane. Roll the plain ones in Dutch-process cocoa for a rounder, less bitter coat.
Christmas Peppermint Truffles
Peppermint ganache dipped in dark or white chocolate, striped in the other and showered with candy cane. Make both colors and the plate looks like a Christmas sweater.
Christmas Tree Snack Cake Truffles
Those striped Christmas tree snack cakes, mashed with cream cheese and dipped in white chocolate, then finished with red icing and green sanding sugar. Pure nostalgia, no baking.
Milk Chocolate Espresso Truffles
Instant espresso powder dissolved in the cream makes milk chocolate taste darker and richer. Roll each one in something different, from coconut to green sugar, and fill a tin.
Chocolate Rum Balls
The Australian Christmas classic: crushed biscuits, condensed milk, cocoa and rum, rolled in coconut or sprinkles. No oven, no thermometer, and the bowl is empty by Boxing Day.
Pistachio Cranberry White Chocolate Truffles
White chocolate ganache studded with cranberries and rolled in chopped pistachios, so each one looks like a tiny green ornament. Gluten-free and made without turning on the oven.
Classic Chocolate Christmas Truffles
Chocolate, cream and a bowl of cocoa: the original truffle has not needed much since it was named for the mushroom it looks like. Six takes, from candy-cane-topped to gilded baubles.
Christmas Truffles, Two Ways
One ganache, two finishes: half rolled in cocoa with a pinch of cinnamon, half crowned with crushed candy cane. Roll the plain ones in Dutch-process cocoa for a rounder, less bitter coat.
Simple Christmas Chocolate Truffles
Cream, chocolate, a knob of butter and an optional splash of brandy, rolled in cocoa and piled into a ribboned dish. Mixed spice in the ganache is the festive part.
Easy Chocolate Christmas Truffles
Three pantry ingredients, then dressed in red and green sprinkles or a roll of cocoa. A forgiving first batch for anyone who has never made candy before.
Cocoa-Dusted Chocolate Truffles
Rolled in Dutch-process cocoa on purpose: the creator likes its richer, more mellow flavor against a dark ganache. Box them up and the teacher gifts are done.
Chocolate Rum Truffles with Black Cocoa
Black cocoa in the coating turns these matte and nearly black, and a press against a sieve gives them a real-truffle texture. Rum in the ganache keeps them firmly on the Christmas side.
Chocolate Truffle Christmas Baubles
Orange-zested dark truffles decorated like tree ornaments, with gold shimmer, white pearls and red stripes, then boxed with little hanging loops. The prettiest gift on this page.
Truffles rolled in Black Cocoa
Black Cocoa is ultra-Dutched to a near-black darkness, so a truffle rolled in it comes out matte and dramatic, the darkest thing in the gift box. The flavor stays smooth and low in acidity, with that classic sandwich-cookie note. Want a softer brown? Cut it 50/50 with Dutch-process.
Peppermint and Candy Cane Truffles
Peppermint and dark chocolate are the Christmas pairing nobody argues about. Crush the candy canes in a zip bag with a rolling pin, and scatter them before the coating sets.
Christmas Peppermint Truffles
Peppermint ganache dipped in dark or white chocolate, striped in the other and showered with candy cane. Make both colors and the plate looks like a Christmas sweater.
Peppermint Truffles
Set the minty ganache overnight and it rolls without a fight, then a dark dip, a white drizzle and crushed peppermint finish it. Built for hostess gifts.
Vegan Peppermint Candy Cane Truffles
Coconut milk stands in for cream, so the whole tray is dairy-free and still silky. A white coat and crushed candy cane keep them looking classic.
Cookie and Cake Truffles
Crush cookies or crumble cake, bind with cream cheese, roll and dip. These are the truffles to make with kids, and the ones that hold up best on a party tray.
Christmas Tree Snack Cake Truffles
Those striped Christmas tree snack cakes, mashed with cream cheese and dipped in white chocolate, then finished with red icing and green sanding sugar. Pure nostalgia, no baking.
Gingerbread Cookie Truffles
Gingerbread sandwich cookies and cream cheese, dipped in white chocolate and topped with more crumbs. Twenty minutes of rolling gets you a spiced center under a snowy shell.
Spiced Gingersnap Truffles
Molasses, ginger, cinnamon and cloves give these a deep gingerbread flavor, molasses and all. Chocolate stripes and gold sugar make them gift-box ready.
Red Velvet Cake Balls
Red velvet cake and cream cheese, rolled and dipped in milk chocolate, so every bite shows a bright red center. Leftover cake has never had a better afterlife.
Fudge Brownie Truffles
Brownie scraps rolled into balls and dipped in red, green, white and dark coatings with holiday sprinkles. A smart home for the crumbly bits of the pan.
Chocolate Peppermint Cookie Truffles
Chocolate sandwich cookies and dairy-free cream cheese with a hint of peppermint, dipped dark and topped with candy cane. Fully vegan, which nobody at the party will guess.
Espresso, Mocha and Spiced Truffles
Coffee and spice push a dark ganache somewhere grown-up. Espresso powder dissolves straight into the warm cream, so a teaspoon deepens the chocolate with no grit.
Milk Chocolate Espresso Truffles
Instant espresso powder dissolved in the cream makes milk chocolate taste darker and richer. Roll each one in something different, from coconut to green sugar, and fill a tin.
Chai Spice Truffles
Chai masala, caramel and crushed tea biscuits rolled around a roasted hazelnut, then dusted with more spice. Cardamom and cinnamon make them a natural for a winter tray.
Dark Chocolate Coffee Truffles
Strong coffee goes into the ganache, and a dark coat with fine stripes makes them look shop-bought. Trade the brewed coffee for a teaspoon of espresso powder and the ganache sets firmer.
Boozy Christmas Truffles
Rum balls and bourbon balls are old-school Christmas candy, and they only improve after a few days in the tin. Keep this tray on the high shelf, away from the kids' table.
Chocolate Rum Balls
The Australian Christmas classic: crushed biscuits, condensed milk, cocoa and rum, rolled in coconut or sprinkles. No oven, no thermometer, and the bowl is empty by Boxing Day.
Christmas Rum Balls with Cake Crumbs
Leftover cake crumbs, pecans, pistachios, honey and rum, rolled in cocoa, powdered sugar or crushed walnuts. Mix the coats in one tin and the gift looks like an assortment.
Kentucky Bourbon Balls
Pecans soaked in bourbon, a buttery sugar center and a glossy chocolate shell with a pinch of flaky salt. One batch makes about 75, which covers every coworker.
Pecan-Topped Bourbon Balls
Smaller batch, same kick: a bourbon-and-butter center under a chocolate dome, with a pecan half pressed on top of each. Made in one bowl, gone in one evening.
Bourbon Chocolate Truffles
A few spoonfuls of bourbon in a dark ganache, rolled in natural cocoa for a brighter, sharper coat. Our Organic Cocoa Powder is non-alkalized if you want that same bite.
Irish Cream Truffles
Irish cream liqueur in a dark ganache, rolled thick in red sugar until they sparkle. Naturally-colored red sanding sugar gets that same color from plants, no synthetic dyes.
White Chocolate, Fruit and Nut Truffles
Cranberries and pistachios bring the red and green straight from the pantry. A snowman, an eggnog and a chocolate orange round out the tray.
Pistachio Cranberry White Chocolate Truffles
White chocolate ganache studded with cranberries and rolled in chopped pistachios, so each one looks like a tiny green ornament. Gluten-free and made without turning on the oven.
Orange-Spiked Cranberry Pistachio Truffles
Orange liqueur sharpens the white chocolate, and a heap of cranberries makes the center glow pink when you bite in. A bowlful sits pretty on a dessert table.
Coconut Snowman Truffles
Stacked into snowmen, these coconut-rolled white truffles get chocolate-chip eyes, apricot noses and pretzel arms. The one the kids will fight over.
Chocolate Orange Christmas Truffles
Dark chocolate, cream and fresh orange zest, enrobed in more chocolate and topped with candied peel and a fleck of gold. Alcohol-free, and only three ingredients.
Eggnog Truffles
Eggnog, nutmeg and rum extract in a creamy white chocolate center, so they taste boozy with no booze. Dust with more nutmeg and set them out next to the eggnog itself.
White Chocolate Gingersnap Truffles
Gingersnap crumbs and cream cheese under a white chocolate shell, the snowiest of the gingerbread truffles here. A sprinkle of crumbs on top tells people what is inside.
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We've Got Answers
How long do homemade truffles last?
Ganache truffles keep about 2 weeks in an airtight container in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer. Let them sit out 15 to 20 minutes before serving so the centers soften and the chocolate tastes like chocolate again. Cookie and cake truffles made with cream cheese stay in the fridge and are best within a week.
Why did my ganache split?
Ganache splits when it gets too hot or too heavy on fat, and it shows up as a greasy, grainy layer on top. Whisk in warm milk or cream a tablespoon at a time, from the center out, until it turns glossy again. Next time pour hot, not boiling, cream over finely chopped chocolate and leave it alone for 5 minutes before you stir.
How do you roll truffles without a mess?
Chill the ganache until it scoops like firm cookie dough, usually 1 to 2 hours. Portion everything with a small cookie scoop, chill the scoops 15 minutes more, then roll fast between cool palms. Gloves help, and having the coating in a bowl before you start means each truffle goes straight from hand to cocoa.
Can you make truffles ahead or give them as gifts?
They are made for it. Roll them up to 2 weeks ahead in the fridge, or freeze them and thaw overnight in the fridge so the coating does not sweat. Set each one in a mini paper cup inside a small box and keep the box cool; to ship them, pick a cold week and add an ice pack.
What can you roll truffles in?
Cocoa powder is the classic, and the darker the cocoa, the more dramatic the truffle: black cocoa gives a near-black finish and Dutch-process a deep, rich brown. For Christmas, try red and green sanding sugar, crushed candy cane, chopped pistachios or toasted coconut. Roll sticky coats on while the outside is still slightly tacky so they cling.
What is the difference between truffles and cake balls?
A classic truffle is ganache, chocolate and cream, rolled and coated. Cake balls and cookie truffles mix crumbs with frosting or cream cheese and get dipped in melted chocolate, so they hold their shape longer at room temperature. Both belong on a Christmas tray; the ganache kind is richer, and the crumb kind is the one kids can help make.
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