homemade black forest chocolate truffles

Chocolate Truffles are an elegant and indulgent treat you can easily make at home! They’re made with just 4 ingredients – heavy cream, semi-sweet chocolate, cherry kirsch, and dried cherries. Decorate with chocolate, nuts, or cocoa powder for a festive treat you’ll love gifting and adding to holiday cookie plates.

this recipe

Who’s ready to learn how to make homemade chocolate truffles? It’s one of the easiest (and best!) candy recipes you can make at home – there’s no candy thermometer required, and only 4 simple ingredients make up the base of this recipe. Let’s dive in, fellow chocolate lover!

Why you’ll love Homemade Chocolate Truffles:

• Easy Recipe – This easy recipe can be broken up into simple steps, and requires just 6 ingredients!
• Customizable – Customize these truffles by rolling them in different coatings like cocoa powder, nuts, or sprinkles, or dip them in melted chocolate. (See notes in recipe substitutions below about omitting the alcohol.)
• Festive Treat – Nothing says festive like a beautiful plate of chocolate truffles! Make these for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or any special occasion.
• Holiday Gift – Portion your homemade truffles into cute little treat tins and pop on a festive ribbon for a delicious and thoughtful homemade gift.

Ingredient Overview:

As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found at the bottom of this post.

• Semi-Sweet Chocolate – Use baking chocolate bars – not chocolate chips. Chocolate chips have stabilizers to keep them intact when baked (in a cookie, for example) and they will not melt as nicely as a baking bar. Use something like Baker’s, Scharffen Berger, or Ghirardelli.
• Heavy Cream – Heavy cream and chocolate combine to make the ganache base, which is chilled and rolled into the centers of our truffles.
• Kirsch – Kirsch liquor adds that classic black forest taste!
• Dried Cherries – Chopped dried cherries complete the black forest flavor profile.
• Vanilla – Use real vanilla extract for best results.
• Melting Wafers – For chocolate that melts easily and coats beautifully, use something like Ghirardelli melting wafers for dipping. Or, use chopped chocolate bars again and melt them in the microwave (gently!) or in a double boiler on the stovetop.

Ingredient Substitutions:

• Dairy-free – Use your favorite dairy-free heavy cream and dairy-free chocolate to make this recipe dairy-free and vegan!
• Gluten-free – This recipe is naturally gluten-free.
• Alcohol-Free – If you need to omit the alcohol, just replace it with the same amount of heavy cream.
• Chocolate – Feel free to use milk chocolate or dark chocolate – whatever your favorite is! Don’t use bittersweet chocolate – no more sugar is being added to the mixture so that will be too bitter for this recipe.
• Cherries – Feel free to omit the cherries if desired. You can make these with the kirsch and cherries, just one or the other, or without either for plain truffles – see below note.
• Classic Chocolate Truffles – To make classic chocolate truffles, simply swap the kirsch out for the same amount of heavy cream.

How to Make Homemade Chocolate Truffles:

Step 1: Make the Ganache Base. Finely chop semi-sweet chocolate and add to a heat-safe bowl. Heat heavy cream and kirsch to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour this over the chopped chocolate.

Let sit for 4-5 minutes, then stir until completely smooth and all the chocolate is melted.

Step 2: Add Cherries & Chill. Stir in your chopped cherries. Pour the chocolate mixture into a shallow dish (like a pie dish) to help it cool faster. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it onto the top of the chocolate so it doesn’t dry out.

Let the mixture chill for at least 1.5 to 2 hours and up to 24 hours before moving on to the next step.

Step 3: Form the Truffles. Once the mixture has chilled, use a tablespoon to scoop scant tablespoon size balls and place them on a lined baking sheet. Roll these into balls, getting them as smooth as you can.

Don’t fret if they’re not perfect – chocolate covers a multitude of sins!

Step 4: Dipping & Decorating Chocolate Truffles.

Set up a station on your counter to keep this process easy. Have a parchment or wax paper lined baking sheet ready. Melt your chocolate in a 1-cup glass measuring cup so you have enough depth to fully coat truffles.

Use a fork to lift a truffle into the chocolate and swirl it around to coat completely. Then, use the fork to lift it out and slide it onto the lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining truffles.

Make sure your chocolate isn’t warm, or it can cause the truffles to melt a bit. Let the dipped truffles set before adding a drizzle of chocolate on top so it doesn’t melt into the initial layer. I use a spoon to drizzle it on, but you can use a piping bag or a ziploc bag with the tip snipped off.

Truffle Decorating Options:

• Cocoa powder – Roll in cocoa powder for a classic and easy option!
• Nuts – Try walnuts or pecans – they go beautifully with the chocolate. Make sure to chop the nuts finely so they will stick to the truffles.
• Chocolate – Another classic option! Use melting wafers to make this process super simple, then drizzle another color of chocolate on top for a polished look. I added a drop of red food coloring to white chocolate to make a pink drizzle for my truffles.
• Sprinkles – While they aren’t my personal favorite option here, you can roll your truffles through sprinkles. Choose something fine like sanding sugar or jimmies, not a sprinkle mix with big novelty shapes.

Serving + Storing:

Once the chocolate is completely set, transfer finished truffles to an airtight container or food-safe cookie tin to store in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.

Expert Success Tips for the Best Chocolate Truffles:

• Chopped Chocolate – Make sure your chocolate is finely chopped so the simmering cream & kirsch can easily melt it. Otherwise, you may have to microwave to remove any lumps, which is fine as long as you use short intervals.
• High Quality Chocolate – The type of chocolate you use matters! Use high quality baking bars so it will melt nicely. You also want to use high quality chocolate because it makes up the bulk of this recipe. You’ll notice the taste if you use low quality chocolate.
• Keep Chocolate Cold – When rolling the chocolate mixture into balls, you want to keep things cold so they roll easily. Don’t let the chocolate sit at room temperature for very long. Don’t be afraid to pop things back in the fridge as needed to chill.

FAQs:

Special Tools:

• Truffle Dipper – If you want to be fancy, use a truffle dipper to easily coat them in chocolate!
• Glass Measuring Cup – A 1-cup glass measuring cup is the perfect size & depth to melt your chocolate for dipping.
• Small Cookie Scoop – Use a cookie scoop that holds 1 tablespoon to scoop your chocolate balls. Make sure to scoop scant balls – this means the scoop is just below completely filled. A melon baller also works!

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More Christmas Candy Recipes to Love:

• Double Chocolate Swirled Peppermint Bark
• Best Soft Gingerbread Cookies
• Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Pretzels
• White Chocolate Peppermint Puppy Chow

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