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Dark Chocolate Espresso Truffles Recipe

by Emily
Dark Chocolate Espresso Truffles on an orange little plate. One truffle has a bite taken out.

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Do you ever stop and stare into the windows of gourmet European-style chocolate shops. These shops always contain shelves of different types of confectionery products such as bonbons, pralines, and (of course) truffles. Further, the window displays look like something imagined from a glorious magical dream–especially during the holidays. As a child, I dreamed of eating everything in sight. As an adult, I wondered how difficult those delicious treats were to make. 

Of the different confectionaries, I learned that truffles are actually incredibly easy to make–all you need is a little patience and good-quality ingredients. Deeply rich and creamy, this dark chocolate espresso truffle recipe will instantly take care of all your chocolate cravings.

Before we get to the recipe, let’s learn all about truffles! First, I will give some helpful tips for making any type of chocolate truffle. Then, I will answer some potential questions you have about making them! 

A side shot of a pile of espresso truffles on a orange plate. They sit next to bars of chocolate on a yellow tray.
Do You Like Chocolate?

What Are Truffles?

A chocolate truffle is a rich, creamy, and decadent chocolate confectionery usually made by covering a chocolate ganache center with a coating of melted chocolate, cocoa powder, coconut, or chopped nuts. 

There are a variety of different truffles–People uniquely make each type of truffle based on country and culture of origin. You may find Belgium, Swiss, or Spanish truffles when traveling through Europe or in a gourmet chocolate shop. 

For this recipe, we use the French version of these chocolate treats–To make this variety, you combine chocolate with butter. Once you melt the two in a double boiler, you fold in heavy cream. Then, you chill the mixture until the ganache sets. For those wanting to learn how to make confectionary treats I recommend starting with truffles–the process is incredibly easy! 

A close up side shot of a pile of espresso truffles. The truffles are sitting on an orange plate that is on a yellow tray.
Do You Like Espresso?

Tips & Tricks for Making This Espresso Truffle Recipe:

  • To make truffles taste as delicious as the gourmet chocolate shops, always use good quality ingredients. For example, I never recommend using chocolate chips to replace good-quality chocolate bars. 
  • For this recipe, I recommend either dark or semi-sweet chocolate. I do not recommend milk chocolate. Milk chocolate already contains a dairy ingredient. In order to be considered milk chocolate, it must contain at least 12 % of milk–Milk is either added to chocolate in the form of milk powder, condensed milk, and/or regular liquid milk. The added milk changes the cooking process and flavor. 
  • When melting the butter in a heat proof bowl over simmering water, make sure the water is not touching the bowl. This results in too much heat transfer and can burn the ingredients.
  • Once chilled, you can scoop out the truffles using a few different methods. I use a ½ TBSP to scoop the truffles. Other people prefer to use two spoons or a small cookie scoop.
  • Though I use cocoa powder to cover my truffles, you can use other ingredients such as crushed nuts (examples include hazelnut or macadamia) or toasted coconut. Don’t be afraid to change the recipe based on your taste!
  • You can use instant espresso powder or regular espresso powder. I used instant espresso powder when testing the recipe–if you use real espresso powder, I recommend using a bit less as it can be stronger. 

Homemade Chocolate Espresso Truffles Frequently Asked Questions:

Now that we learned about truffles, we can answer some questions you may have about this chocolate treat! If we did not answer your question, feel free to leave a comment below or email us at [email protected]

Are These Espresso Truffles Gluten-Free?

Our dark chocolate espresso chocolate recipe is gluten-free!

Though these truffles do not contain gluten, always read the labels when picking out your ingredients. If you have severe reactions to gluten like me, you should avoid products processed on the same machinery with allergens. Companies often manufacture chocolate on the same machinery with major allergens such as wheat, tree nuts, and peanuts. 

A close up shot of truffles. The top truffle has a bite taken out.
Look How Creamy These Truffles Look on the Inside–a Perfect Bite!

Do Chocolate Truffles Contain Real Truffle?

Chocolate truffles do not contain any real truffles. Though these chocolates do not contain truffles, they are named after the edible fungi! 

Chocolate truffles bear a striking visual resemblance to the fungi truffles!

How Do You Store Chocolate Truffles?

To store our dark chocolate espresso truffles, place them in an airtight container. Then, keep them in the refrigerator. Remove the truffles from the refrigerator 10 minutes before serving. 

How Long Do These Espresso Truffles Last?

Truffles contain perishable ingredients. As such, you should eat them within a few days. I recommend eating these within 3-4 days for best quality and flavor. 

A bowl of truffle sitting in the center of the photos. A sparkly orange pumpkin sits in the background.
The Fall Season Is Perfect for Espresso Truffles. A Few Years Ago, We Made the Sparkly Pumpkins in the Background.

We Hope You Enjoyed Learning Dark Chocolate Espresso Truffles!

In the end, we hope you enjoyed learning about our dark chocolate espresso truffles recipe. If so, let us know in the comment section below. 

If you would like to read more about cooking, you can find further recipes on our blog. We listed some of our favorite Carving A Journey recipes below! For reference, many recipes are influenced by our blended Korean and Southern heritage.

Carving A Journey Dessert Recipes: 

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Dark Chocolate Espresso Truffles Recipe

5.0 from 1 vote
Recipe by Emily Course: Desserts, RecipesCuisine: FrenchDifficulty: Easy
Servings

3

Dozen
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

10

minutes
Inactive Time

3

minutes

Ingredients

  • 16 Ounces of Semi Sweet Chocolate

  • 6 TBSP Unsalted Butter

  • 1 Cup Heavy Cream

  • 4 TSP Instant Espresso Powder or 3 TSP of Espresso Powder

  • Cocoa Powder, As Needed

Directions

  • First, melt the chocolate and butter in a heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Your stove should be on medium to medium-low heat. Remember that the water should not touch the bottom of the pot or bowl. I recommend filling your pot with 2-inches of water.
  • Once the chocolate and butter are melted and combined, add the cream into the mixture. Either fold in the chocolate with a spatula or use a whisk to fully mix it into the chocolate.
  • Then add the instant espresso powder or espresso powder to the chocolate mixture.
  • Remove the bowl from the heat. Let it sit on the counter to cool to room temperature. Then, transfer the bowl to the refrigerator and chill for at least two hours.
  • Using a 1/2 TBSP or small cookie scoop, form the chocolate mixture into balls. Then, place them on a tray with a sheet of parchment paper. Once you fill a tray, keep it in the refrigerator as you continue to roll more truffles.
  • Once you finish scooping your truffles, roll them in unsweetened cocoa powder. At this point, you can roll your truffles in the palm of your hands to form them into a better ball shape.
  • Store in the refrigerator and serve chilled. You can also let them sit on the counter for 10 minutes before serving. I recommend serving these with a cup of decaf after a dinner party!

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