These are, without a doubt, the best chocolate truffles we’ve ever made! We’ve made a lot of truffle recipes over the years, and these are my favorite by a mile!
These incredible chocolate truffles are rich, creamy, and smooth. After years of making chocolate truffles with chocolate and cream, we stumbled across a recipe that replaces the cream and uses egg yolks instead. Trust me. After testing many ways to make truffles, we’ve concluded that this, without fail, is the best recipe for chocolate truffles ever!
If you are obsessed with chocolate like me, try these truffles! They’re one of my absolute favorite chocolate recipes on the blog, with our fudgy brownies and our chocolate covered caramels as close contenders. These truffles also make the perfect homemade gift! They last a while in the fridge, and everyone I’ve gifted them to always asks me for the recipe.
Key Ingredients
- Chocolate: I use semi-sweet chocolate that’s around 55% to 65% cacao, meaning it’s not too sweet or bitter. I love buying higher-end chocolate bars and chopping them for a smoother, more luxurious texture. While chocolate chips will work in a pinch, I find that chopped chocolate creates a more decadent ganache.
- Butter: I use European salted butter (like Kerrygold) because I absolutely love the flavor it adds to these truffles! If you only have unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon of fine sea salt to the recipe.
- Egg Yolks: This is where this truffle recipe stands out from other popular truffle recipes. Many recipes use heavy cream to make the ganache, but this clever recipe uses egg yolks instead. This helps the truffles set beautifully and keeps them rich without being too heavy. You’ll notice a lightness to these truffles you don’t get when using cream. We temper the egg yolks in our recipe by whisking in boiling water. This simple process raises the temperature of the yolks to 160°F, which is the temperature at which harmful bacteria, such as Salmonella, are killed. Another option is to use pasteurized eggs.
- Cocoa Powder: Like classic truffles, we toss these in unsweetened cocoa powder. It makes them really pretty and adds a bit of extra chocolate flavor. For an even richer flavor, try using Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
How to Make Chocolate Truffles
I cannot wait until you try these truffles! We learned the method of using eggs to make truffles from Alice Medrich, who’s basically a chocolate genius. I’ve noted one of my favorite cookbooks written by Alice in the tips section of the recipe.
To make these truffles, you’ll melt your chocolate and butter together using a double boiler to make them. The double boiler is just a heat-proof bowl set over gently simmering water. This process is a gentle way to melt the chocolate so it stays smooth and shiny.
Next, you’ll temper the egg yolks by gradually whisking in a bit of hot water. This raises the temperature of the yolks to 160°F, which is the temperature at which harmful bacteria, such as Salmonella, are killed. It’s easy!
Now that you have the melted chocolate and butter and your tempered egg yolks, combine them in a food processor and blend until everything looks like thick, shiny chocolate pudding. From there, pour it into a pan and chill until firm.
I love cutting my truffles into squares and then dusting in cocoa, but you can also take those squares and roll them into balls to look like traditional truffles instead.
Perfect Chocolate Truffles
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
After a series of tests, bowl after bowl of decadent melted chocolate and lots of truffles later, we’ve concluded that this, without fail, is the best chocolate truffles recipe. They’re rich, creamy, and smooth. You have two options for making these truffles: with a food processor or by hand. Both are easy to do, and instructions for both are below. The food processor creates a slightly creamier, more decadent texture.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
1 pound (450g) semisweet chocolate, 55% to 65% cacao, chopped
10 tablespoons (140g) salted butter, cut into chunks
2 egg yolks at room temperature
⅓ cup (28g) unsweetened cocoa powder
Directions
- Make Truffles
1Line an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, making sure the foil extends over the edges of the pan, which will help you lift the set ganache from the pan later.
2In a medium heatproof bowl, combine the chopped chocolate and salted butter.
3Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water and place it over low heat. Heat the water until it is barely simmering.
4Set the bowl of chocolate and butter over the saucepan. Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Heat, stirring frequently, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth, about 5 minutes.
5Remove the bowl from the heat once the chocolate is melted and smooth and set it aside. If you have a thermometer, check the temperature. The melted chocolate mixture should be between 120°F and 130°F.
6Bring a small saucepan or kettle of water to a boil. Measure ½ cup (120ml) of the water.
7In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Then, while continuing to whisk the eggs, drizzle the hot water into the egg yolks. (Whisking prevents the eggs from scrambling.)
8Transfer the melted chocolate and butter to a food processor bowl.
9Pour the egg yolk mixture into the food processor bowl through a fine-mesh strainer.
10Pulse the food processor a few times to combine the ingredients. Then, process continuously for 20 seconds or until the mixture thickens slightly and resembles a shiny chocolate pudding.
11Pour the truffle mixture into the prepared pan and spread it in an even layer. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until the truffle mixture is firm.
- Shaping the Truffles
1To make truffle squares, remove the pan of chilled truffle mixture from the refrigerator and invert it onto a cutting board. Gently peel off the foil. Then, using a sharp knife, cut the truffle sheet into 1-inch squares (or smaller, if you prefer). Place the cocoa powder in a shallow dish and gently toss the truffle squares in the cocoa powder until they are evenly coated.
2If you prefer round truffles, lightly dust your hands with cocoa powder. Then, roll each 1-inch truffle square into a ball. Gently toss the truffle balls in cocoa powder until they are evenly coated.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Store the truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. For the best flavor and texture, let them sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving.
- No food processor: If you don’t have a food processor, you can easily make these truffles by hand! Beat the melted chocolate and butter a few times with a whisk. Then, place a fine-mesh strainer over the bowl and gradually pour in the egg mixture, whisking continuously until well combined. Beat the mixture vigorously about 10 times, scrape the bowl, and then beat another 20 to 30 times until the mixture thickens slightly and resembles a shiny chocolate pudding. Pour the truffle mixture into the prepared pan, spread it evenly, and refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm.
- Salted butter: Substitute with unsalted butter and ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt.
- Quickly bring eggs to room temperature: Fill a small bowl with hot tap water, then add the whole eggs (in their shells). Let them sit in the warm water bath for about 5 minutes, bringing them closer to room temperature.
- This recipe is inspired by Alice Medrich’s House Truffles, which you can find in her cookbook Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts. We’ve adapted it slightly. Check out Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts for more of her incredible creations!
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
Wonderful recipe. Initially I was intimidated with using eggs but they do make an extra light and fluffy truffle, all while still being ultra rich and decadent. I made several batches for an event and got rave reviews. Must try recipe – and easy too!
Yay! Glad you loved them. They really are delicious 🙂
These are definitely good and easy to make. I have several co workers wanting to pay me to make some for them. Though I am curious. Can I freeze it instead of chilling it to make cutting and dusting easier or will that some how ruin the consistency?
The texture should not change with freezing. Just watch that they are not too hard, otherwise they may be too difficult to cut.
Loved making these. Lot easier than the last recipe/time I made them 10yrs ago. Got a question though. Could I possibly use melting wafers to make this instead of baking chocolate?
It is up to you. As long as you use a chocolate you really enjoy, it should be fine.
So intensely chocolatey! I seeved them with vanella icecream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce. Our guests were very impressed.
My mother wants truffles so I’m making her truffles. She wants milk chocolate not dark. Do you think this recipe would work substituting milk for dark chocolate? Let me know..
Hi there, yes you can use milk chocolate to make these truffles.
Looking forward to trying these truffles. I’m a chocolate freak. Yummers!
I like comment on food blogs but I wanted you to know that I was looking for a truffle recipe that used butter and not cream as that’s what I had in the fridge. I made a half batch of this and added 3 tbs of matcha powder. It was perfect and had the exact texture I was looking for. Thanks a ton for the recipe. This is probably going to be my go to truffle base recipe going forward. Side note – I also used a silicone mold and tempered chocolate to make a shell for them that had a nice snap then dusted the top with more matcha powder. It made for the perfect green tea truffle and my wife is raving.
Ohhh nice! Looks delicious!
Hello, I just made these with 73% dark chocolate. I stirred them for 10 minutes and my candy thermometer only got up to 80 degrees. Should I have kept the mixture over the heat longer? What happens if it doesn’t reach 120-130 degrees? They are chilling In the fridge now. hopefully it still works. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Lora, This is making sure the chocolate is completely melted into the butter. You should be just fine, though. If anything, the texture may be a little less smooth than ours. (The truffles should still be delicious, though!)
just discovered your blog! i like what i see will start trying some of these rescipes tomorrow.
Can I make these with 70% chocolate? Can I melt the chocolate and butter in a saucepan like I do for brownies?
Thx!
Yes, 70% chocolate will work. When melting the chocolate the double boiler method helps prevent too much heat from getting to the chocolate so it melts very slowly. Doing this in a saucepan works perfectly fine, just be careful to do it over low heat and slowly. Happy truffle making!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I have searched for this recipe for 5 years after I lost mine. By FAR the best truffles ever!!
These chocolate truffels are an absolute chocolate dream coming true! It is impossible to descibe the feeling when you bite into those heavenly truffels, it is literally breathtaking. When we were still living in Europe I loved to buy freshly made truffels, especially the Belgium ones. I never dared to make them myself and I am so happy I tried, if I am not making them for my family ( even our kids can’t get enough of them) It will be my go-to recipe for bringing them to a dinner invitation. Thanks so much for this lovely recipe!
Hello ! Thank you for sharing this recipe they are wonderful !!! I added 1 orange zest , Wow ! One question , do they have to stay chilled or kept in the freezer ?
We usually keep them in the refrigerator. We have tried freezing them, but noticed the texture changes a little.
We made these and they were luscious and creamy. We covered them in cocoa powder. The next day, however, the truffles had lost that creamy smooth texture. The texture was a little grainy. What did we do wrong?
Hmm, that’s odd. We have noticed that keeping these in the freezer caused the texture to go a little funny. Keeping them in the fridge didn’t seem to change anything, though.
Thanks. We’ll try again.
I put 1/2 dark chocolate (66%) cocoa, and 1/2 milk chocolate.
But I tasted it before I put it in the fridge and it is a tad bitter for my taste.
Wonder if I should mix cocoa powder and powdered sugar then coat my truffles in them?
Just wondering if I could use semi sweet chocolate chips for the chocolate?
Yep, chips will work out fine.
Can we add alcohol such as rum/whiskey for an additional kick? Which step should I add it in too? Thank you!
Yes, you should be able to stir in a little just before adding the egg.
Wow, these photos are so appetizing. Makes me want to go to the kitchen and start making truffles.
Heavenly!! I love these truffles and the picture makes me drool! Wonderful recipe!!
So you are using raw egg yolks in your truffles? I don’t think I would do that.
Hi Debbie, We add boiling water to the eggs, which should bring the temperature of the egg yolks close to 160 degrees F. So, the eggs are not raw when added to the chocolate.