Homemade Hot Chocolate Truffles
Plopped in a mug of milk and heated, these truffle hot chocolate balls make for some seriously delicious hot cocoa and great gifts.
I love me some hot chocolate. In a big, obsessive way. I love the stuff and may or may not be known to enjoy it year round.
If someone happened to give me truffle hot chocolate balls as a Christmas gift? Well, I’d seriously consider leaving my entire inheritance to them. (The fact that it consists of legos and wooden spoons is an inconsequential matter, I’d say.)
These truffled balls are a combination of divine chocolate and silky cream. The resulting ganache is chilled and then rolled into balls and wrapped.
The glorious mounds of chocolate can be frozen or refrigerated so they can be enjoyed as you like. Plopped in a mug of milk and heated, this makes for some seriously delicious hot cocoa.
Just in case you might benefit from someone’s valuable inheritance, like mine, I wanted to pass this recipe on for rich, decadent hot chocolate balls that make a wonderful holiday gift (or to hoard and devour yourself).
Pile the wrapped balls in a mug, tie with a ribbon and instructions for the hot cocoa, and you are good to go. Your friends will love you.
But only if you ever make it to their house – I can’t emphasize how decadent and delicious the ganache truffles are. And the resulting hot chocolate is to die for.
FAQs for Homemade Hot Chocolate Truffles
You can keep them at room temperature for a few hours after frozen (like if you’re giving them as gifts), but they really should be kept in the fridge for freezer for the most part.
I wouldn’t recommend using these with water- without milk, it wouldn’t have the rich, chocolate creaminess.
My personal preference is that milk chocolate is too sweet….BUT many people love it, so I would definitely follow your chocolate preference on this one and use milk if that is what you like best.
One Year Ago: Thick and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
Two Years Ago: Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Truffle Hot Chocolate Balls
Ingredients
- 12 ounces (340 g) semisweet chocolate chips, about 2 cups
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon sugar, optional – I liked the richness of the chocolate without but in another batch, my kids and husband liked the extra sweetness
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Microwave for one minute intervals, stirring often, until the mixture is combined and very smooth and silky. When you first start stirring, after the first minute or so, you’ll wonder if this mixture will ever come together. It will look grainy and messy but after it heats thoroughly and is whisked to combine, it will magically become beautifully smooth. Be careful not to overheat as the chocolate can seize. The trick is to stir often since the mixture will blend together even when it looks like the chocolate chips haven’t melted completely.
- Let the mixture cool for about 10 minutes at room temperature. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until the ganache mixture is firm and scoopable, about 2-3 hours. Scoop out about 1/4-cup spoonfuls of the mixture and place them on a wax paper-lined baking sheet. My cookie scoop is about 1 1/2 tablespoons. I mounded two of the heaping cookie scoops full of ganache on top of each other to form one ball. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator and let the mounds harden slightly, about 15-20 minutes. Roll the chilled mounds into balls and place on squares of plastic wrap (about 4 inches by 4 inches). Pull the sides of the plastic wrap over to cover the ball and place the balls in the freezer until ready to use.
- To make the hot chocolate: pour 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups (depending on how rich you like your cocoa) milk into a microwave-safe mug. Carefully drop one truffle hot chocolate ball that has been unwrapped from the plastic in the milk. Microwave for about 2 minutes. Stir well until the chocolate is combined with the milk. Serve warm!
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Recipe Source: my version of a recipe seen in Cook’s Country
180 Comments on “Homemade Hot Chocolate Truffles”
I have made these with added alcohol for wonderful hot chocolate. This year i am planning to roll them in to balls and chill then dipping them into colored candy coating to make little jingle balls you can just drop into your hot milk!! pretty stoked!
Made this with coconut cream and dairy free gluten free chipits. 5 stars were the reviews my family gave me. Made it for the teachers at school. Big hit.
I have been making these for several years now. We love them! I also discovered that I like to eat them! We roll the balls of chocolate ganache in crushed nuts, or sprinkles/jimmies, or colored sugar, or crushed candy canes, or cocoa powder, or powdered sugar, etc. They are pretty and tasty! <3
This is still my favorite hot chocolate recipe. I used to make it in graduate school years ago, and I still love it! Thanks for posting it!
Mel, do you think the Truffle Hot Chocolate balls would work if you put them in silicone ice cube trays to set up in stead of rolling into balls and wrapping with Saran Wrap. I would like to put a stick in them for hot chocolate on a stick?
Yes – actually, I think someone else mentioned in the comment thread they’ve done just that!
Approximately how many balls does one batch make!
Thank you!
The yield is right above the recipe title – it makes about 9-10 truffles. 🙂
My daughter has had a rotten first semester at college due to a roommate situation. She is moving into a new room today before coming home for Christmas. I saw this recipe this morning and knew I had to make some for her new roommate and her RA as a gift. So, I went to the store and bought GOOD chocolate chips, not the generic kind, just in case it mattered and set to work. I got a new stove last week and thought I remembered the salesperson at the store telling me about a melting element on the stovetop. I pulled out the manual and set to finding out how it worked. I located it and read Melt Element. “Turn knob to Melt.” I had to laugh. I do everything the hard way. I always scorch my chocolate even if I melt it in the microwave. Melting is going very smoothly as I have not gotten impatient and turned it past the Melt spot. Of course, making another 9 Creme Brulee French Toasts today has kept me busy while the stove does its best work. Thanks again, my friend, for sharing in your discoveries. If you ever want on my Freezer Meal recipe wall, where I freeze almost all your lovely meals as well as other amazing bloggers, it is called Beth’s Favorite Freezer Recipes on Facebook, where I share my own knowledge of food. I am not brave enough to blog, but I do love to cook. Much love to you and yours this holiday.
This made me laugh, Beth! (The “turn knob to melt” part – good thing they gave such explicit instructions!) I hope these truffles turn out well…your daughter (and her new roommates) deserve a happy little pick-me-up. I think I was part of that facebook group a long time ago, wasn’t I?? Now I can’t remember.
I knew this recipe would be perfect for family coming for the Christmas holidays. I was concerned about making this in the microwave, so instead I used the small crock pot that came with my huge crock pot from Costco many years ago (and which I have never used before). It took 20 minutes, but it was perfect and easy. The balls are in my freezer awaiting grandchildren. Thanks for this!
First of all, big fan of your website address, but I am partial. 🙂
Secondly, I love these truffle balls. I tend to make a double batch (or more) to last me through the cold months. I’m not a coffee person, so these are a perfect morning treat! I While I don’t like coffee, I do put a couple of ice cubes made with leftover coffee into the cocoa if I need a little energy.
I just wanted to let you know that even after you posted this four years ago, I love this recipe and will be using it happily for the rest of my life!
Glad you are still loving these, Melissa!
I made this last Christmas and gave it as a gift in cute little mugs for my sister and brother-in-law and they loved it!! Do you mind if I post this recipe on my blog? I will credit you and post a link as well. Thank you 🙂
randomlovesinlife.wordpress.com
No problem, Tracy.
How long do these last? And can I use boiling wear instead? thanks
They last several weeks in the fridge, longer in the freezer. Using milk makes the hot chocolate much richer and better in my opinion.
Anybody tried replacing part fo the cream with Bailey’s? Or Frangelico? Or coffee liquor? Any idea on the quantity used?
that idea was fantastic I am going to try this with hazelnut topping and chocolate balls. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
I had not read through the chip suggestions and blithely proceeded with crappy Nestle’s semisweet chips. I didn’t even wait for the ganache to chill into balls before sampling. I think I was making animal sounds as I sipped the stuff. I would try to put my cup down and then grab it for another tiny sip. Just amazing stuff. I can’t imagine what I would do if I added extracts or candy canes. It was so good I will be making for my dearest friends.
Could you do this with white chocolate? Minus the sugar of course.
Erica – I haven’t tried it with white chocolate…good luck if you do! White chocolate has completely different properties than “real” chocolate and sometimes can melt quite differently.
has anyone tried adding spices at all to these? i was trying to look through comments but didn’t seen anything… just trying to figure out amounts…
do you think this would work with carob? my aunt has heart problems and can’t have real chocolate and really misses it. I made her carob chip cookies and she loved them! So, I was wondering if you have tried this with carob?
Hi Tina, I’ve never tried this with carob so you’ll have to experiment. Good luck!
These look amazing. I am definitely adding chocolate chips and cream to my next shopping list. My daughter is a year-round hot cocoa drinker too. I love the idea of rolling them in crushed candy canes. One of our local stores sold bags of crushed candy canes last year, best thing ever. Saves all the work of unwrapping them and crushing them yourself. Once they past our taste test, I am sure they will be added to our Christmas gifting list.
This is brilliant! I have 2 questions, 1. Can you use regular 70% cocoa solids dark chocolate broken up? 2. What is one cup of heavy cream in milillitres? Thanks!
Hi Izzy – you’ll have to google the conversion from cup to milliliters since I’m don’t know that conversion and yes, you should be able to use the 70% dark chocolate; just keep in mind the truffles won’t be as sweet.
OMG! *FAINTS* I have to try this out 🙂 thank you .
Do you think that non dairy creamer can be substituted for the cream? I always need the lactose free stuff and use the liquid creamer to make hot chocolate.
Barb, I’ve never tried it that way so I don’t know. Have you read through the comment thread? Several others have asked the same question and might have checked back in with results.
I made these with stevia and sugar-free chocolate chips = turned out awesome! Also, I used cupcake liners to put the hot chocolate truffles in and it worked really well. 🙂
These were such a disappointment. Did not set up/freeze solid and is a chocolatey gooey mess. I’m sorry I wasted my time and money on making these.
I made these as Christmas presents for my roommates and everyone loved them! They make super tasty hot chocolate and they’re simple enough to make that I did just fine in a sparse dorm kitchen. I will definitely be making these again! Thanks so much for sharing.
…has anyone tried boxing and mailing these..?..
I used 1/2 cream and 1/2 Bailey’s (no children were harmed in the preparation or enjoyment of this recipe!) for a girls’ night at my house… and they were FANTABULOUS. I rolled them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and just sat it in the freezer and served from there. 🙂 I’ll say this… I practically had to double the recipe to actually get enough for guests, there was a good amount of sampling going on! Thanks, Mel — delish!!
I thought I’d be clever and use this substitution I saw where I added butter to whole milk to make heavy cream (sounds legit, right?)… buuut after scooping out the “balls” and having them sit in the freezer for 15 minutes, they still aren’t firm enough to hold their shape. I’ll let them sit there longer, but even if I can’t give them away, they’re still delicious!
Marti – I know the comments are cumbersome to read through but I believe that question has been addressed. They get really soft if left at room temperature for too long but they can be taken out of the freezer and be fine for a few hours.
Do they have to be frozen at all times? or can they be left at room temp to be given as a gift?
Hi Joan…sure, that’s worth a try as long as the chocolate mixture doesn’t stick to the ice cube tray.
Could you put in ice cube trap with popsicle stick in it?
I just made these, waiting patiently for them to cool! The ganache is so good!! I added a tsp of vanilla flavoring and only 1 tbsp of sugar. Can’t wait to make some hot cocoa! Thank you for such a great idea/recipe 😉
2cool-Grammy – I would refrigerate these as soon as you make them and freezing them works good, too, so you can make them ahead of time. If they are frozen, they can probably sit tight at room temp for 2-3 hours as long as it is cool and not blazing hot. If you are giving them as gifts, you could instruct the person to refrigerate or freeze them until ready to use.
Rebecca – yes, please unwrap the plastic from the truffle before making it into hot chocolate. If the wording in the recipe is confusing, I apologize. It doesn’t say NOT to unwrap the truffle, it says to drop “one unwrapped truffle hot chocolate ball” in the milk, as opposed to a wrapped truffle ball which would be one that has plastic around it. Unwrapped indicates the truffle should be unwrapped from the plastic. Does that make sense? I’ll edit the recipe to avoid further confusion.
I saw someone else asked this as well, but I was wondering if you take off the plastic wrap before dropping the truffle ball into the warm milk. It says in the recipe not to unwrap them, and I’m just not sure what would happen to the plastic wrap if you didn’t.
Ha ha! I’m assuming this is a joke as it did make me chuckle! If you are serious, I suggest you always take the plastic wrap off of all food before you consume it.
Making these for gifts sounds like a great idea. Being a milk product, how long can it sit out before going bad? Can you make these ahead of time and give as a gift a week later or do they have to sit in the fridge/freezer until you run out the door? I can’t imagine the person receiving them using it right away. Next day maybe.
Yummy!
Looking forward to trying these!!! I’m also going to try white cholocate!!! :):) Yummy!
Hi Jody – I’m not familiar with dairy-free substitutions so I’m afraid you might have to experiment. I think coconut milk sounds like a good try!
Do you have a dairy free version of it? Could I use coconut milk instead of the heavy cream?
I think I may try this with andies mints. I have a feeling this will be a hit this christmas!
Thanks Mel! I have made them by the original recipe and my kids and I love them. My one son said, “oooo so chocolatey” Christmas gifts this year.
Patty – sure!
Hey Mel, could you use Baker’s chocolate instead of chocolate chips?
I tried to make these last night and it was a total flop! They never set up. Even after a night in the freezer and they are still gooey. Total waste of time.
Love these! I have to use almond milk to melt the truffle balls in, due to lactose intolerance. Going out on a llimb using real cream, but so far so good.
I made these yesterday and they are so delicious. I’m trying not to eat them before making the hot chocolate. I used bakers chocolate instead and added stevia to sweeten. I replaced half of the heavy cream with nonfat half and half (because I didn’t have enough). I added a pinch of cinnamon and cayenne. So yummy! I’m thinking they would be good with some instant coffee inside for a mocha 🙂 I liked someone else’s idea rolling them in peppermint candy. Especially because my boyfriend said it looked like I saved my own poop.
I am in LOVE with this idea! I too am a fan, and share in this obsession of hot chocolate come rain or shine. XO!
Has anyone tried this with Andes mints?? I’m wondering if it would work for a minty hot chocolate!
YUM!!! That’s all I have to say!!!
Do you really put the unwrapped truffle ball in the milk or do you unwrap it first?
Mel, I won recipe group last night with this recipe! That’s three wins that are all from you. The theme was recipes inspired from a book (not a cookbook). I saw this recipe and really wanted to try it and remembered a line from Polar Express that said, “We drank cocoa as thick and rich as melted chocolate bars,” so it was perfect. I served it with three different flavored whipped creams to choose from — vanilla bean, almond, and peppermint. I did add quite a bit of sugar to the whipped cream because I thought the cocoa could be sweeter. I will try a different brand of chocolate chips next time (didn’t see the “Nestle Toll House NOT recommended” comment until it was too late) and maybe 2 T. of sugar. Did I mention I have quite a sweet tooth?
Anyway, thanks for another win! I always give you credit! You can see our blog at http://www.hrrecipeladies.blogspot.com
Elise – probably a couple of months in the freezer.
I love this idea! It will be great for my coworkers. How long do they stay good for once they are made?
yumm!! I love hot chocolate… I’m sure I will love these!!
Nichole – sure, you can eat them on their own!
I ate some after making them… don’t see any reason it would hurt!
Can these truffles be eaten on their own, or should they only be use for hot chocolate?! The hot chocolate idea is genius, but I love eating truffles by themselves! 🙂 Thanks!
As so many other commenters have said: thank you for posting this recipe–it looks absolutely delicious! I’m thinking it would make an AWESOME addition to my morning coffee… on rare occasions, of course. 🙂 Blessings!
Thank you Mel, I made these and put them in mugs and gave them as gift, they are so yummy. Merry Christmas!
Lisabeth – I’ve only ever used the heavy cream so I can’t vouch for substituting it. Sorry!
This sounds amazing. I was wondering though, in place of the heavy cream, could you use Irish Cream?! Or even Coffee Liqour? Of course these would be for adults only.
Instead of microwaving I melted the chocolate and cream in a double boiler. They turned out this time!! Thanks for the idea! Great gifts!
Did these in a cute Christmas mug for teacher gifts this year. Thanks for the great recipe.
For anyone wondering how long they’ll last at room temp, not very! They get mushy very quickly. I don’t think it’ll matter as to them being inedible, just not as pretty. I made another batch of them and rolled them in hot cocoa mix powder, this made them look prettier and I could work them easier. I rolled the dark chocolate/mint ones in 10x sugar, it didn’t seem like it was changing the flavor any and it was coating it so I could work them. I attached them to spoons and wrapped them tightly so if they get soft at a party they can stay together.
E,
They were still very soft! I wrapped them anyways and they are still edible just harder to make. I’m definitely going to try them again though!
Kat – I’ve never tried a substitution for the whipping cream. Sorry!
Sophie – if I were you, I’d freeze them – especially if they need to stay at room temperature. Even then, I’d try not to keep them at room temp for longer than a couple of hours. Hope that helps!
These seem so brilliant! Have you ever tried making them with anything other than cream for those that are lactose intolerant… and if so what? Thank you!
These look amazing and I’m really looking forward to making them. Just wondering though, if I make them as a gift are they good to remain in the fridge until I give them and then presumeably room temperature for a period of time until they make it to the recipient’s freezer? I plan to make them a day or two before I give them. Thanks very much, really excited about these!
Tiffany – you are right, the milk wouldn’t work to thicken up the ganache. Cream is the way to go!
Im eager to try this out for gifts but I had a question. I have to use whipping cream right? I was gonna try using just regular milk, but I have a feeling that wouldn’t work lol
Hmmm….
Marissa,
This is the same problem I had, how did you make out? Mine don’t look pretty, and once they are out of the freezer they start to thaw out right away, but they taste good!! I think I will take the advice of someone else and attach them to a spoon and freeze, should help make them look better anyway. Maybe even roll them in cocoa powder (or hot cocoa mix powder) to keep them from sticking to the plastic wrap.
I used the chocolate whipping cream – the ganache is super yummy – it hardened wonderfully – they turned out perfect. Can’t wait to mix it with my milk later!!! I didn’t add the sugar because I figured the extra chocolate would make this sweeter anyway… It did!
Lori – I’ve never seen the chocolate whipping cream nor have I tried it so I can’t weigh in on how it would work/taste in this recipe. Let me know if you try it!
Marissa – I have no idea what could have gone wrong. Hmmm…any way you could have added too much cream? Hopefully the ganache thickened up overnight. Good luck!
I tried making these using the exact recipe and I couldn’t get them to harden, they were kind of runny, so i left them in the refrigerator overnight. What did I do wrong?!
These look amazing! I found them on pinterest and making them for some christmas gift exchanges with your mug idea and some marshmallow stirring sticks 🙂
I just found they have a chocolate whipping cream for the holidays – what do you think of using that? I don’t know that you can really have too much chocolate – but I wasn’t sure if the consistency will be right?
I’m pretty excited about them! I may have to try to get my own gift back….
what’s the chances that after ten minutes in the fridge… we eat these =P
Thank you for posting this, I am going to have to try it, I love dark chocolate so will make mine with drak chips and roll in Andes baking chips for some mint flavor 🙂
tbp – I don’t know, to be honest. I’m not sure the sweetened condensed milk would allow the ganache to set up in the same way but it’s always worth a try, if you don’t mind risking the chocolate (in case it doesn’t work). Sorry I’m not more help – I always stick with the cream.
Do you think sweetened condensed milk would work as a substitute for the heavy cream and sugar?
I am going to mold some of mine right on a plastic spoon, wrap the chocolate with plastic wrap and tie with a pretty ribbon. I can’t wait to make and give these!
Oh my gosh, these look amazing! I love hot chocolate so much that I am going to have to give these a shot soon. I’m thinking a little peppermint extract in half the batch, some cinnamon in the other half, and I’ll be good to go…
It’d be cool to coat/surround these in mini marshmallows. They’d be cleaner to handle too.
Hi Mel!
Thank you SO MUCH for the inspiration! I made three batches of these little morsels of goodness yesterday … a white chocolate, a dark chocolate mint and a semi-sweet. They all turned out fabulous!! I was a little skeptical about the white chocolate, but it turned out great! I also played around with making them cute for gift giving. I thinly shaved white chocolate, andes mints and dark chocolate and rolled the matching truffles in them. They look just like candy truffles in their box! And, since the curls are so tiny, they melted right into the milk! I love your blog – thank you again for such a wonderful idea! I can not wait to give these to all the guys on my list! 🙂 Take care!
Jade C.
How do you suppose you could make these a little bit “lighter.” Do you think you could use evaporated milk in place of cream???
Jennifer – it’s worth a try. I haven’t tried lightening these up because I love the pure decadence of them but if you try it, let me know.
I just made these yesterday. Since the recipe said “the family” preferred the sugar added, and I don’t like semi-sweet, I’m a milk chocolate lover, I just used milk chocolate chips. They’re so good!! Just perfect, makes the hot coco nice and creamy! I also made a batch with dark chocolate/mint chips for a friend for Christmas. I had trouble, esp with the dark chocolate ones, with them getting hard enough to make into balls. They just kept mushing up, so I just dropped them into the plastic wrap and wrapped them up. They aren’t as pretty as the pictures but still taste great =)
Thanks so much for this!!!
OMG – Thank your for giving me the BEST Christmas gift idea ever! MMMMMMMM
can you think of a way these can last a longer trip. I was thinking gifts but all my gifts have to be mailed.
Natasia – I don’t think these would make the greatest mailing gifts. They need to stay refrigerated or frozen and if left at room temperature for too long they can become very, very soft, lose their shape and after too many days, they may even taste rancid. You might need to try a baked good or something that would fare better in the mail.
Fantastic! My friends and I are going to make them and roll it in crushed peppermints for Christmas gifts. Thanks!
Wow, these look great. A bit late fo this gift swap competition that is happening tomorrow but I’m going to try these for the holidays.
Wow, what a CLEVER idea!!! I must try these! Thanks!
Kristin – if you could keep them in a cooler or a insulated bag, they would probably fare just fine for the 6 hour drive. You definitely want to keep them from getting too warm (even staying at direct room temperature for too long) because they’ll lose their shape and get very, very soft.
Mel I was wondering how long they can stay out of the refrigerator? Would they need to be kept there until immediately before giving? I was considering giving them to family members at Christmas, but they have a six hour journey back home. Would they keep safely during this trip?
These look AMAZING and I can’t wait to make lots of them for gifts this holiday season. Question (and sorry if you included this somewhere and I missed it!) – if giving as a gift should you include a note that they’re perishable and should be kept refrigerated or are they okay at room temperature?
Taryn – yes, I think that would be a good idea. When I’ve given them as a gift, I usually package them in a mug and include a tag on the handle with simple instructions on how to make the hot chocolate and to keep the truffle balls frozen or in the refrigerator.
Do these have to stay in the freezer until ready to use or can they stay at room temperature so I can give them as gifts??
Chanel – they definitely need to stay in the freezer or in the refrigerator. They won’t hold their shape very well if they are at room temperature, plus they will more easily spoil.
you just made my holiday season! this is the best gift for my sister whom we are doing home made gifts this year for! curious if i could do white chocolate as she is a white hot chocolate lover??? any advice for someone who is maybe less than handy in the kitchen 🙂
Kim – I’ve never made them with white chocolate but I think it should work by subbing equal parts white chocolate for the bittersweet. Good luck!
Sorry, can you reply here, I accidentally didn’t hit the notify button. Just wanted to know about the freezing! 🙂
You think they can be frozen?? Going to give them as gifts as well. Thanks so much for the idea!
Candice – yes, they are meant to be frozen…the reheating/hot chocolate instructions are for frozen truffle balls. Hope you enjoy them if you make them!
I love hot chocolate and can never find any other than Starbucks that I truly love. This stuff is wonderful! And I must admit that I like to eat the chocolate by itself also!
These look divine! I think what’s throwing everyone is the word “inch” (“Scoop out about 1/4-inch spoonfuls…”). Bet you meant to type “cup.” 🙂
This is an awesome idea to make my friends for Christmas! Especially because of being a broke college kid and all…haha. Do these dissolve in water well also?
Kirsten – I’ve never tried it in water but I would highly recommend sticking to the milk – I don’t think it would have the rich, chocolate creaminess if substituting water for milk.
Wow, this looks like the chocolate-coated pill in “The Princess Bride”! I don’t know if it could bring someone who is mostly-dead back to life, but it would certainly brighten a day!
Is the consistency similar to regular truffles? If so, and if you don’t wish to roll them in cocoa like truffles (why?), you might roll them in powdered sugar instead – then you get the extra sweetness as well as removing the need for plastic wrap! Normal truffles keep at a cool room temperature or in the fridge for days.
You could also flavor it a bit with things like vanilla, almond extract/amaretto, Baileys, fruit flavor of some kind…
I may play around with my standard truffle recipe as “instant hot chocolate drops” this Christmas!
Miss Jubilee – yes, I’d say the texture is fairly similar to a normal truffle if perhaps on the soft side just a bit. Have fun playing around with the recipe!
Found this on pintrest – looks divine!
And THANK YOU for having a printable version with a picture! I always want a picture with my recipes.
Do you have any idea how long these are good for? I’m only concerned if I give them as a gift!
MsLydia – I would say they are good for at least 2 months.
Hey Mel…. I made a few batches of these the other day and they are superb!! However, I did notice that the milk chocolate ones did not set as well as the semi-sweet chocolate. Any idea why? Even in the freezer, they didn’t get as hard and once taken out of the freezer (as I was getting some Christmas gifts ready) they became soft very quickly. Any suggestions on how to keep the milk chocolate ones harder? With milk chocolate do you need to add as much heavy cream? Thanks for any thoughts you might have.
Angie – milk chocolate has a significantly higher amount of sugar than semisweet or dark and I’m not sure, but it may have a different amount of cocoa butter. So basically, yes, it can melt differently than semisweet. I’ve only ever made ganache with semisweet or dark chocolate but if you had trouble with the milk chocolate setting up, I’d try adding 1/4 cup less heavy cream and see how that works out!
Decided to make these for Christmas gifts and I made a quintupled batch, LOL! Did it on the stove on the lowest heat possible, stirred until chips were mostly melted and them wisked them smooth the rest of the way. I was nervous about doing it that way since I know chocolate can be tempermental but it worked out beautifully, just have to be patient with the low-as-you-can-go heat! My scoop was 2 teaspoons so I did three slightly heaped scoops which would be 2-3 Tablespoons. I tried one out in a mug of milk and decided it was tasty enough and I got 52 balls out of the batch. Totally making these again!!
Sarah K – quintupled batch! Jeesh – that’s ambitious. I would be in trouble around that much ganache, let me tell you. I’m glad they worked out well…thanks for including your how-to!
These make tasty hot chocolate indeed! I made them with milk chocolate chips and used 1/4 cup of ganache per truffle. I do think they’d be delicious (& pretty) rolled in crushed candycanes as someone else suggested. Love your site! I especially appreciate your explanatory notes included in the recipes.
Cari – thanks for weighing in on this recipe. I’m glad that the milk chocolate worked out well for you!
Thanks Mel! You can come see how dangerously naughty they got when I made them… 😉 And yes Ghirdelli is the best of the best. Only kind I use…sale plus coupon and they can come by pretty cheap.
Such a great idea for truffles, these truly do look amazing! I would go with you & forgo the extra sugar. Nice work 🙂
love these 🙂 will these keep to ship to relatives?
Emily – unfortunately these probably won’t ship well. Because there is so much cream in the recipe and it is highly perishable when not refrigerated, I wouldn’t recommend shipping these. Sorry!
I tried these after seeing them in Cook’s Country as well, using half bittersweet and half semisweet. And I tossed them in a baggie of powdered sugar before freezing. They looked really pretty initially (more appetizing than the brown blobs) but after they were frozen, some of the sugar had been absorbed into the balls. Still tasty!
Holly – thanks for weighing in on these little balls of goodness! The powdered sugar idea is a good one – too bad most of it absorbed in the ball. I checked out your post and thought they still looked pretty nice!
I just realized that in my copycat recipes I have been looking at for salted Caramel Hot Chocolate @ Starbucks (so yummy!) They suggest starting with a Ganache first. These would make it soo easy! Then add caramel and a pinch of salt to taste mmmmmm!
Guittard also has a bittersweet chip. I am excited to try it with those!!! Thanks again!
How do you think using Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips would taste or should I just stick with the semi-sweet?
Adrianne – my personal preference is that milk chocolate is too sweet….BUT many people love it, so I would definitely follow your chocolate preference on this one and use milk if that is what you like best.
Mel, what type of semi-sweet chips do you use use for this recipe? Do you have a favorite?
Jennifer – I actually do have a favorite – they are actually a bittersweet chip, the Ghirardelli brand…but they do tend to be a little pricier than other brands. A while back Cook’s Illustrated did a side-by-side comparison of chocolate chips and actually, the Ghriardelli Bittersweet chips scored top in the “highly recommended” category while these other brands were all in the “recommended” category: Hershey’s Special Dark, Guittard Semisweet, Hershey’s Semisweet, and Ghirardelli Semisweet. The brands not recommended were Baker’s semisweet chunks (has an off-flavor), Nestle Toll House Semisweet Morsels (tasted fake). I hope that helps sort through all the brands a little better!
Oh.My.Gosh! You are killing me! I can’t wait to try these. Like you, I’ve been known to indulge in a cup of hot chocolate, no matter the weather. And having the choice to gobble up the chocolatey goodness or melt it in a cup of hot milk… I can’t think of a more perfect holiday treat to give or get! Thanks!
Ok,we are out of our cocoa mix and I am ready to make these. So about 3 TB per ball right? I think my cookie scoop is about the same as yours. 2 cookie scoops per ball= 3 TB for those who don’t have one??? Thanks!
Natasha – between 3 and 4 tablespoons for each mound. I used my cookie scoop that was 1 1/2 tablespoons but I heaped it big time, so I ended up with more like 2 tablespoons. And I took two of those heaping scoops to make one ball. So about 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) per ball. Give or take.
I love this idea as well! I will definitely be making these this year for the neighbors!
Oh my goodness! I thought I had seen it all and then I saw this post!! LOVE this as a unique gift idea. Big kudos to you!!
Quick question! You say 1/4 inch scoop at first but then say 1 1/2 tablespoons heaped twice, from your cookie scoop, to make one ball. I’m confused. Sorry. So each truffle is approx. 3 to 4 inch balls? Is that correct?
YAY!!!! Sooo excited! These are perfect to give out as gifts! I’ve been wondering what to do besides my insane baking spree. This is so much easier and so super yummy, I’m sure! Thanks for sharing! You’re the best!
Hi Jenny – sorry for the confusion…the way I did it is I used my 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop and scooped out two heaping scoopfuls (how many times can I use the word scoop?) and mounded them on top of each other. I let the mounds chill and then formed them into balls. Because I ultimately wanted about 1/4 cup in each ball, I figured my heaping scoop did the trick since there are 4 tablespoons in 1/4 cup and I heaped my 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop twice. Does that make sense??
What a brilliant idea!!
Oh, baby! I would be tempted to eat one while making the chocolate. (It’s a safe place, I can admit that, right?) What a beautiful gift idea!
when i see a recipe for truffles, part of me wants to move right past it because they’re such a pain, but another part wants me to stop and make some on the spot. guess which part usually wins? 🙂
First, I have to tell you how much I LOVE your blog. I think I have made pretty much every single recipe you’ve posted and have NEVER disliked anything. My husband commented, “she gives these recipes out for free??” Our family loves them and I am always so excited to check your blog each morning to see what’s new. Thank you so much! As for the truffle balls, as usual, LOVED THEM! You never disappoint 🙂
Courtney – I can’t believe you’ve already made the truffle balls – I’m so glad you liked them (and thanks for the sweet comment!).
Oh. My. WOW! I was thinking this was going to be another great truffle recipe to add to my collection (I LOVE making truffles!), but to make hot chocolate with these?!?!?! This is awesome!!!! I have to try these, making a stop at the store tonight to get everything!!! 🙂
This is such a fun idea- Love it! I was thinking along the same line as Cammee- chocolate and mint are my favorite combo. I like the idea of rolling in crushed candy canes or how about tucking a mint Hershey Kiss in the ball? YUM
This looks so good! I love truffles and this is awesomely over the top hot chocolate!
Oh man, I so wanted to try this when I saw it in Cook’s Country…and then I realized that I could only eat one meal along with it for the day before expending all my calories. Shoot. Being in a weight loss competition during the holidays is kind of a downer! Love your pics as always.
I love hot chocolate and drink it all year round! This seem like the most amazing things ever!!!!
Wow, that sounds just amazing! I was just thinking of hot chocolate, and now it’s turned into a craving 🙂
Yum! I am about to make a cup right now. That is the exact base recipe I use for chocolate fondue, minus the sugar. I had fondue with some gals recently and have been wondering what to do with the extra chocolate. Problem solved!
P.S. This time around for the fondue I used half cream/half eggnog. Very subtle eggnog deliciousness. Yum!
How fun! I’ve never heard of such a thing but I love it! That’s a great gift idea.
Wow! These look amazing! What a fabulous idea! Love your site!
These looks so neat!! Cant wait to try em 🙂
Seriously! You are so awesome!! I too love hot chocolate! I can’t wait to try this! Thanks!
What a cool idea! Thanks for sharing.
I love this! I might experiment with adding peppermint extract or rolling them in crushed peppermint before wrapping them.
Cammee – you are on the right track! I had the same idea that this recipe could be so adaptable with different flavors. Let me know if you try them!
oh my, I made these too! Not the same recipe, mine came from KAF, and I called them hot chocolate on a stick. They’ll be posted sometime in the next 12 days…schedule’s not entirely clear yet 🙂
Absolutely BRILLIANT!!!
Mel~
I have drooled over your blog for awhile now! I have made many, many recipies from this fabulous site and I just wanted to say thanks.
I am a busy mom of four myself, and I am not sure how you have time to keep up to this little gem! =)
I am going to make these chocolate balls and perhaps give them for neighbor gifts!
I will also share with you that your Parker house roll recipe has made famous in my little Idaho neighborhood~ (wink)!
Thanks again!
Misty
Thanks, Misty!
Wow! We are a house of hot cocoa lovers, too! These truffles look amazing, and again, would make a fabulous hostess gift! Thanks for sharing, Melanie! 🙂
WOW, those look delish! Can’t wait to make those this weekend with the kidlets!! Thanks for the wonderful recipes you share.
Yay! This looks awesome. I was wondering if you had a premade homemade version of hot chocolate that didn’t include nesquik or coffee creamer, and of course you do! Making this today!
Oh my goodness, this is awesome! We love Hot Cocoa too. I may add a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg to mine, I can’t wait to make tehse. This way it’s premeasued and my kids can make one themselves. Thanks!
You win again! I can’t wait to see what else you have up your sleeve!
I saw the original recipe in Cook’s Country and had it marked to try. So glad to see your version here~
This is a great Christmas idea for co-workers, neighbours etc… I will definitely be trying this one out!
I LOVE this idea!! Thank you for a simple yet functionable idea for the holidays!