Peppermint Truffles
Peppermint Truffles are a classic holiday bite-sized treat that everyone will love. They’re easy to make and only require a few ingredients, but they look festive and give you the taste of the holiday spirit. Add some cute sprinkles or crushed peppermint for an extra touch of Christmas cheer!
A chocolate truffle is a stylish dessert that is made of rich, dark chocolate covering a filling of cream, butter, and other simple ingredients. Chocolate truffles are usually ball-shaped, but can also be in the form of small cakes or molds. They are sweet with an almost gooey texture to them.
These holiday truffles have the added flavor of peppermint throughout giving a nice contrast with the sweet chocolate which makes them perfect to make for Christmas. You can use your favorite chocolate to coat these minty treats or a mix of white, dark, and milk chocolate.
Making peppermint truffles is fun and rewarding because they look great and taste even better! It’s the perfect activity for any day of the year, but especially during the holiday season when everyone is looking for something sweet to eat after dinner with their family.
They are great as gifts too – just package them up nicely with festive ribbons and tags! We like to add them to cute gift baskets with some Brownie Truffles, English Toffee, Saltine Cracker Candy, Snickerdoodle Truffles, and Peanut Butter Balls.
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Peppermint Truffles
- Heavy Cream – Helps thin out the ganache while adding a decadent creamy texture and flavor inside.
- Butter – Adds a rich buttery flavor to the inside of the peppermint truffles along with a dense moist texture.
- Peppermint Extract – Adds classic peppermint flavor to the inside of the truffles.
- White Chocolate Chips – Used to help set the filling and make it sweet and chocolatey. It’s also used to drizzle on top of the truffles as a garnish.
- Milk or Dark Chocolate Chips – The outside is coated in either dark chocolate or milk chocolate to create a chocolatey outside to hold the filling.
- Garnish – You can use chocolate sprinkles or crushed candy cane or peppermints to sprinkle on the finished truffle to add a festive look.
How To Make Peppermint Truffles
- Prepare the ganache filling: To a small saucepan, add white chocolate, butter, heavy cream, and peppermint extract. Melt the chocolate and butter together until they are fully combined. Pour the mixture into a microwave-safe bowl and store in the fridge or freezer until the filling is set properly.
- Roll the ganache filling: Once the filling is set, remove it from the fridge or freezer and let it sit at room temperature until it can be scooped out easily. Roll the ganache into 1 inch balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with silicone or parchment paper. Return the rolled ganache back to the fridge to firm for 30 minutes to one hour.
- Melt the chocolate coating: While the ganache is setting, add the dark or milk chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl. Cook in 15-second intervals and stir continuously until the chocolate has fully melted.
- Assemble the peppermint truffles: Remove the chilled ganache balls from the fridge and dip each into the melted chocolate until fully coated. Place them back on the baking sheet and return them into the fridge to set the chocolate.
- Garnish and serve: Melt the remaining white chocolate in the microwave using 15-second intervals. Drizzle the chocolate on top of each set truffle along with sprinkles and/or crushed peppermint. Let the chocolate set before serving.
Peppermint Truffles Recipe Tips
- If you’re melting chocolate in the microwave, be sure to heat at 15-second intervals and constantly stir between. Melting chocolate this way can easily burn it quickly. Alternatively, you can melt chocolate using a double boiler.
- The ganache balls can chill for up to 24 hours making this recipe easy to make in advance. Chilling the ganache ensures it won’t melt during the process of coating it in chocolate.
- While the fridge does cool the ganache, the freezer is more efficient and quick to set the filling, especially if you’re short on time.
- Peppermint extract is very strong! A little goes a long way, so make sure you measure it properly.
- Coating the truffles in the chocolate is easy if you use a fork. Roll the truffle in the chocolate, then let the excess drip through the prongs of the fork before placing it on the prepared baking sheet.
- Garnish the peppermint truffles while the white chocolate is still warm. This ensures that the garnish will stick to the truffle.
Variations
- Don’t like peppermint? Try using vanilla, maple, almond, coconut, or your favorite fruit extract to flavor the inside of these truffles.
- For a lighter chocolate flavor, use white chocolate on the inside and the outside of the truffle.
- Crushed toasted nuts such as almonds, pecans, or walnuts add a nutty flavor and crunch to the outside.
- Add the rich flavor of coffee to the inside or outside by sprinkling in some dark roast espresso powder.
- For the outside, use only dark chocolate, only milk chocolate, or a mix of both.
- Add a drop of food coloring to the white chocolate for garnish and mix in for a colored chocolate garnish to fit the occasion.
Storing and Freezing
Storing: Chocolate peppermint truffles are best stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 2 weeks. If they are not kept cold, their distinctive texture will become soggy and the chocolate may melt.
Freezing: Add cooled truffles to an airtight container in a single layer. Freeze for up to 4 months. Let them thaw in the fridge for 24 hours before serving to prevent the chocolate from condensation.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces white chocolate, divided (We used Ghirardelli White Chocolate Chips.)
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon peppermint extract
- 8 ounces dark chocolate, (We used Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Wafers.)
- Chocolate sprinkles, crushed peppermint pieces for sprinkling, (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with a silicone mat or wax paper. Set aside. Depending on the size of the baking sheet, you may need to prepare two.
- In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt 8 ounces of white chocolate, heavy cream, butter, and peppermint extract.1 tablespoon unsalted butter¼ cup heavy cream1 tablespoon peppermint extract
- Pour the mixture into a microwave-safe bowl, and transfer to the refrigerator until firm, at least an hour or longer if possible.
- Once the chocolate mixture has set, remove it from the refrigerator, and use a small scoop to form 1-inch balls of white chocolate ganache. Try to make them uniform in size and shape.
- Place the ganache balls onto the prepared baking sheet about an inch apart. Return the ganache balls back to the refrigerator until they've chilled and firmed back up.
- In the meantime, melt the dark chocolate in a small microwave safe bowl stirring every 15-20 seconds until smooth. Remove ganache balls from the refrigerator, and use a fork to dip them into the melted dark chocolate. Shake off any excess, and return the truffles to the baking sheet.8 ounces dark chocolate
- Once all the truffles have been dipped transfer them back into refrigerator to set, about 30 minutes.
- After the chocolate coating sets, melt remaining 4 tablespoons of white chocolate and drizzle over truffles using spoon or piping bag with a small tip. Sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy or sprinkles if desired.
- See post for storage options.