Halloween Truffles

Easy Halloween Chocolate Truffles

These Halloween Truffles are the best festive Halloween treats for everyone’s inner chocolate lover! They’re a chocolate dessert make with simple ingredients that form the perfect bite-sized treat. 

These cake balls are made with a rich dark chocolate cake mixed with cream cheese and peanut butter, formed into balls, then coated in melted chocolate. You can leave them as-is or decorate them any way you want! 

These bites of deliciousness are so easy to make and perfect for serving at your next Halloween party.

What Are Cake Truffles Made Of?

These Halloween cake balls are the perfect sweet treat! Just a few basic ingredients needed to put these together. 

• Cake Mix: We use devil’s food cake mix, but feel free to use another variety if preferred.
• Water, Oil, and Eggs: These three ingredients are the ingredients that are listed on the back of the cake mix box. Be sure to use the amounts listed on your specific box of cake mix! 
• Cream Cheese: Make sure you’re using a full-fat block of cream cheese for the best results. 
• Peanut Butter: I usually use creamy peanut butter, but feel free to use crunchy if you like a little extra texture.
• Melting Wafers: You’ll need 2 packages of melting wafers, plus extra for drizzling. 
• Decorations: Halloween sprinkles, candy eyes, optional food coloring.

How to Make Halloween Truffles

Scroll to the recipe card below for the full recipe and ingredient amounts! 

1. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, water, oil, and eggs. Pour into a greased 9×13-inch baking pan, then bake at 350ºF until a toothpick comes out of the center clean. Cool completely.

2. Once the cake is cooled, use your hands to break the cake up into fine crumbs. Once crumbled, mix in the softened cream cheese and peanut butter. Mix until evenly distributed.
3. Use a small cookie scoop or something similar to portion out 1 ½ tablespoons of the cake mixture. Roll it into a ball, then place it onto a parchment or wax paper-lined cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining cake mixture, then refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.

4. When the cake balls are chilled, place the melting wafers into a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, stirring every 20-30 seconds, until melted.
5. Use a fork or truffle dipper to dip each ball into the melted candy, then place onto the lined sheet pan. Top with your desired decorations, then place into the fridge until set.

Tips and Notes

• Grease the cake pan. This helps prevent the cake from sticking to the pan.
• Soften the cream cheese. For easy-to-mix cream cheese, I recommend leaving it out on the counter for 45 minutes to an hour before using. 
• Cool before crumbling. After the cake is baked, let it cool completely to room temperature before you proceed with the recipe. If it’s too warm, the cake balls won’t hold their shape properly.
• To add color to your coating, simply add a few drops of orange, purple, black, or green drizzle to the icing. If necessary, add 1-2 teaspoons of coconut or vegetable oil to thin the mixture out. Stir to combine, then drizzle over the cooled truffles. Allow the drizzle to set before serving.
• Try another cake mix. We find that devil’s food cake yields the tastiest results, but you can really use any cake mix your heart desires.
• If you use a different cake mix flavor, you may not need the peanut butter. It provides extra moisture and structure. Mix the crumbled cake with the cream cheese first, then add the peanut butter after only if needed.

Serving Suggestions

These delicious Halloween truffles are so much fun, because there are tons of different ways you can decorate them! 

Turn them into candy eyeballs with edible eyes, decorate them as monster truffles, turn them into Halloween mummy truffles, or just keep it simple by topping them with melted chocolate and sprinkles…you can get as creative as you want with it! 

Storage

Refrigerator: These Halloween treats can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Freezer: To freeze leftover truffles, transfer them to a freezer-safe container and store them in the freezer for 1-2 months. Keep in mind that freezing can cause the outer candy shell to crack and release small amounts of oil as it comes to room temperature. 

Do You Refrigerate Cake Balls Before Dipping?

Yes! Once the cake is formed into balls, you’ll chill them in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes before you dip them in the melting wafers. This gives them time to set up so they hold their shape nicely!

How Do You Dip Cake Balls Perfectly?

To dip the cake balls, you have a couple of options: a truffle dipper or a fork! 

If you have a truffle dipper, great. If not, you can simply gently pierce each cake ball with a fork and use that to dip them into the melting wafers.

How Do You Keep Cake Balls From Falling Apart?

The cream cheese and peanut butter in this recipe do an excellent job of holding the cake balls together. They add just enough moisture (and also flavor) to create the best results. 

To really make sure you have the right amount of moisture, be sure that you’re baking your cake just until a toothpick comes out clean. Over-baking can dry the cake out and result in a crumbly final product.