7 Mint Chocolate Truffle Recipe Desserts for Christmas and Beyond
Do you like to indulge your sweet tooth on bite-sized treats? Are you a big fan of making your own candy goodies for parties and gift-giving holidays?
Have you always wanted to try out making something a little more complicated in the kitchen, but haven’t had the nerve to try?
If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, you’re ready to try your hand at mint chocolate truffles!
Chocolate truffles are delicious classics of the dessert table. They’re popular for just about any season, and they make great gifts as well as accents at any party. They’re easy to keep in the refrigerator or freezer, too, so you can easily reach in and grab a bite of sweet chocolaty goodness on the go. But there are lots of great ways you can make your chocolate truffles even better than ever before!
When you add mint to your truffles, you’ll discover a whole new level of flavor you might never have expected. A mint chocolate truffle combines all the smooth, creamy goodness of a traditional chocolate truffle with the burst of taste that comes along with mint. Together, these flavors combine to create one of the best desserts you’ll ever have!
So are you ready to get started learning about mint chocolate truffles? In this article, I’ll explain a little bit about what you need to know to get started making chocolate truffles, and I’ll even offer you seven of my favorite mint chocolate recipes to help you on your way. At the end, I’ll give you my top two recommendations, just in case you’re looking for a little extra guidance.
Read on to learn all this and much more about the world of chocolate mint truffles!
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Why Truffles?
Why not? Truffles are delicious dessert treats that have been popular for well over a century. They’re known as decadent sweets, and they’re widely recognized as being pretty upscale and classy. You can add a lot to your next party with truffles on the table, and they make excellent gifts, too!
But what if you don’t know how to make truffles?
The recipes listed in this article have got you covered. These seven recipes are all excellent choices for a variety of different reasons. For starters, they’re great ways to make truffles without having to dig up complicated ingredients that you might not be able to find at your local market. Almost every ingredient listed in these recipes is readily available at most grocery stores. You might have trouble finding Dutch process cocoa powder, but even that is sold at most specialty markets with a baking section.
These recipes are also great because they can be accomplished even if you haven’t had a lot of truffle-making experience. I’ve included several very simple recipes that are great for beginners, but even the harder ones listed here aren’t too tough to get through with minimal kitchen knowledge. If you know how to use the utensils you’ll need to make these recipes, then you can do them easily!
Read on to check out my tips for getting your kitchen together before you begin your journey of truffle exploration.
Preparing Your Kitchen
To make the perfect mint chocolate truffle, you’ll need to set up an adequate workspace in your kitchen. You’ll also need to be sure you have all the necessary utensils before you get started. Take a look at this checklist and be sure everything is ready to go. You’ll save yourself a lot of hassle in the long run if you set up your kitchen beforehand!
- Give yourself plenty of refrigerator or freezer space. You might need to put entire baking sheets in to chill, so you’ll want to have enough room to make this happen without having to scramble to empty out your fridge. Every truffle recipe requires at least some chilling, although some can be chilled in bowls and won’t need as much space.
- Be sure you have a few baking sheets available, as well as some parchment paper. You don’t necessarily have to line your baking sheets with parchment paper, but it does make cleanup and removal of your truffles that much easier. You’ll likely need at least two baking sheets to complete an entire batch of truffles.
- Keep stainless steel bowls, saucepans or pots, whisks, and wooden spoons on hand for just about every truffle recipe. Most will require at least a couple of these standard kitchen items, and some recipes will need to make use of all of them. It’s a good idea to have pots and bowls in a variety of sizes, too, to help with individual ingredients.
- Be sure you’ve got plenty of counter space on which to work! You’ll eventually need to roll out your truffles and dip them in chocolate, then place them on a flat surface to come to room temperature. This can take a lot of room, and if you’ve got a small kitchen, you might need to enlist the help of an extra table to get it all done.
Choosing Your Chocolate
Different kinds of chocolate make for many different variations on truffles. If you’re making a simple recipe, you might be able to get away with using lower-quality chocolate, but your truffles may not have the texture you’re looking for in the end. Understand the types of chocolate you have to choose from in order to get the most out of your truffle experience.
- Quality chocolate is the best choice. This type of chocolate is mostly what you’ll want to use for your truffles, especially for the fillings. Quality chocolate is always at least 50% cocoa, and the best types of chocolate are at least 70% cocoa. These chocolates are usually semisweet to bittersweet, so they might not be as overly sugary as some of the lower quality chocolate you can find in grocery stores.
- High-quality chocolate is usually sold in a slab, which you’ll need to either shave or chop in order to get it into some workable consistency. It’s not a good idea to try to melt an entire block of chocolate all at once!
- You can find quality chocolate in more specialty markets, usually in or around the baking aisle. You may not be able to find it in big box grocery stores, however. If you can’t seem to find it locally, it’s easy to find this type of chocolate online as well.
- Melting chocolate is another good option for certain types of truffles. You can’t use it for the insides of your chocolates, but it works well for coating American style truffles that are meant to have harder outer shells. You can get really nice quality melting chocolate, particularly in specialty baking shops. For the most part, if you find yourself spending a lot of money on your melting chocolate, it’s probably a better quality choice. However, you might just be better off buying more slabs of chocolate and melting it down instead.
- Chocolate chips and other types of baking chocolate should, for the most part, be avoided when it comes to making truffles. That’s not to say you can’t stir some chocolate chips into your fillings or top your truffles with a few chips for texture and flavor, but it’s better not to melt them down or otherwise use them for the candy itself. This is usually a lower quality type of chocolate that simply won’t work well in the ganache centers or for the coating on your candy.
- Dutch process cocoa powder is another form of chocolate that you can use in your truffles to make them even more authentic. It’s a common ingredient in French and European style truffles, but you can also incorporate it into other styles to give these truffles a burst of traditional flavor. Truffles have traditionally been rolled in this type of cocoa powder for a soft exterior.
- You may need to order your Dutch process cocoa powder online since most stores won’t carry it. If you have a baking supply shop available locally, you may be able to find this ingredient there.
Don’t worry too much when it comes to picking your chocolate! Although this may look like a lot of information to take in, when it comes down to it, you can make incredible truffles if you just remember to look for chocolate that is at least 50% cocoa. After that, everything else just comes down to details, and it’s easy to work with just about any kind of chocolate that fits into this category. Don’t be afraid to experiment with other types, or even to use white chocolate in some instances too!
Understanding the Types of Truffles
There are several different types of chocolate truffles, and before you get started putting these recipes into practice, you should have a basic understanding about which types you’re working with. All of the recipes on this list fall into one of two categories: French/European truffles, and American style truffles. There are other varieties in the world of confectionaries, but you won’t be working with those types in these recipes!
- French/European truffles use a lot of heavy whipping cream. Most of the time, if you see heavy cream as an ingredient, you’re probably working with some variation of this style of truffle, but that isn’t always the case. Another tell-tale way to determine whether or not you’re making a French or European style truffle is to see what it’s coated in. These truffles are usually rolled in either confectioner’s sugar or powdered cocoa, giving them a much softer exterior than most of their cousins.
- American truffles, on the other hand, are made with firm outer chocolate shells. They aren’t likely to be quite as hard and snappy as a peanut butter ball or rum ball, but they’re still more self-contained and will probably need to be chilled for a while in order for them to harden up enough to serve. They may or may not include heavy whipping cream, and sometimes they may be made with cream cheese instead.
- Other types of truffles do exist, but the recipes listed in this article don’t focus on these varieties. Some other types of truffles include Belgian truffles, which are often filled with pastes or creams as opposed to chocolate ganache; California truffles, which are shaped like eggs and are usually a bit larger than other types of truffles; and Swiss truffles, which are usually poured into molds to help them form a perfectly round shape. These truffle variations are usually harder to make than the two standard types, so they might not be a good place to start if you’re a beginner.
How to Set Up a Double Boiler
For many of these truffle recipes, you’ll need to set up a double boiler for melting your chocolate. A double boiler is an easy and efficient way to keep chocolate melted to the perfect temperature, so you don’t have to keep reheating it over and over again in the microwave. It doesn’t take too long to set one up, but it’s important to understand how before you get started dipping your chocolate truffles.
- To set up your double boiler, you’ll need a pot or saucepan that’s large enough to suspend a bowl. You’ll also need a stainless steel bowl that can sit in the mouth of the saucepan without dipping all the way down into it.
- The idea is to use the steam from the saucepan to heat the stainless steel bowl. To do this, you’ll need to run about an inch of water in the saucepan and bring it to a simmer over low heat.
- Put the stainless steel bowl over the simmering water and add whatever it is you’re trying to melt. In this case, it’s chocolate.
- This step makes it easier to temper melting chocolate, but you don’t always have to temper your chocolate to use it for truffles. When you have a double boiler set up, however, you’ll find it even easier to control the temperature of your chocolate dip.
Note that you can replace the stainless steel bowl with a glass or Pyrex bowl and achieve the same results.
1. Easy Mint Chocolate Truffles
source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/mint-chocolate-truffles-recipe.html
This simple mint chocolate truffle recipe is a great place to get started making incredible desserts, even if you’ve never tried to before. They don’t take too long to complete, and the ingredients should be pretty easy to find in your local market!
Prep Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty Level: 2
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces 50% or higher cocoa semisweet chocolate
- 8 ounces baking milk chocolate
- 8 ounces 50% or higher cocoa bittersweet chocolate
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- Confectioner’s sugar to taste
- Plastic wrap
Procedure:
1. Set up a double boiler on the stovetop.
2. Using a stainless steel bowl, melt dark bittersweet and semisweet chocolates with condensed milk over the double boiler.
3. Stir until melted completely and slightly sticky.
4. Add mint extract and stir again.
5. Cover with plastic wrap.
6. Chill for 2 hours.
7. Melt baking chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler.
8. Roll chilled mixture into 1-inch balls.
9. Dip balls into melted chocolate and remove with a fork.
10. Place on baking sheets and sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar.
11. Let harden, then serve.
2. Fresh Mint Chocolate Truffles
source: http://candy.about.com/od/chocolatetrufflerecipes/r/Fresh-Mint-Truffles.htm
If you prefer the idea of having real mint in your truffles, check out this excellent mint chocolate truffles recipe. You’ll have a chance to infuse your whipping cream with fresh mint leaves and get a whole new level of flavor in your truffles.
Prep Time: 2 hours
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty Level: 3
Ingredients:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream and 1 tbsp, separated
- 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, packed
- 2 tbsp real butter
- 1 pound semisweet meltable baking chocolate
- 8 ounces 50% or higher cocoa bittersweet chocolate
Procedure:
1. Chop mint leaves finely.
2. Place butter out to soften at room temperature.
3. Simmer heavy cream over medium-low heat in a small saucepan.
4. Remove simmered cream and stir in mint leaves.
5. Cover and leave to steep for 15 minutes, away from heat.
6. Uncover and heat to boiling.
7. Strain mint leaves out of cream.
8. In a large bowl, combine mint-infused cream with butter and bittersweet chocolate.
9. Whisk until thoroughly melted.
10. Cover with plastic wrap.
11. Chill for 2 hours.
12. Form mixture into 1-inch balls.
13. Melt baking chocolate and dip balls into melted chocolate with a fork.
14. Optionally, decorate the tops of the truffles with mint leaves.
15. Let stand, then serve.
3. French Style Mint Chocolate Truffles
source: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/980637/mint-chocolate-truffles
French style truffles aren’t hard coated on the outside like some other
Prep Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty Level: 2
Ingredients:
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ tsp peppermint oil
- 7 ounces 50% cocoa milk or semisweet chocolate
- Confectioner’s sugar to taste
Procedure:
1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring cream to a boil.
2. Break chocolate into chunks or chop finely.
3. As soon as it boils, remove it and add chocolate.
4. Stir to melt completely.
5. Add peppermint and stir to combine again.
6. Let cool to room temperature.
7. Chill, uncovered, for 2 hours.
8. Form mixture into 1-inch balls.
9. Roll balls in confectioner’s sugar.
10. Serve at room temperature.
4. Almond Mint Truffles
Sometimes, your truffles need a little bit more than just mint to make them really stand out. For a completely unique chocolate mint truffle recipe that’s sure to wow everyone, check out this nutty, minty, delicious take on truffles that’s perfect for the holiday season.
Prep Time: 3 hours
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty Level: 3
Ingredients:
- 9 ounces 70% cocoa bittersweet chocolate
- ½ cup finely chopped almonds
- 1-1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/3 cup mint leaves, packed
- 2 tsp mint oil or extract
- Plastic wrap
Procedure:
1. Simmer cream in a small saucepan over low heat.
2. Chop chocolate finely and place in a large stainless steel bowl.
3. When the cream has simmered, remove from heat and pour over chocolate.
4. Stir chocolate slowly and gently to melt completely.
5. Stir in mint extract.
6. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 2 to 3 hours.
7. Scoop mixture into 1-inch balls and roll in finely chopped almonds.
8. Place on a baking sheet.
9. Chill for 1 hour, then serve.
5. Peppermint Chocolate Truffles
source: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2015/11/29/dark-chocolate-peppermint-truffles/
Normal mint is a great flavor, but peppermint can really make your holiday truffles pop! If you’re looking for an authentic chocolate mint truffles recipe to help you get through all your holiday get-togethers, look no further than these excellent peppermint treats.
Prep Time: 2 - 5 hours
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty Level: 4
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- 14 ounces at least 50% cocoa semisweet chocolate
- 1 tsp peppermint extract
- ¾ tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp real butter
- Plastic wrap
Procedure:
1. Chop chocolate finely and place in a microwave-safe bowl.
2. Set butter out to soften at room temperature.
3. Microwave for 15 seconds at a time, stirring each time until melted completely.
4. Optionally, melt in a double boiler.
5. Over medium-low heat, bring heavy cream to a boil in a small saucepan.
6. Whisk often to get some air into the cream.
7. Take the cream off of heat and add peppermint and vanilla. Whisk again.
8. Pour mixture over chocolate in a stainless steel bowl.
9. With a wooden spoon, stir gently and slowly to combine.
10. Stir in butter until thoroughly mixed.
11. Cover firmly with plastic wrap and let stand for 30 minutes.
12. Chill for 2 to 5 hours, or until firm enough to scoop.
13. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on a baking sheet.
14. Let stand for a few minutes.
15. Roll each ball into cocoa powder.
16. Serve at room temperature.
6. Mint Chocolate Chip Truffles
source: http://www.shugarysweets.com/2016/03/mint-chocolate-chip-truffles
No, these truffles aren’t actually made with ice cream, but they’ll look and taste just like your favorite minty flavors when you bite into one! These are sure to be a big hit at just about any party, and they’re especially popular with the younger members of the family.
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty Level: 4
Ingredients:
- 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese
- 1 tsp peppermint oil or extract
- ½ cup real butter
- Green food coloring
- 12 ounces high-quality meltable baking chocolate, dark or semisweet
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
Procedure:
1. Set cream cheese and butter out to soften at room temperature.
2. In a large bowl, use an electric beater to beat butter and cream cheese together.
3. Add extract, confectioner’s sugar, and green food coloring, and beat again until creamy and thoroughly combined.
4. Gently fold in chocolate chips.
5. Form mixture into 1-inch balls and place on a baking sheet.
6. Freeze for up to 1 hour to harden quickly.
7. Melt baking chocolate 15 seconds at a time in a microwave-safe bowl, or use a double boiler to melt.
8. Dip balls into chocolate using a fork.
9. Tap thoroughly, then return to baking sheet.
10. Top with extra chocolate chips and chill for 1 hour to harden.
7. Health Conscious Chocolate Mint Truffle Delights
source: http://www.ditchthecarbs.com/2014/04/15/chocolate-mint-truffles/
Who says you can’t have a little fun with your truffles even if you’re watching what you eat? With these delicious mint chocolate recipes truffle fans of all types will adore, you’ll be able to enjoy taste truffle treats without having to worry about the addition of unwanted sugars, carbs, and more. They’re a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth, even on a diet!
Prep Time: 2 hours
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty Level: 3
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp Stevia or sugar-free substitute
- 9 ounces 1/3-fat cream cheese
- ½ tsp peppermint extract
- 4 ounces 70% cocoa dark chocolate
- 2 tbsp Dutch process cocoa powder
Procedure:
1. Set out cream cheese to soften at room temperature.
2. Melt chocolate over a double boiler.
3. For 15 seconds at a time, heat up the cream cheese in the microwave until it is the same temperature as the chocolate.
4. Stir chocolate together with cream cheese, cocoa, peppermint extract, and Stevia in a large bowl until well combined.
5. Chill for 1 to 2 hours.
6. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on a baking sheet.
7. Optionally, roll in more cocoa powder.
8. Serve at room temperature.
Which Recipe is the Best?
You’ve been introduced to seven of the greatest mint chocolate truffle recipes around. You’ve had a chance to explore the possibilities with American style truffles with hard outer coatings, as well as French and European style truffles rolled in cocoa or confectioner’s sugar. You should have a lot of great options to choose from, so it’s time to find out which ones are the best truffles on this list!
Depending on your preferences, you might enjoy certain types of truffles more than others. That’s perfectly fair! However, among these recipes, a couple really stand out as some of the very best.
The French Style Mint Chocolate Truffles are an excellent place to start, especially if you’re looking for a simple recipe with just a few ingredients. It doesn’t take much to put these truffles together, but they’re sure to get a great reaction in spite of their simplicity. They look and feel just like authentic French truffles, and since they’re rolled in confectioner’s sugar, they’ve got a much different texture than the types of truffles your party guests are probably used to. You’ll win over all your friends and family with this recipe!
On the other hand, if you’re looking for something a little bit more elaborate to try out, go for the Ice Cream Truffles. These look great on any table, and since you’ll be using a little bit of green food coloring for the insides, you’ll give your party guests a surprise when they bite into their first chocolate treat! You can do a lot with these truffles, and even change the chocolate coating if you prefer white chocolate or something else entirely. Get creative with this recipe, but remember that it’s a little harder than most of the others listed here!
Conclusion
Now that you know which two of these seven great truffle recipes come most highly recommended, you can get started cooking right away! You’ve got a lot of options, and if you’re looking for something unique and different, don’t be afraid to play around with the recipes listed here. You might find that you really enjoy your French style truffles coated in nuts, for example, or that your peppermint truffles look even better with a food coloring filling!
In the end, the options are only limited by your preferences. Use these great recipes as a springboard for learning how to make incredible mint chocolate truffles, and expand from there. You’ll soon be known as the most popular truffle creator in your circle of friends, and you’ll have some easy and delicious recipes up your sleeve for the next time you’re asked to prepare something for a party. Of course, you can always just whip up a batch of your favorite truffle recipe to keep on hand at home, too!
Remember that most truffles can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month. French style truffles that don’t have a hard outer coating are much better served at room temperature. If you have to chill them before your event, be sure to give them time to soften a little before serving.
So, are you ready to try your favorite truffles? Grab a bowl and start mixing!
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