6 Insanely Easy Upgrades for Homemade Chocolate Truffles

Photo: Taste of Home

When I have a hankering for chocolate, I need something decadent ASAP. Fudge-topped brownies, hot chocolate cookies and devil’s food cake are some of my favorite ways to satisfy these cravings, but most of the time, I’m missing about half of the necessary ingredients. Usually, rather than make a run to the store, I whip up this super simple chocolate truffle recipe, customizing it with other ingredients that are hiding in my pantry. Here’s the basic recipe, plus six ways I love to upgrade!

Easy-Peasy Chocolate Truffles

You’ll need:

3 cups of semisweet chocolate chips
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

In a large, microwave-safe bowl, microwave the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk for 1 minute, and then in 15-second increments, stirring in between, until completely melted and smooth. Add vanilla and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. Using a melon baller or spoon, shape chocolate into 1-inch balls.

If semisweet chocolate isn’t your thing, feel free to substitute with your favorite type of chocolate.

(For more tips for making chocolate truffles, check out our guide for mistakes to avoid.)

Photo: Taste of Home

6 Easy Upgrades

1. Cookie Monster

Combine two yummy desserts into one! First, finely crush your favorite cookies and place in a large bowl. Drop a few truffles at a time into the bowl, rolling them around until coated. You can try crisp, store-bought cookies such as gingersnaps or Oreos, or use homemade cookies that have gone hard.

2. Cocoa All Over

For a patisserie-worthy truffle, begin by spooning some regular or Dutch-processed cocoa powder into a small dish. Roll each truffle in the powder, tapping to remove any excess. Add more cocoa to the dish as needed.

3. Truffle Joy

Pay tribute to the popular candy bar by shaping each chocolate truffle around a whole almond, then rolling in finely shredded coconut. Oh, joy!

4. Double Chocolate

Get in double-chocolate-trouble by rolling your truffles in miniature chocolate chips. Take them over the chocolaty top by rolling them in a different type of chocolate than you used to make them. (Think milk, white or mint for truffles made with semisweet).

5. Sprinkles All Over

Want a more colorful truffle? Rainbow sprinkles to the rescue! Simply pour some multicolored sprinkles in a small dish, and then roll each truffle in them until coated.

Sprinkles can also be used to match these truffles to any occasion. Choose the color of your favorite sports team or your graduate’s school colors, or go for a holiday theme.

6. Go Nuts

Finely chop your favorite nuts and transfer to a small plate. Roll each truffle in the chopped nuts, making sure to press the nuts into the truffle to ensure they don’t fall off. Excellent pairings include almonds with dark chocolate, roasted chestnuts with semisweet chocolate, and peanuts with milk chocolate.

No matter how you choose to roll or stuff ’em, these little truffles are the perfect way to satisfy the strongest chocolate cravings! (Here’s how to store chocolate truffles!)