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Chocolate Raspberry Truffles

These raspberry chocolate truffles are smooth and creamy with bright pops of freeze-dried raspberry. The perfect treat for valentine’s day.

These homemade truffles are so easy to whip together and only need 3 simple ingredients! If you use dairy-free dark chocolate then they’re vegan too. The combination of chocolate and raspberry is just delicious.

Ingredients

For these chocolate raspberry truffles you will need:

  • Semi-sweet chocolate. I use Whittakers 50% cocoa dark chocolate. This is dairy free, for vegan chocolate raspberry truffles.
  • Coconut cream (or you can use heavy whipping cream). Hot cream melts with the chocolate to create the glossy ganache.
  • Freeze-dried raspberries

See the quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

The creamy chocolate ganache

Chocolate ganache is made using cream and chocolate. You can use coconut cream or heavy cream.

If you want vegan truffles, use coconut cream and a dairy-free dark chocolate.

Freeze-dried raspberries

Freeze-dried raspberries are full of delicious raspberry flavor and gorgeous color. They are dried at below freezing point and the water is extracted through a high-pressure vacuum. The end result is a crisp and dry fruit that retains its structure and flavour.

The crispiness allows you to easily crumble the fruit or blend it into powder to bring flavour into your desserts. Crumbled freeze-dried raspberries are stirred through the truffle ganache and sprinkled on top of the finished truffles.

The raspberries can be substituted for other freeze-dried fruits. If you don’t want raspberry seeds in it, look for freeze dried raspberry powder instead, or blend up the raspberries into your own powder first.

Method

Start by making the ganache base. There are a few ways to do this.

The ganache-microwave method

Finely chop the dark chocolate. The smaller you chop it, the easier it will be to melt. Add it to a heat-proof bowl alongside the cream.

Heat it in the microwave in 20-second increments, stirring after each time until most of the chocolate has melted. Keep stirring until it becomes a cohesive and smooth mixture.

The ganache-double boiler method

Finely chop the chocolate and add the chopped chocolate to a heat-proof bowl alongside the cream.

Fill a small saucepan with 1-2 inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Lower the heat, then balance the bowl of chocolate and cream overtop. Let the cream heat up and the chocolate melt, stirring occasionally until it’s all melted and combined. Ensure no water touches the chocolate.

Stir through the freeze-dried raspberries. 

coconut cream poured over chocolate
a spatula stirring raspberries into ganache

Pour the chocolate mixture into a shallow dish and let it chill in the fridge for about 2-3 hours until it’s just firm enough for rolling.

Use a teaspoon to or small cookie scoop to grab small mounds of ganache and roll it between your hands into balls. The warmth of your hands will soften the ganache, so place it back in the fridge if it gets too soft.

a spoon rolling ganache.
chocolate truffles

The chocolate coating

The rolled truffles are finished with a crisp dark chocolate shell. This is a lovely contrast to the creamy truffle interior. You can simply melt the dark chocolate and dip the truffles, or take a little extra time to temper it first.

Tempered chocolate gives a better snap and shine to the chocolate. Here are two ways to temper dark chocolate.

Note that these temperatures provided are for dark chocolate only, and they would be different for milk chocolate and white chocolate.

Hot water bath tempering

  1. Melt ⅔ of the dark chocolate using a hot water bath over medium-low heat. Test the temperature with a candy thermometer. It needs to be at around 122°F (50°C).
  2. Stir in the remaining chocolate until it melts and brings the temperature down to around 82°F/27°C.
  3. Place the bowl back over the hot water bath until it reaches 88°F (31°C) – 90°F (32°C). It is now ready to work with.

Microwave tempering

  1. In a microwave-safe bowl. Heat the chocolate on high for 30 seconds. Stir.
  2. Heat it again for 30 seconds and stir. 
  3. Heat it for 20 seconds and stir, measuring with a thermometer to ensure the temperature does not exceed 90°F/32°C. 
  4. Keep heating it for 5 seconds at a time until it’s fully melted, but ensure it never passes 90°F/32°C. Once all melted it’s ready to use.

Use two forks to dip the truffles into the melted chocolate. Let the excess chocolate drip off the truffles, and gently tap the fork+truffle on the side of the bowl to shake off the excess.

Place the finished truffles on parchment paper to dry. Top with extra freeze-dried raspberries while they are still wet.

Dark chocolate truffles are best stored in a dry place at room temperature, as long as your room doesn’t get too hot. A temperature of 65°F/18°C and under is best. 

If your room gets much warmer than this, then store them in the fridge. 

When dipped in melted chocolate, the truffles can store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week. Uncoated truffles are best eaten within 4 days. 

Store truffles in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Chocolate truffles as gifts

These homemade chocolate raspberry truffles make great edible gifts. Make the ganache in advance and freeze for up to 3 months.

Let it defrost at room temperature and once it has softened, scoop, roll and coat the truffles.

Substitutions

  • Substitute the coconut cream for heavy cream.
  • Swap the freeze-dried raspberries out for freeze-dried strawberries, blueberries, blackcurrants, orange or other freeze-dried fruits.
  • Instead of dipping in chocolate, roll them in flaked almonds or other nuts for a little crunch.

More truffle recipes

Chocolate Raspberry Truffles

Chocolate Raspberry Truffles

Yield: 25-30
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Additional Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes

These chocolate raspberry truffles are smooth and creamy with bright pops of freeze-dried raspberry.

Ingredients

Truffles

  • 226g/8oz good quality dark chocolate, 55-65% cocoa solids
  • 125g (½ cup) coconut cream (or heavy cream)
  • 10g freeze-dried raspberries

Topping

  • 226g/8oz good quality dark or milk chocolate, chopped into small pieces
  • 5g freeze-dried raspberries

Instructions

    The ganache-microwave method

  1. Finely chop the dark chocolate. The smaller you chop it, the easier it will be to melt. Add it to a heat-proof bowl alongside the cream.
  2. Heat it in the microwave in 20-second increments, stirring after each time until it becomes a cohesive and smooth mixture. Don't let the mixture become too hot or the ganache may split.

The ganache-hot-water bath method

  1. Finely chop the chocolate and add it to a heat-proof bowl alongside the cream.
  2. Fill a saucepan with a couple of inches of water and bring to a simmer. Balance the bowl of chocolate and cream overtop. Let the cream heat up and the chocolate melt, stirring occasionally until it's all melted and combined.

Rolling

Pour the chocolate mixture into a shallow dish and let it chill in the fridge for about 2-3 hours until it's just firm enough for rolling.

Use a teaspoon grab small mounds of ganache and roll it between your hands into balls. The warmth of your hands will soften the ganache, so place it back in the fridge if it gets too soft.

The chocolate coating

You can simply melt the chocolate and dip the truffles, or take a little time to temper it which will give a better snap and shine.

Hot water bath tempering

  1. Melt ⅔ of the chocolate using a hot water bath. Test the temperature with a candy thermometer. It needs to be at around 122°F (50°C).
  2. Stir in the remaining chocolate until it melts and brings the temperature down to around 82°F/27°C.
  3. Place the bowl back over the hot water bath until it reaches 88°F (31°C) – 90°F (32°C). It is now ready to work with. Use it immediately.

Microwave tempering

  1. In a microwave-safe bowl. Heat the chocolate on high for 30 seconds. Stir.
  2. Heat it again for 30 seconds and stir.
  3. Heat it for 20 seconds and stir, measuring with a thermometer to ensure the temperature does not exceed 90°F/32°C.
  4. Keep heating it for 5 seconds at a time until it’s fully melted, but ensure it never passes 90°F/32°C. 
Once all melted it’s ready to use. 
Use it immediately.

Use two forks to dip the truffles into the melted chocolate. Let the excess chocolate drip off the truffles, and gently tap the fork+truffle on the side of the bowl to shake off the excess.

Place the finished truffles on parchment paper to dry. Top with extra freeze-dried raspberries while they are still wet.

Storing

Tempered dark chocolate truffles can store in a dry place in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days as long as your room doesn't get too hot. A temperature of 65°F/18°C and under is best.  If your room gets much warmer than this, then store them in the fridge.

Truffles dipped in untempered chocolate should always be refrigerated.  Truffles can store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 25 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 105Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 11mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 1gSugar: 9gProtein: 1g

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