My rich and creamy Champagne Truffles are the ultimate celebratory confection. Containing just five ingredients, they are a chocolate lover’s dream! We add Champagne to a smooth and creamy dark chocolate ganache, roll it into balls, coat in yet more chocolate and finish with a light sprinkle of gold sugar. They are melt-in-the-mouth delicious and guaranteed to be crowd pleasers.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- When there’s a celebration of any kind, these homemade truffles say “special”.
- They are easy to make, although you do need to invest some time, most of which is spent while the chocolate is chilling.
- This homemade confectionery is impressive. You will be delighted with the results and friends and family will thank you.
- No special equipment is required to make these Champagne Truffles.
- Like my Chocolate Peppermint Truffles, they are the perfect edible gift.
Recipe Inspiration: we have been making a variety of chocolate truffles for some time and are delighted to share this new recipe for Champagne Truffles with you. It is one for special occasions. Taste testing and truffle quality control is one of the important parts of recipe development. This time, it’s not just chocolate that we have to sample, it’s Champagne as well! Someone must do it! 😉
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
- Thickened cream – also known as whipping cream or heavy cream, it contains 35% milk fat.
- Dark cooking chocolate – the one we use contains 70% cocoa solids. Combined with the Champagne, this will produce an ideal texture. We recommend a quality cooking chocolate.
- Champagne – The Champagne flavour does not dominate, there is just sufficient to add a celebratory note.
- Milk cooking chocolate – for coating the truffles.
- Gold sugar sprinkles – add a sparkle.
Variations:
Champagne – you can also use Prosecco or another sparkling wine of your choice.
Coating – you can vary the chocolate you use to coat the truffles. Alternatively, for ease, you could roll the truffles in chocolate sprinkles or even Dutch processed cocoa powder.
How To Make Champagne Truffles:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
1 – Warm the cream:
Add the cream to a small saucepan. Over low heat, bring the cream to just below boiling point.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the chocolate.
2 – Stir through the chocolate:
Stir until melted and the mixture is smooth and glossy.
3 – Stir through the champagne:
Cool for 5 minutes and then add the champagne. Keep mixing until it is well combined.
4 – Chill the mixture:
Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Transfer to the fridge and chill for about 2 hours, until it is firm enough to roll into small balls. The above photo shows the ideal texture.
5 – Roll out the truffles:
Working with a small ice cream scoop, scoop into small balls. Place each ball on the prepared tray and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until firm.
To make the coating, break the milk chocolate into even size pieces. Add to a heatproof bowl and place over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir occasionally. When the chocolate has almost melted, remove the bowl and set it aside. The residual heat will melt the remainder. Set aside for about 15 minutes or until cool.
6 – Coat in chocolate:
Remove the truffles from the fridge. Working one at a time, using two forks, dip each ball in the melted chocolate, and when completely coated, return to the lined tray. Sprinkle with some gold sugar or sprinkles of your choice.
When they are all coated, place the tray in the fridge to set. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Hint: it is important that the melted chocolate is allowed to cool before attempting to coat the chocolate balls. If the chocolate is still warm, it may slightly melt the truffle ball.
Tips for Success, Storage and FAQs:
Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Ideally, keep them in one layer but, if necessary, separate the layers with non-stick baking paper.
As they are made with cream, they must be stored in the fridge. Remove them from the fridge about 10 minutes before serving to allow them to soften a little.
If it is difficult to roll, leave it at room temperature for a short time and try again. If it gets too soft as you are rolling into balls, return it to the fridge for a short time.
You may have some leftover chocolate from coating the truffles. The best way to make use of it is to add some slivered almonds or another chopped nut and scoop little mounds onto non-stick baking paper. Alternatively, use a teaspoon to make small circles on baking paper and add sprinkles, as per our Homemade Chocolate Freckles. You will have delicious confectionery, with minimal effort.
The truffle balls are sometimes rolled in cocoa, and they resemble the edible fungi which grow underground.
Top Tip:
For the best result, use good quality ingredients. Choose good quality cooking chocolate. Also, do not use low-fat cream – this is a luxurious treat and not the time to try and cut the fat content.
When melting chocolate, care must be taken that not a drop of moisture gets in as it can cause the chocolate to seize. It will transform from a smooth, flowing mixture to one which is thick and grainy and not able to be used for this recipe. I also recommend that you stir the chocolate with a metal spatula or spoon as wooden spoons can retain moisture.
Serving Suggestions:
There are so many occasions when the Champagne Truffles will be ideal. I have some suggestions below.
- Serve them with coffee after dinner; it is the perfect way to end a meal.
- As a sweet treat with morning or afternoon tea.
- They are perfect for any celebration or special occasion.
- These homemade truffles are the ultimate gift for the chocolate lover.
- For attractive presentation, pack some in small foil cases.
- Take them to potlucks or parties – and watch as they quickly disappear. They are always popular.
- Is it going too far to serve the truffles with a glass of Champagne? I don’t think so. 😊
- They are perfect for the festive season.
With smooth and creamy dark chocolate, and the addition of Champagne, these truffles are ideal for a special occasion. I hope that you will enjoy them as much as we do.
Alex xx
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Champagne Truffles
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
For the Champagne Truffles:
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) heavy whipping/thickened cream See Note 1
- 225 g (8 oz) dark chocolate (70 % cocoa solids)– finely chopped See Note 2
- 60 ml (¼ cup) Champagne – or Prosecco/sparkling wine of your choice – at room temperature See Note 3
For the Coating:
- 180 g (6 oz) milk cooking chocolate
- 6 teaspoon gold sugar sprinkles – or sprinkles of your choice
Instructions
- Line a small, flat dish with non-stick baking paper. I used a Pyrex, 13 x 18 cm (7 x 5 inches). (See Note 4.)Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper and set aside.
- Add the cream to a small saucepan. Over low heat, heat the cream until just below boiling point.
- Turn off the heat and add the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.Cool for 5 minutes and then add the Champagne. Stir well – it will take a little while to come together.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Transfer to the fridge to chill, about 1 ½-2 hours, or until it is firm enough to roll into balls.
- Working with a small ice cream scoop, scoop into small balls. If the chocolate is too firm to roll, set it aside for 5-10 minutes. Press on the mixture as you are rolling to make it compact.
- Place each ball on the prepared tray and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until firm.
- To make the coating, break the milk chocolate into even size pieces. Put into a bowl and place over a pan of barely simmering water, being careful to not get any water into the chocolate. Stir occasionally. When the chocolate has almost melted, remove the bowl and set it aside. The residual heat will melt any remaining chocolate.
- Leave the chocolate to cool for about 15 minutes. If it is too warm, it will soften the truffles.
- Remove the truffles from the fridge. Working one at a time, dip each ball in the melted chocolate, and using two small forks, move them around to make sure they are completely coated.
- Using the tips of a fork, lift them out and smooth them on the edge of the bowl to remove excess chocolate and return them to the lined tray. Sprinkle with a small amount of the gold sugar sprinkles.If the chocolate becomes too firm to smoothly dip the balls, re-heat a little and proceed.
- When they are all coated, place the tray in the fridge to set for about 30 minutes, or until the coating is crisp.
- Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to one week. If storing the truffles in layers, separate them with non-stick baking paper.
Notes
- Cream: for a creamy texture and best flavour, use full-fat cream. Thickened/heavy whipping cream should have a minimum 35% fat content.
- Chocolate: I use dark chocolate that contains 70% cocoa solids. Although some of our other recipes use 40%, we prefer the higher percentage of cocoa solids for this recipe due to the addition of alcohol.
- Champagne: use a Champagne, Prosecco or sparkling wine of your choice. Just ensure it is at room temperature.
- Dish: To make it easier to line the dish, I firmly scrunch the baking paper before placing it. You can, if you wish, use a bowl, it will just take a little longer to chill.
- Leftover chocolate: you may have some leftover chocolate from coating the Champagne Truffles. The best way to make use of the leftover chocolate is to add some slivered almonds or another chopped nut and scoop little mounds onto non-stick baking paper. Alternatively, use a teaspoon to make small circles on baking paper and add sprinkles, as per our Homemade Chocolate Freckles. You have delicious confectionery, with minimal effort.
- Storage: the truffles can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Freezing: the truffles can be frozen for up to three months in an airtight container. The chocolate may “bloom”, however, although they will still taste delicious.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
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