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These vegan-friendly Chocolate Truffles with Chile Mocha are made with heavy cream (or coconut cream), rich bittersweet chocolate, coffee liqueur, and cayenne pepper.
Attention all chocolate lovers! If you, like me, like a little ‘oomph’ in your chocolate, listen up! Recently, while gleefully sipping a Chile Mocha coffee drink, it occurred to me that this spiced, earthy cocoa would be fabulous as chocolate truffles.
Suddenly, my chocolate obsessed brain was on a mission– a truffle mission. If you, like me, prefer your cocoa rich, dark, and a little bit spicy– this chocolate is for you! It’s delicious, it melts in your mouth, and is perfect for parties, date nights, or even groggy midnight snacks.
I present to you– these Chocolate Truffles with Chile Mocha. These truffles are made from a spicy and decadent chocolate ganache, rolled into perfect little balls of happiness, and lightly dusted with spiced sugar, sweetened cocoa powder, or sesame seeds.
What is a Chocolate Truffle?
At its most basic, a chocolate truffle is simply chocolate mixed into hot cream, then the mixture is cooled and rolled out into small spheres. Sometimes truffles include corn syrup to stabilize the chocolate, and sometimes they’re coated in a hard chocolate shell.
I prefer to go back to basics, avoiding the corn syrup, and skipping the sometimes-tricky shell coating.
This means that the truffles should be kept cool, so they don’t lose their shape. It also means they’ll melt fabulously into your mouth in a burst of rich, chocolaty decadence.
How to Make Chocolate Truffles
To make Chile Mocha Truffles, bring some cream (or coconut cream) to a boil, and immediately take it off the heat. Quickly add the chocolate, and stir, stir, stir!
Once the chocolate has melted into a creamy ganache, add the chile flakes, cayenne, and the coffee liqueur. Stir again. Put the ganache in the fridge for about an hour (or overnight).
Next, roll the truffles. You can use a spoon, but a melon baller will make your life easier. Roll the truffles out, working as quickly as possible to keep the chocolate from warming up.
Next, roll the truffles in a coating– using either sesame seeds, chile flakes and sugar (for even more heat), or sugar and cocoa powder.
Keep the truffles cool until you’re ready to serve them. When you whip out a plate of these spicy chocolates– Your dinner guests will be thrilled, your date will love you, and your midnight snacking will be très -chic!
Chocolate Truffle Tips
- Use a small melon baller or cookie-dough scoop for evenly shaped truffles.
- Roll the truffles with the tips of your fingers, instead of in the palms of your hands, to keep the chocolate from warming and becoming difficult to work with.
- If the chocolate becomes too warm to continue rolling the truffles, take a break, and refrigerate the chocolate for a few minutes.
- If your truffles look lumpy or uneven, refrigerate them for about 15 minutes to reharden them, and then quickly roll the truffles again to get more perfect truffles.
- If you’re serving the truffles at a party, and they’ll be sitting out for a long time, try serving them on a platter that’s above a container of ice.
Want more VEGAN DESSERTS? Try these:
Want more CHOCOLATE? Try these:
Chocolate Truffles with Chile Mocha
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream OR coconut cream* (see recipe notes)
- 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon red chile flakes
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne (use more or slightly less depending on desired level of heat)
- 1 ½ ounces coffee liqueur
- To coat truffles: cocoa powder, sugar, sesame seeds, red chile flakes
Instructions
- Bring cream to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Add chocolate, and stir until creamy. Add chile flakes, cayenne, and coffee liqueur.
- Set chocolate ganache in the fridge to set for at least an hour.
- Using a melon baller or spoon, roll out small 1" balls of chocolate. Use the tips of your fingers to roll truffles and smooth out any bumps.
- Roll truffles in coating of choice. If using unsweetened cocoa powder to dust, mix with sugar before coating.
- Store truffles in the fridge, and keep cool while serving to avoid melting.
- Refrigerate:Store truffles in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.Freeze:Store in an air-tight container for up to 3 months.
This is perfect Sarah! I like that you added little bit of coffee liquor. And those sesame seed’s for crunch is cherry on top!
Thanks Suchi 🙂
This looks ridiculously good. <3
Aw thanks 🙂
These look absolutely amazing! I’ve never made truffles before. Yours look incredible the pictures are just beautiful. I like the tips too, perfect for a newbie like
Aw thanks!! It’s easy- give it a shot!!
These are a winner in my book! I’ve been doing hot chocolate every morning with a bit of chili powder. Now imagine popping a few of these in instead of marshmallows:)) I’d be in heaven!
Ooo that’d be FAB!
Sarah, you’ve done it again! I love this recipe and the spin of chili powder with the chocolate.
Thanks Dan!
gorgeous images!! I LOVE truffles. NEED THESE NOW!
Aww thanks! ????
These must be SO flavorful. I love everything in them – they sound super tasty!
This post made me realize I haven’t even started thinking about making my Christmas truffles yet! I coat them in a mix of dark, milk, and white chocolate because it’s easier to give them away that way but I inevitably end up dusting a few with cocoa powder in frustration. But I love this post because I would never have thought of dusting truffles with sesame seeds! I love that idea. Also chile mocha! YES!
One of these days I’ll get around to coating the truffles lol. For now– I dust! And YES the sesame seeds help hold the shape well too- plus they’re yummy haha
Yes! I LOVE truffles! I love the ones you have here with the sesame seeds and then chili?! So unique and bet tastes amaaaaazing!! Pinning and trying soon 🙂 So perfect for the holidays!
Thanks!!! Enjoy!
These truffles are not only beautiful but I’m loving the flavor combination with the kick of heat! So yummy! I want to be one of your dinner guests just so I can get some of these but at least I can make my own now, lol.
I love a little Chile kick in my chocolate! Makes for one interesting bite. Love truffles. They are not only easy to make but so delicious and elegant. Perfect to serve at the end of a dinner party or to give away during the holidays or mother’s day! Great recipe!
I am all over anything with chocolate, so you hooked me right away! But then you go and add all these fantastic toppings, and I am beyond sold! These sound fantastic, and such a great treat, and spicy and chocolate go so well together. Love the sesame seed idea, too! Wonderful recipe!
Loving that you made chocolate mocha truffles with a kick! Chocolate and cayenne make such a great pairing, especially when you add in that coffee liqueur! These would make such a great hostess gift. Or a gift for myself. 🙂
Make them a gift for yourself 😉 lol
These truffles look divine! I love the idea of coconut cream and cayenne and chili flakes, it reminds me of thai curry. I wonder if a little bit of thai curry paste would compliment the flavour of the chocolate also. The photos look amazing!! So rich and chocolaty and delicious!