These sweet truffles are incredibly easy to make and delicious! They are festive and full of white chocolate, ground nuts, and a hint of rum. They can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator or frozen. You can easily vary the booze and the type of nuts to your personal preference.
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Quick and no-bake
I've been making these white chocolate balls for years and they never disappoint!
Smooth and easy to make, they're great for holiday gatherings, cocktails, as a gift or a small treat with coffee after a dinner party. Just like the vanilla fudge.
Why make truffles?
These small chocolate balls are very easy to make; you need to melt chocolate (any kind) with cream and chill the mixture before forming the truffles.
The fact that truffles can have different add-ins, flavorings, and coatings makes them great party fare, finger desserts, and beloved snacks for multiple occasions, from Easter to Mother's Day, Christmas, or game day.
They can be frozen or refrigerated for several days which makes them convenient, and holiday baking is hectic, so we need simple recipes that can be made ahead.
Ingredient list
- White chocolate: melting chocolate wafers work well and melt quickly, but any white chocolate bar or chip that you already use and melt well can be used.
- Nuts: any nut can be used. I am partial to macadamia nuts, walnuts, or pecans when it comes to combining with white chocolate.
- Cream: heavy, whipping, or double cream, they all work.
- Rum: any rum works; I like gold or spiced, as I feel they are mellow and not as sharp. I use Captain Morgan spiced rum. Also, a rum essence or emulsion works.
- Vanilla extract.
Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
Variations & substitutions
Two ingredients can vary in this recipe: the type of nuts and the liqueur.
- Nuts: as mentioned before, any type of groundnut can be used. I make them with either walnuts or macadamia nuts, but almonds, hazelnuts and pecans, also work.
- Ground cookies: substitute the nuts for your favorite cookie like gingersnaps, graham crackers or vanilla wafers.
- Don't want to use rum? Use an essence (artificially flavored) and coconut milk, cream or water.
- Great combinations include pecans with orange, like Cointreau or Grand Marnier, hazelnuts with Frangelico, coffee liqueur such as Kahlua with walnuts or pecans, cognac or brandy instead of rum work with most nuts.
- Coating: instead of coconut you can use very finely ground nuts, plain cookie crumbs, sprinkles, or melting chocolate for dipping.
- Coconut truffles: instead of the ground nuts, mix white chocolate with coconut and coat them with more lightly toasted coconut.
Steps to make white chocolate truffles
The method is extremely easy and, since the truffles are coated in coconut, you don't have to worry about dipping them in melted chocolate, which is more laborious.
Chopped chocolate: make sure it's finely chopped, especially if it's not melting chocolate. The cream is a very small amount so the finer the chocolate the quicker it will melt and mix before the cream loses temperature.
Making the white chocolate ganache: the recipe involves adding very hot cream to the chocolate and stirring it until it's smooth and shiny.
Mixing: as you stir it will look like there's just not enough cream to melt the chocolate well, but it will. At first, it will look thick and the chocolate pieces will be large. But eventually, it will be completely smooth.
What if it doesn't melt completely? You can use the microwave in 10-second spurts and mix well after each one until it melts completely.
Adding the nuts and liquor: ground walnuts and rum are added to the chocolate mixture. The mixture will be thick (and slightly warm still probably) but not enough to form the truffles. So it needs to be chilled for several hours.
Coating the truffles
There are several ways to finish the truffles, but this recipe is a super simple one so we use shredded coconut or sprinkles. It pairs very well with the rest of the flavors without overpowering them.
- Unsweetened shredded coconut: I don't recommend using sweetened coconut unless you like very sweet desserts.
- Sprinkles: they are a great option to change the color depending on the holiday or celebration. We use silver for Christmas and pastel colors for Easter.
- Cookie scoop: it's the easiest way to make uniformly medium-sized balls.
- Shallow bowl: use it to roll the truffles in the coconut and then transfer them to a plate or serving dish.
Kitchen Notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- White chocolate: If you've worked with it, you know it's much harder to melt than other types. So, I recommend using tempered or melting chocolate, which will melt more easily and make the process simpler. You can buy it online, Merckens coating melting wafers or Ghirardelli white melting wafers.
If you use the regular kind, make sure it's finely chopped, as the amount of cream is small. If it's in large pieces, they will not melt before the cream loses its temperature. - Storing: truffles can be made ahead and refrigerated, well covered or in a container, for several days or in the freezer for a month. Use wax paper or parchment paper to separate them into layers. To defrost, transfer to the refrigerator until soft enough to eat.
- Size: don't be tempted to make large truffles. They should be about the size of a whole walnut.
Related recipes you might like:
White Chocolate Coconut Truffles
Ingredients
- 8 ounces white melting chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 cup walnuts, pecans or macadamia nuts, finely ground (I use the food processor)
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons rum, see Notes below for substitutions
- ¾ cup shredded unsweetened coconut, lightly toasted
Instructions
- Put finely chopped white chocolate in a bowl.
- Heat cream in a small saucepan until it starts to simmer, just before boiling, and add to the chocolate, trying to cover as much as possible. But it won't cover completely.
- Let stand 10 seconds and start to stir both ingredients together. The chocolate will start to melt.
- Mix until well incorporated, smooth, and shiny.
- If the chocolate does not melt completely, you can microwave the mixture (make sure you use a microwave-safe bowl) in 5-10 second spurts, mixing well after each time until the chocolate is completely melted.
- Add the ground nuts, the rum and mix well.
- Cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 3 hours. Or freeze for about 1 hour. The mixture should be firm enough to make balls with it.
- Scoop heaping teaspoons of the mixture, form into a ball with your palms, and roll in shredded coconut.
- Chill, covered until ready to serve.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator in airtight containers with parchment paper between layers. Or in the freezer.
Notes
Adapted from an old Gourmet magazine
laura west kong says
Chocolate & Coconut, can only be made better with macadamias! ❤ it!
Kathy says
These are just amazing looking…coconut and chocolate...two of my favorite things!
Lisa says
I'm a white chocolate fiend and these truffles are right up my crave alley. They look terrific! As for the story, It's finally over at 20..thank god. I couldn't do a cliff notes ending, it wouldn't be right, although I wanted to a few times lol
Mary Hirsch says
I just am amazed, Paula, how you can dig up all these recipes from old issues of Gourmet. I have bookmarked and turned page corners over and cut out hundreds of recipes over the years but can never find them when I want them. I don't yet have a good recipe system. I love coconut also and, yes, it pairs with chocolate in a fabulous way. Your truffles look amazing and while I am glad you say they will keep a long time, I am betting that yours didn't. So easy to just pick them up and pop them in your mouth. Nice job.
Patty says
Oh I like this recipe-great contribution to the chocolate party!
Happy 2013 Paula;-)
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts says
What a creative idea with coconut! Pictures are gorgeous!
Nancy @ gottagetbaked says
Simply fabulous, Paula! These look like the perfect truffles and I love the combo of the white chocolate, macadamia and coconut. Makes me want to be sitting somewhere tropical with a bag of these and a cold, fruity drink to wash it down. I've been terrible at keeping up with scheduled blog events like the Chocolate Party. I have a recipe in mind for this month so I'd better get baking!
Deb says
Love it! Irresistible and easy, what could be better? A great little indulgence and so easy to pack up as a thoughtful gift, well done!
juliana says
Pau! donde conseguiste macadamia??? me mueroooo!!!!
Anne@FromMySweetHeart says
Oh Paula! You did exactly what I was thinking about doing, which is adding macadamia nuts to the mix! These look amazing! I could scarf down a half a dozen of these without blinking! Your pictures are just beautiful, too! : )
Laura Dembowski says
These look wonderful! It's great they're so easy to make. I'm imagining how creamy and flavorful they must be.
Natalie says
Your pictures are great, they really make me want to eat every single truffle you made!
Medeja says
White chocolate and Macadamias are such great flavor combination.. White sweet snowballs..!
Renee Dobbs says
Beautiful truffles! I wish I could eat them. Darn allergy to white chocolate. Freaky but true.
yummychunklet says
These are my kind of truffles! I love white chocolate!
Andrea_TheKitchenLioness says
Paula, these White Chocolate Macademia Coconut Truffles look sooo elegant - I can see them served in pretty long-stemmed glasses at the end of a wonderful meal! Fantastic.
Susan says
I'm sure I would love these! You're right - a classic pairing!
Inside a British Mum's Kitchen says
Firstly - beautiful photos - then - white chocolate, macadamia and coconut!!! what a fantastic combination :))
Mary x
Holly @ abakershouse.com says
A chocolate party sounds wonderful! Your truffles must have been delicious and wouldn't have lasted long at my house!
Lizzy Do says
Oh, these look amazing, Paula! If you have any leftovers, I'm certain they would survive a trip from the southern hemisphere to the northern 😉