Strawberry Truffles
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These homemade strawberry truffles with a silky white chocolate ganache, beautiful blush pink center, and sweet strawberries-and-cream flavor will make you feel like a professional chocolatier in your own kitchen.
This recipe is brought to you in partnership with Bushel and Berry®.
Fresh Strawberries Make All the Difference
Most of the strawberry truffle recipes you’ll find out there reach for freeze-dried strawberries. There’s nothing wrong with that, especially considering they’re a favorite around here for strawberry buttercream, strawberry sugar cookies, and frosted strawberry cookies, to name a few.
Freeze dried strawberries are convenient, consistent, and easy to work with. But when I set out to make these strawberry truffles, I wanted actual strawberries: real fruit, real flavor, and that barely pink blush of a ganache that tastes like strawberries and cream in one bite.
Here’s the thing about using fresh strawberries in a truffle, though– they bring a lot of moisture with them, and chocolate ganache is famously unforgiving about that. In fact, my first test batch made that very clear. Getting the ratio just right— meaning enough strawberry to carry real flavor but not so much that the ganache breaks or refuses to set– took some careful experimenting.
But I finally got there, and what came out of that process is a recipe I’m genuinely proud of: a smooth, creamy, lightly pink center wrapped in a delicate dusting of powdered sugar (or sprinkles! or chocolate!), with a flavor that actually tastes like the fruit it claims to have on the inside.
I’ve been creating recipes on the internet for years, and truffles are one of those things that sound incredibly intimidating but are really just about respecting the process. This recipe isn’t necessarily difficult, but it does ask for your attention. You’ll want to measure carefully, be patient with your stirring and chill time, and trust the steps.
Do that, and you’ll end up with something that looks and tastes like it came from a proper chocolate shop… But you got to stay in your jammies.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
You only need 4 basic ingredients for these strawberry truffles, but only 3 of them for the truffles themselves. The 4th ingredient is up to you, depending on how you want to coat your truffles (we’ll get to that below).
WHITE CHOCOLATE: this is the base of the truffles, and we’ll use it to make a smooth ganache. Be sure you are using quality white chocolate and not chips, melting wafers, or almond bark.
FRESH STRAWBERRIES: there is no substitute for fresh strawberries in this truffle recipe, though you can use thawed, previously frozen strawberries. Thanks to Bushel and Berry®, I had fresh strawberries available to me when I made this recipe. I particularly like this strawberry plant, Scarlet Belle™, because it produces juicy strawberries all season! It works well planted in patio pots, hanging baskets, or garden beds.
HEAVY CREAM: typically, we’d use a lot more heavy cream to make ganache, but with the added moisture from the fresh strawberries, you’ll only need 1 Tablespoon for this recipe. If I were you, I’d make some homemade whipped cream (or the coffee version!) for whatever the heck you want to put it on with the leftover carton.
POWDERED SUGAR OR SANDING SUGAR: this is what you’ll use to coat your truffles, because leaving them “naked” will ensure a sticky, gooey mess. Rolling in a coating helps set the truffle and, depending on which coating you choose, adds some texture or additional flavor to each candy. Again, if you want to coat them in chocolate, that’s another option as well.
How to Make Strawberry Truffles
As I mentioned before, this process is relatively simple, but it will require your attention– to the detail, to the specific process, and to the instructions. Be sure you’re reading through the whole recipe before you begin so you know what is expected of you in each step.
Prepare the chocolate: chop your white chocolate and get it into a large heat-proof bowl. You’re going to be pouring a hot liquid over it shortly, so you want it ready and waiting.
Prepare the strawberries: remove the greens from your strawberries and blend them into a puree, then strain that mixture through a fine mesh strainer. This is where you’re removing the seeds and any pulp because you need a smooth, clean liquid to make the ganache. From that puree, you’ll only need ¼ cup, so if your strawberries are on the smaller side and you come up short, just blend a couple more until you hit that mark.
Heat the puree + heavy cream: pour the puree into a small saucepan along with the heavy cream and heat it over medium, stirring frequently, until it starts to bubble. Let it simmer for 30 to 60 seconds, then take it off the heat and pour it directly and evenly over your chopped chocolate. Then let it sit for just one minute. The heat from the liquid is doing the work of melting the chocolate, and stirring too soon will interrupt that.
Stir to smooth: use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon (metal will distribute the heat unevenly) to stir slowly and steadily, always moving in the same direction. This isn’t the time to get aggressive– low and slow is what gives you a smooth, glossy ganache. If the chocolate is being stubborn and not fully melting, pop the bowl in the microwave on medium power for 30 seconds and stir again. It should come together!
Cover the ganache with plastic wrap: once your ganache is smooth and streak-free, press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Be sure it’s not just over the top of the bowl, but actually touching the ganache, which prevents a skin from forming. Let this mixture sit at room temperature for an hour, then refrigerate it for at least 6 hours (overnight is even better). After chilling, the ganache will be soft and scoopable but firm enough to roll by hand.
When you’re ready to roll, set yourself up: I like a parchment-lined baking sheet on one side of my work station and a bowl of powdered sugar or sprinkles on the other.
Scoop the ganache: I like to use a mini cookie scoop or melon baller here. Roll each portion between your palms into a ball, then drop it into the coating and roll to cover. Set it on the baking sheet and repeat until you’ve worked through all the ganache.
COATING OPTIONS
Powdered sugar gives a soft, elegant finish and sanding sugar adds a little sparkle and crunch. Nonpareils are cute but the color will bleed onto the ganache over time, so use those only if you’re serving these truffles immediately.
If you want to go full chocolatier, dip the truffles in melted (tempered preferred) semi-sweet or dark chocolate. The slight bitterness plays really nicely against the sweet white chocolate center.
Tips for Truffle Success
Use real quality white chocolate bars. This one is a non-negotiable. White chocolate morsels and melting candy have a different fat and liquid ratio than actual white chocolate, and your ganache won’t set properly if you use them. Ghirardelli and Lindt bars are both excellent options and easy to find.
Don’t skip the strain. Even if your puree looks smooth, run it through the fine mesh strainer anyway. Any seeds or flesh left in the liquid can throw off the texture of your ganache.
Chill overnight if you can. Six hours is the minimum, but overnight genuinely gives you a better result– the ganache firms up more evenly and is much easier to work with when you roll it.
Wipe your hands between truffles. This sounds like overkill until you’re halfway through a batch with sticky, melty hands and misshapen truffles. A quick wipe after each one keeps things clean and your truffles round.
These homemade strawberry truffles are a little slice of magic when you consider store-bought truffles are deemed a delicacy. The ability to make them at home stretches your skillset, boosts your confidence, and opens you up to a whole new world of confections. Put them in the same category as homemade marshmallows and homemade turtles— homemade can just be more fun!
P.S. If i were you, I’d make a batch of lemon truffles along side these strawberry ones and have yourself a little strawberry lemonade truffle bite with two at a time. Just a suggestion!
Strawberry Truffles Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 ounces (340g) quality white chocolate1 finely chopped
- 8 medium to large fresh strawberries
- 1 Tablespoon (15mL) heavy cream
- ¼ cup (30g) powdered sugar for rolling2
Instructions
- Place the chopped white chocolate in a large heat-proof bowl and set aside.12 ounces (340g) quality white chocolate1
- Remove the stems and tops of the strawberries, then place them in a blender or food processor and process until pureed.8 medium to large fresh strawberries
- Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds and flesh, then remove ¼ cup of puree and pour it into a small saucepan. If you don't have ¼ cup of puree, process more strawberries until you do.
- Add the heavy cream to the saucepan, then heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it starts to bubble. Allow the mixture to simmer for 30-60 seconds, then remove from the heat and immediately pour evenly over the chopped chocolate. Allow the strawberry mixture to sit and melt the chocolate for 1 minute.1 Tablespoon (15mL) heavy cream
- Use a large silicone spatula or wooden spoon to stir the chocolate and strawberry mixture slowly, moving in one direction the whole time, until there are no more streaks of white chocolate. If your chocolate is being stubborn, carefully microwave the bowl on medium power for 30 seconds and stir again.
- Once there are no more white chocolate streaks and the mixture is smooth, cover it with plastic wrap pressed to the surface of the mixture. Allow to sit at room temperature for 1 hour, then transfer to the refrigerator for at least 6 hours (I always chill mine overnight). After chilling, the ganache mixture will be smooth and soft, but still manageable by hand.
- When you are ready to roll your truffles, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Pour powdered sugar or sprinkles into a bowl and set aside.¼ cup (30g) powdered sugar
- Measure desired amount of ganache based on how big you want the truffles to be (I use a melon baller or a mini cookie scoop which is 1 teaspoon size), roll between your hands into a ball3, then roll in the powdered sugar or sprinkles. Place on the baking sheet.
- Continue this process until you have used all of the ganache. Serve immediately or cover tightly and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Be sure truffles are stored in a single layer as they are easily manipulated since they are so soft. Truffles can be frozen for up to 2 months. To thaw, leave them in the fridge overnight.
Notes
- White chocolate: you must use high quality white chocolate in this recipe, and not white chocolate morsels or white melting candy, which don’t have the correct liquid ratio to make this ganache set up. My favorite brands of white chocolate bars are Ghirardelli or Lindt.
- Powdered sugar and/or sprinkles: I use a combination of powdered sugar and sanding sugar for my truffles. You could also use nonpareils but the color will bleed.
- Rolling truffles: I find it easiest to wipe my hands clean after making each truffle. This may sound tedious, but it helps keep things smooth and clean.
- Coat in chocolate: you can also coat your truffles in chocolate like a true truffle would be. I recommend a semi-sweet or dark chocolate to offset the sweetness of the white chocolate, but you can use any flavor you prefer.
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.