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chocolate mint truffles on a white table, one with a bite missing.
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5 from 1 vote

Chocolate Peppermint Truffles with Ganache

You will love these rich chocolate peppermint truffles, made with only 4 simple ingredients. Featuring a melt-in-your-mouth peppermint ganache filling and dipped in chocolate, they are so easy to make. Perfect for holiday gifting or eating any time. Use dark, milk or white chocolate!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Setting time4 hours
Total Time4 hours 25 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Australian
Servings: 16 truffles
Calories: 189kcal

Ingredients

For the ganache filling

  • 250 grams dark chocolate or milk or white, very finely chopped
  • ½ cup thickened cream
  • 1 tablespoon butter one level tablespoon
  • 5 teaspoons peppermint extract or more or less, to taste. Use peppermint extract, not mint extract.

To coat

  • 200 grams dark chocolate or milk or white

Instructions

For the ganache filling

  • Very finely chop the chocolate for the ganache filling and place it into a bowl.
  • In the microwave (or in a small saucepan over low heat), heat the cream and butter until steaming hot, but not boiling.
  • Pour the hot cream mixture over the top of the chocolate and sit for 1 minute. Use a whisk to mix until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Add the peppermint extract to your desired taste and whisk again.
  • Cover the mixture and refrigerate for 3-4 hours, until set solid.
  • Once the ganache has set, use a tablespoon or small, rounded scoop to portion the mixture (to make about 16 pieces) and use your hands to roll into balls.
  • Place the balls on a plate in the fridge while you prepare the melted chocolate.

For the chocolate coating

  • Line a flat tray with baking paper.
  • Break the remaining chocolate into small pieces and place into a microwave safe/heatproof bowl.
  • Microwave on medium heat in 30 second bursts, stirring in between, until the chocolate has melted and become smooth.
  • Working quickly, use two forks to dip each of the balls in the melted chocolate until completely coated. Place the balls on the prepared tray and decorate with your choice of toppings (or leave them plain). Refrigerate until set.

Notes

  1. Because this recipe only calls for 4 ingredients, I recommend using the best quality ones you can. A good quality chocolate will make all the difference in the final result.
  2. Thickened cream – heavy cream or heavy whipping cream is used to make the ganache filling of the truffles. Use regular, full-fat cream because half and half or light/low fat cream will not set properly.
  3. Peppermint extract – use peppermint extract, not mint extract.
  4. If dark chocolate is too rich or bitter for your taste, you can use milk chocolate instead for a sweeter truffle.
  5. Be sure to measure the ingredients accurately.
  6. Don’t overheat the cream or it will become grainy. You want to heat it to steaming hot/almost boiling, without boiling.
  7. Chop the chocolate very finely. The cream will melt fine pieces of chocolate, but lumps will remain if it is too chunky. If you do have lumps of chocolate remaining in your mixture, just pop it in the microwave over low heat for 20 second bursts, stirring in between until smooth.
  8. Don’t skip the chilling time. The ganache mixture needs to set in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours (or overnight) to be solid enough to roll.
  9. The balls will start to melt in your hands if you roll them for too long. To minimise the time in your hands, you can portion the mixture into tablespoon-sized pieces first and keep them in the fridge until ready to roll.
  10. If you want to make the truffles even simpler, you can roll them in cocoa powder instead of coating them in melted chocolate.
  11. Want some extra crunch and peppermint flavour? Add ¼ cup of crushed candy canes or crushed peppermint boiled lollies to the smooth ganache before setting. So good!
  12. Decorate the balls with your choice of toppings, or leave them plain. Try piping some additional chocolate lines over the top, sprinkle some crushed candy canes or peppermint chocolate (Peppermint Crisp) over the top or add some coloured sprinkles.
  13. Store the prepared truffles in an airtight container the fridge or a cool, dry place. I prefer to keep mine in the fridge. Here, they will keep for 1-2 weeks, if they last that long!
  14. Freezing; Freeze them for up to 3 months, with or without toppings. Thaw in the fridge overnight before eating.
  15. Please note that the nutrition information is based on the mixture and chocolate being divided into 16 balls, with one ball being one serve. The nutritional information is an estimate only and does not take into account any additional toppings served with the balls.
  16. This recipe is made using Australian cups and spoon measurements. Due to cup sizes varying from country to country, I advise adjusting if necessary.

Nutrition

Calories: 189kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 13mg | Potassium: 207mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 71IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 3mg