Chocolate truffles with black pepper, a snappy flavor and many nutritional benefits. These delicious truffles are vegan, gluten free, nut free, and refined sugar free. And they have a crispy chocolate shell from my easy method to temper chocolate in the microwave.
Black Pepper Chocolate Truffles + Microwave Tempering
These spicy black pepper chocolate truffles are very easy to make. And my microwave tempering technique takes the complication out of tempering so your chocolate can have a smooth finish.
And the resulting creamy dreamy truffle melts in your mouth after you bite into the crispy shell.
I added the bite of black pepper and cinnamon, but you don’t really have to. This recipe stands fine without them, although I would recommend you try the additions for a spicy truffle option.
Now first off, let’s get this popular question out of the way first.
Do Chocolate Truffles Have Truffles in Them?
As in mushroom truffles? No! Homemade truffles do not have mushrooms in them.
Is This Homemade Chocolate Truffle Recipe Easy?
Yes! So easy. the inner filling is only 3-5 ingredients, and the outer coating is only one! And although I do provide you with an easy but fancy way to make the outer chocolate coating shiny and snappy, you can always just choose the easy route.
I recommend you try the microwave tempering technique at some point, but I also provide you with a simple melt-and-dip chocolate coating in the recipe as well! I’m easy, haha.
How do Chocolate Truffles Taste With Black Pepper?
Not bitter at all. Very creamy and spicy, with a flavor that will make you yearn for another.
Best Chocolate for Homemade Truffles
The choice of chocolate is pretty important, both for best results in both the inner cream and the outer shell, and nutrition.
I find the best chocolate for the inner part of the truffle are quality chocolate chips. Look for EnjoyLife brand for allergy-free and dairy-free quality chips.
For the outer shell, you can also use the chips if you don’t intend to temper. But if you do try tempering, use dark chocolate bars by HU or Chocolove or even Lindt. Opt for cacao levels of about 70% for the best results in this technique.
For the creamy inside, I wanted a black color to match the black pepper theme, so I used a few tbsp of black cocoa. The best brand I know is by King Arthur. But it is slightly less nutritious than cacao powder, so if you don’t mind the lighter color, use cacao powder there instead.
You can find these brands and loads of my other favorite chocolate options in my Amazon Influencer Store here.
How to Temper Chocolate from Scratch
My tempering trick is a way to temper chocolate easily. It is a short cut to tempering chocolate from scratch. A shortcut to glossy snappy chocolate. I love shortcuts.
If you have been following any of my other recipes, you know this by now. Perhaps you like short-cuts too and that’s why you follow me?
Here I decided I wanted shiny snappy chocolate to coat my treats like truffles and bars, but was tired of using the complicated and lengthy and sometimes-not-so-successful tempering process.
And some people say to add wax to chocolate as a shortcut-tempering method, but I don’t want to eat wax, do you?
What is the Process of Tempering Chocolate?
Normally it involves boiling the chocolate up to one temperature, allowing it to cool down to another, and some other time-consuming steps. Experts get really good at just eye-balling when chocolate is tempered. I never got that good, so enter my short cut which doesn’t need any eye-balling.
How to Temper Chocolate in the Microwave
This quick microwave method that actually works pretty reliably, although your microwave temperature might vary.
To temper successfully, all you really need is a good quality dark chocolate: with at least 70% cacao although 85% works best, and with no emulsifiers in the ingredients, and – very important – with cocoa butter as an ingredient.
How Long do Homemade Truffles Last?
Tempered or not, these coated chocolate truffles can be at room temperature for about 24 hours, and then after that refrigerate for a week, or freeze for 3 months.
I was going to keep this recipe and the short-cut tempering method for my upcoming book (due out in 2019), but I was too excited about it and felt a blog post would allow for more conversation and questions.
I do hope you try it!
And here are other truffle recipes:
- Sugar Cookie Truffles
- Vegan Cookie Dough
- Easy Truffles Recipe
- Protein Ball Recipes
- Chocolate Chickpea Clusters
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Black Pepper Chocolate Truffles + Microwave Tempering
Ingredients
Truffles
- 1 2/3 cups dark chocolate chips (I use chips to get the measurement right, but you can use chocolate bars as well. Just be sure either is at least 60% cacao and up)
- 2 tbsp black cocoa powder (or swap for cacao powder for a lighter color)
- 1 cup coconut cream (the solid portion of two chilled cans of full fat coconut milk)
- 1 tbsp fresh black pepper (start by adding 1/2 tbsp and taste-test - I like mind extra spicy)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Coating
- 2 (3.5 oz) dark chocolate bars (quality chocolate, such as HU, Chocolove or any other bar that has 70% cacao or more)
Useful Equipment
- 2-cup pyrex measuring cup
- Small rubber spatula
- Candy Thermometer (optional) (I used this brand )
Instructions
Prep
- Chill two cans of full fat coconut milk overnight so the cream separates from the liquid. The next day, remove the cream solids and measure out 1 cup. Reserve and refrigerate the liquid and the rest of the cream for smoothies to be used within 2 days.
Make the Truffles
- Heat the coconut cream in a sauce pan until steaming but not sticking to your pot. Constantly stir as it warms.
- Pour chocolate chips into a glass bowl. Pour hot steaming coconut cream on to the chips and let them sit for 60 seconds. Then stir until all are melted.
- Sprinkle in the pepper and cinnamon and stir again.
- Place this bowl in the refrigerator for two hours. Meanwhile, line a cookie sheet with parchment to prepare for making the truffles.
- Once the mixture is solid, use a small cookie scoop to create small balls. Line them on the parchment paper, and refrigerate the pan while you prepare the chocolate coating.
Simple Chocolate Coating (no tempering)
- Hand-break chocolate bars into small pieces. Put 2/3 of the bar into a pyrex measuring up and microwave for 60 seconds.
- Remove from microwave, and stir until the remaining chunks of unmelted chocolate are mostly melted. Microwave again at 15 seconds if the chunks won't melt right away.
- Once the melted chocolate is ready, remove truffle balls from refrigerator, have another parchment-lined tray ready, and dip each ball in the chocolate. Lower each ball on a fork into the chocolate; use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate all over the ball.
- Sprinkle salt and pepper on top fast! Even black sesame seeds if you'd like to keep up the non-sweet theme.
- Let sit until ready to serve at room temperature.
Make the Coating Using Short-cut Tempering
- (Begin this process only when you are full prepared to dip as soon as it is tempered!)
- Hand-break chocolate bars into small pieces. Put 2/3 of the bar into a pyrex measuring up and microwave for 60 seconds.
- Remove from microwave, and stir with something rubber (not metal) until the remaining chunks of unmelted chocolate are mostly melted. Microwave again at 15 seconds if the chunks won't melt right away.
- As soon as the chocolate in the cup is all melted, add in the remaining 1/3 chocolate bar chunks. Keep stirring until those melt. At this point, your chocolate is above 100 degrees F and is tempering.
- To finish the process, let the pyrex jar stand with occasional stirring for 8.5 minutes in a normal-temperatured home. If your home is warm, wait 9 minutes; if your home is cold, wait 8 minutes. Your goal is to get the chocolate to a temperature of 90 degree F but you don't need a thermometer unless you want to use one.
- I found 90 degrees F is pretty identifiable by touching the chocolate with a finger tip and touching it to your lips - it feels only slightly warm.
- At this point, the chocolate is ready for you to dip your truffles and FAST. The faster you dip, the shinier the chocolate will be when set.
Coat the Truffles
- Once the melted chocolate is ready, remove truffle balls from refrigerater, have another parchment-lined tray ready, and dip each ball in the chocolate. Lower each ball on a fork into the chocolate; use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate all over the ball.
- Sprinkle salt and pepper on top fast! Even black sesame seeds if you'd like to keep up the non-sweet theme.
- Let sit until ready to serve at room temperature.
Storage
- Tempered or not, these coated chocolate truffles can be at room temperature for about 24 hours, and then after that refrigerate for a week, or freeze for 3 months.
Nutrition
Dee Dine is founder of Green Smoothie Gourmet, a plant based recipe blog, and author of the recent cookbook, Crazy Healthy with 4 Ingredients . On this blog you’ll find incredibly easy recipes with hidden veggies for anyone wanting to eat healthier, regardless of diet. Dee has graduate degrees in sciences and journalism. More about Dee Dine here.
Ela
Another amazing recipe with beans! Your truffles look seriously so delicious. I really wish they were in my fridge!
Much love, Ela 🙂
Debbie
Haha, Ela. I think that about all your recipes, except I usually wish they are hot and ready to eat at my dinner table! Thanks for stopping by, Dee xx
Tiina @myberryforest
Hi Dee!! Love love love this shortcut 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing it. And can’t wait for your book as I’m sure it will be filled with yummy recipes and useful shortcuts! Happy Sunday!
Debbie
Tiina, thank you so much! That’s really kind, I hope the book lives up to expectations, including mine, haha! It’s certainly a lot of work to keep up with publisher deadlines and the blog and IG so I really appreciate your kind encouragement! Dee xx