Praline Chocolate Truffles Recipe
Make this praline chocolate truffles recipe with hazelnut crunch in simple steps for a perfect homemade gift or dessert.
Truffes pralinées are classic French chocolate truffles distinguished by a smooth ganache center enriched with butter and heavy cream, then flavored with crunchy almond-hazelnut praline. The chilled mixture is hand-rolled into bite-sized spheres before being coated in unsweetened cocoa powder—or, for extra texture, finely ground nuts or icing sugar. Requiring no baking and only brief resting time, these confections deliver a balanced contrast of intense cacao and caramelized nut aromas in every mouthful. Traditionally prepared in advance so the flavors can meld, they are most often served during the winter holiday season, offered as edible gifts, or presented alongside coffee at the end of a festive meal.
Praline Chocolate Truffles Recipe
No candy thermometer, water bath, or fancy molds needed—just everyday kitchen gear and a handful of ingredients make these truffes achievable even on a weeknight. The recipe also scales cleanly, letting you double or halve the quantities without changing technique or texture.
Prep Time
20 minutes
20 minutes
Cook Time
5 minutes
5 minutes
Total Time
85 minutes
85 minutes
Ingredients
Dark chocolate (about 200 g)
- Praline powder or crushed praline (approx. 60 g)
- Unsalted butter, softened (around 60 g)
- Icing / confectioners’ sugar (roughly 2 Tbsp)
- Unsweetened cocoa powder, for coating (about 3 Tbsp, more if needed)
- Optional – finely chopped roasted hazelnuts (2 Tbsp, for rolling or topping)
- Optional – extra cocoa powder or icing sugar, as desired for varied finishes
Method
Break the chocolate into small pieces
- Place the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl
- Set the bowl over gently simmering water
- Stir until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth
- Remove the bowl from the heat
- Add the praline powder to the melted chocolate
- Stir until the mixture is homogeneous
- Add the softened butter to the chocolate mixture
- Mix until the ganache is glossy and even
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap
- Refrigerate the ganache until firm enough to handle
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper
- Scoop small portions of ganache with a teaspoon
- Roll each portion between your palms to form a ball
- Place each ball on the prepared tray
- Pour cocoa powder into a shallow dish
- Roll each truffle in the cocoa powder until evenly coated
- Shake off any excess cocoa powder
- Transfer the finished truffles to an airtight container
- Refrigerate the truffles until ready to serve
Nutrition
Calories
2143 kcal Protein
26 g Fat
164 g Carbs
156 g Fiber
33 g Sugar
96 g
2143 kcal Protein
26 g Fat
164 g Carbs
156 g Fiber
33 g Sugar
96 g
Notes
Briefly toast the praline nuts again just before grinding—warm oils release a deeper aroma that permeates the ganache. If you’d like a snappier exterior, dip the chilled balls in tempered dark chocolate before the final dusting; they’ll stay tidy in gift boxes and survive room-temperature parties. Always roll with cold, lightly gloved hands to keep the cocoa butter from melting into fingerprints.
why this recipe
Indulgent yet wonderfully approachable, this praline chocolate truffles recipe distills the art of French confectionery into a few carefully chosen steps, delivering velvety ganache laced with toasted-nut praline that cracks delicately beneath a fine cocoa dusting. Its genius lies in the balance of contrasting textures—silky interior, crisp praline shards, ethereal coating—that make every bite feel like a miniature pâtisserie experience, while the straightforward method and easily sourced ingredients invite even novice chocolatiers to achieve professional-level results. Perfect for elegant gifting or an intimate after-dinner treat, these truffles transform simple pantry staples into pure, melt-in-the-mouth luxury, proving that exceptional flavor does not have to be complicated.
FAQs
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Frequently Asked Questions
How far in advance can I make these praline truffles, and what’s the best way to store them so they stay fresh?
Prepare the truffles up to 7–10 days ahead; once the cocoa coating has set, layer them in an airtight container between sheets of parchment and keep them in the refrigerator (4 °C), sealed to protect them from moisture and odor. If you need a longer lead-time, freeze the truffles in a well-sealed box for up to 2 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge and let them sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.
Can I substitute the almond-hazelnut praline with another ingredient, and how will that affect the truffles’ flavor and texture?
Yes—feel free to swap the almond–hazelnut praline for an equal weight of any crisp, caramel-like mix such as pistachio or pecan praline, feuilletine flakes, or even crushed honeycomb. The truffles will keep their melt-in-the-mouth ganache texture, but the nut or candy you choose will shift the aroma and introduce a slightly different crunch (e.g., pistachio adds a greener, buttery note, while honeycomb gives lighter, toffee-like shards). Avoid soft nut butters or untoasted nuts, as they dissolve into the ganache and leave the center dense rather than pleasantly speckled.
Can I replace the dark chocolate with milk or white chocolate, and do I need to adjust the proportions?
Yes—swap in milk or white chocolate, but because both contain more sugar and less cocoa-solids/cocoa-butter, they set softer. Use roughly 230–240 g milk chocolate (or 250–260 g white) and cut the butter to about 40 g; this keeps the ganache firm enough to roll while preventing it from tasting overly sweet or greasy.