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Spicy Chocolate Truffles are a rich chocolate truffle recipe inspired by Mexican Hot Chocolate with cinnamon and cayenne. These are an easy candy recipe for chocolate lovers everywhere!

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truffles in a white glass box


What is a Spicy Chocolate Truffle?

Spicy Chocolate Truffles are balls of delicious chocolate that are sweet, bitter, and slightly spicy! I was drinking a Mexican hot chocolate one day and was inspired by the intricate, complex flavors. That tongue-tingling beverage motivated me to create chocolate truffles inspired by the unique flavors of Mexican chocolate! 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Truffles are super simple to make with just a few ingredients
  • These store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks
  • You can even freeze them!
ingredients in spicy chocolate truffles

Ingredients in Chocolate Truffles

  • Chocolate – Semi-sweet baking chocolate (I prefer Ghiradelli or Baker’s)
  • Heavy cream – No substitutions
  • Vanilla extract – always buy pure vanilla
  • Cinnamon and Cayenne pepper – for that Mexican spiced flavor
  • Chocolate melts – For coating the truffles. I recommend using Ghiradelli Candy Melts, but you can also use Almond Bark or Candiquik (all are sold in the baking aisle).

How to Make Spicy Chocolate Truffles

  • Combine ingredients: Break the chocolate into small chunks and place in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Heat heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until it begins to bubble. Then, pour the heated cream over your broken chocolate. Stir until all chocolate has melted and the liquid has become smooth. Combine cayenne, vanilla, and cinnamon. 
  • Chill mixture: Place your chocolate mixture in the fridge and chill for at least 2 hours. Alternatively, you can let the mixture cool overnight. 
  • Scoop balls: Using a cookie scoop, create a ball of truffle about 1 to 2 tablespoons in size. Roll the ball into a uniform, circular shape and place it on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Continue until the mixture has been completely utilized.
  • Decorate truffles: Use the chocolate melts to dip the tops of the truffles or utilize cocoa and powdered sugar to dust them. Decorate as desired. 
truffles in a white glass box

Expert Tips:

  • If your hot heavy cream doesn’t melt the chocolate all the way, feel free to pop your mixing bowl in the microwave and heat it for ten seconds at a time until melted. 
  • The decorating is where it gets interesting, so get creative! There’s no right or wrong way to do it. Dipped chocolate melt dotted with red sprinkles is a cute way to give a nod to the heat that the cayenne pepper brings. 

FAQs

What flavor is a chocolate truffle?

Chocolate truffles can be an array of flavors, from macadamia to raspberry to mocha. These truffles are a spicy, sweet, and bitter combination.

Why are my chocolate truffles too soft? 

If your truffles are too soft, you likely need more chocolate. Too much cream will create soft truffles. 

What is the best way to freeze chocolate truffles?

Chocolate truffles freeze best in a zipped plastic bag placed inside airtight Tupperware. 

Have You Made This Recipe?

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truffles in a white glass box

Spicy Chocolate Truffles

5 from 7 votes
The truffles are the best dessert for anyone who like a little spice! These truffles have a little bit of a spicy taste that are covered in chocolate to create the best flavor!
Prep Time 1 hour
Chill Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours
Yield 20 truffles
Serving Size 1 truffle

Ingredients
 

  • 8 ounces (226g) semi-sweet baking chocolate
  • ½ cup (118ml) heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 10 ounces Chocolate melts for dipping
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Instructions

  • Break or cut chocolate into pieces. Place heavy cream in a small saucepan and heat just until it bubbles. Pour over chocolate. Stir until all chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. (If it is cold in your house and your chocolate doesn’t want to melt all the way you can put it in the microwave in 10 second increments to aid in melting.)
  • Stir in vanilla, cinnamon, and cayenne. Chill mixture for at least 2 hours. You can also let it sit overnight.
  • Use a cookie scoop (1 or 2 tablespoon) to scoop balls of truffle. Roll into uniform balls and place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet.
  • Melt chocolate melts according to package directions. Dip truffles in chocolate and top with sprinkles, if desired. Chill to set. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freeze.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

  • I prefer Ghiradelli or Baker’s baking bars
  • For dipping, I recommend Ghiradelli Candy Melts. If you can’t find those, use Candiquik or Almond Bark (all three are sold in the baking aisle). You can dip these in milk or dark chocolate.
  • In lieu of dipping, you can also roll them in cocoa, powdered sugar, or sprinkles instead.
  • To decorate the tops, add leftover melted chocolate to a ziploc bag and cut off one tip to drizzle over the truffles after they’ve set.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1truffle | Calories: 168kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 7mg | Potassium: 71mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 104IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Dessert
Cuisine American

Other Candy Recipes

Spicy Chocolate Truffles are inspired by Mexican Chocolate! These are a rich chocolate truffle with cinnamon and cayenne for a little kick – they’re SO good and rich!

Last Updated on January 17, 2023



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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47 Comments

  1. Exactly what I was looking for for my spicy people on my Christmas list. Wonderfully chocolatey. The way you taste the chocolate, then the cinnamon, and then that wonderful heat at the end. Definitely a big hit in this household. Thanks Crazy for Crust.

  2. I have to question again the cost estimate for these truffles. It says $6, but the Ghiradelli melting wafers alone are $5.99 at Kroger, and the 2-4oz bars of baking chocolate are $6.58 (total). Those two ingredients alone are over $12. Could you explain how you come up with your cost estimates?

  3. Made this. It came out great. But I added 1 tsp. of Cayenne pepper. My people like it spicy. Thanks for sharing your recipe.

  4. Sorry another question, would there be a difference f I use chocolate chips instead of a baking bar? Thanks again! 🙂

    1. In the truffle, no. For the coating, the chocolate chips won’t give a shine and they don’t dry as hard, so it may come off in your hands more than baking chocolate. Enjoy!

  5. Oh I forgot to ask you, can I use dark chocolate instead of semi sweet? Cause my husband loves anything with dark chocolate. Thanks.

  6. These ingredients –
    1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
    1 teaspoon cinnamon
    1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    are not mentioned in the instructions. Are they added to the filling or the coating?

  7. I totally hear you. On Christmas Eve, I was brainstorming ideas for Valentine’s Day while the rest of my family watched the Ice Age Christmas special on TV. I feel like I should work at a magazine or something — we’d totally be prepared for every holiday season way ahead of time!