Homemade Boozy Eggnog Truffles: Your Ultimate Holiday Chocolate Candy Recipe

Prepare to delight your taste buds and impress your loved ones this holiday season with these exquisite **boozy eggnog truffles**. Crafted with a rich white chocolate ganache infused with classic eggnog, and elegantly rolled in bittersweet Criollo raw cocoa powder, these truffles are an absolute delicacy. They are not just a treat; they’re an experience, perfect for festive gatherings, a luxurious personal indulgence, or a thoughtful homemade gift.

While you can use quality store-bought eggnog, making these truffles with homemade eggnog truly elevates their flavor to an unparalleled level. The creamy, spiced, and slightly alcoholic notes of the eggnog blend harmoniously with the white chocolate, creating a symphony of flavors that embodies the spirit of the holidays. These alcoholic eggnog truffles are guaranteed to bring joy to everyone lucky enough to try them.

These beautiful truffles are incredibly versatile. They make a perfect small hostess gift that shows thoughtfulness and effort, but they are equally wonderful for treating friends, family, or neighbors during the festive season. Their elegant appearance and rich flavor make them stand out amongst other holiday sweets.

One of the best aspects of this chocolate **eggnog truffle** recipe is its simplicity, largely thanks to the use of pre-made dark chocolate hollow spheres. This clever shortcut significantly streamlines the preparation process, allowing you to create impressive, professional-looking truffles without the usual complexity of molding and shelling. This means more time enjoying the holidays and less time in the kitchen!

If you’re a fan of crafting your own delectable chocolate treats, explore more of our irresistible recipes:

• Homemade Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Truffles
• Milk Chocolate Salted Caramel Truffles
• Matcha Green Tea Truffles
• Homemade Baileys Chocolates
• Orange Marmalade Truffles
• Salted Caramel Baileys Balls
• Biscoff Truffles

These delicious chocolate candies are perfect for any occasion, from holiday gifting to a simple dessert craving. Each recipe offers a unique flavor profile, ensuring there’s a truffle for every palate.

Don’t forget to take advantage of special offers! At PrimeChocolate, you can purchase these high-quality pre-made chocolate hollow spheres and save 10% by using the coupon code ThankYouNora. This is a fantastic way to simplify your truffle-making process and achieve professional results with ease.

🥘 Key Ingredients for Festive Eggnog Truffles

Crafting the perfect eggnog truffle begins with selecting the right ingredients. Here’s a closer look at what you’ll need and why each component is crucial for achieving that irresistible flavor and texture:

• Eggnog or Heavy Cream: A small amount is used initially to help dissolve the glucose, ensuring a smooth and consistent ganache. The richness of heavy cream or the spiced notes of eggnog both work beautifully here.
• Glucose Syrup: This often-overlooked ingredient is vital for confectionery. It significantly prolongs the shelf life of your ganache and, more importantly, prevents sugar crystallization, ensuring your truffles remain smooth and luxurious.
• Eggnog: The star flavor! Whether you opt for homemade advocaat egg liqueur or a quality store-bought version, choose a brand you love. The quality of your eggnog will directly impact the final taste of your truffles.
• White Chocolate Chips: These form the creamy base of our yummy ganache. Opt for high-quality white chocolate with a good cocoa butter content for the best flavor and melting consistency.
• Dark Chocolate Hollow Spheres: These ready-to-fill shells are a true time-saver, simplifying the truffle-making process immensely. They provide a perfect, consistent outer layer for your ganache.
• Dark Chocolate Couverture: Used for sealing and coating, choosing high-quality dark chocolate (around 54-70% cocoa) is paramount. This ensures a beautiful snap and deep, rich flavor that perfectly complements the sweet eggnog filling.
• Criollo Cocoa Powder: This premium, unroasted cocoa powder offers a rich, complex, and less bitter flavor profile compared to regular cocoa. It provides the perfect outer dusting, adding a sophisticated bittersweet contrast to the creamy white chocolate and eggnog interior.
• Optional: Ground Nutmeg: For an extra festive touch, consider adding a teaspoon of freshly ground nutmeg to your Criollo cocoa powder before rolling. It enhances the classic eggnog spice profile beautifully.

For precise quantities, please refer to the detailed recipe card below.

🔪 Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting Perfect Eggnog Truffles

Follow these detailed instructions to create your own batch of irresistible boozy eggnog truffles. Precision in chocolate work is key, so pay close attention to temperatures and timing.

Step 1 – Prepare the Creamy Eggnog Ganache

The heart of these truffles is the smooth and flavorful eggnog ganache. This step requires careful temperature control to ensure a perfect emulsion.

1. Begin by weighing your glucose into a heatproof bowl. Add a small amount of heavy cream or additional eggnog to this bowl. This liquid will help the glucose dissolve evenly.
2. Gently heat this mixture in the microwave. Do not exceed 82.4 °F (28 °C). Heating it slowly for about 20 seconds on the lowest setting should be sufficient to dissolve the glucose without overheating. Glucose is key to preventing crystallization and keeping your ganache smooth and luscious.
3. In a separate, clean bowl, melt your white chocolate. You can do this in the microwave by heating in short bursts (3×20 seconds on the lowest setting), stirring after each interval, or use a classic water bath method. It’s crucial that the white chocolate’s temperature does not rise above 89.6 °F (32 °C) to maintain its temper and prevent it from seizing.
4. Once both mixtures are ready, combine the dissolved glucose mixture with the melted white chocolate. Stir until thoroughly combined and smooth.
5. Allow this mixture to cool to approximately 80.6 °F (27 °C). Once at the correct temperature, carefully fold in the remaining eggnog. Mixing it at this temperature ensures the ganache remains stable and creamy. Your ganache should now be smooth, glossy, and beautifully fragrant.

Step 2 – Expertly Fill the Hollow Chocolate Spheres

This is where the magic begins as you transform simple chocolate shells into decadent truffles. Using hollow spheres makes this process wonderfully simple.

1. First, prepare your workstation. Place the foil tray containing the hollow chocolate spheres on a clean, stable countertop. Carefully remove the lid to access the spheres.
2. To make filling easier, take a tall container (like a measuring jug) and place your piping bag inside it. This provides a stable stand, leaving both your hands free to fill the bag without mess.
3. Carefully spoon or pour the cooled white chocolate eggnog ganache mixture into the piping bag.
4. Snip a small corner off the piping bag. Now, meticulously fill each hollow chocolate sphere with the ganache. Fill them just below the rim, leaving a tiny gap for sealing.

Fill the white chocolate ganache into a piping bag.

Fill the chocolate hollow spheres just below the rim.

To ensure no unsightly air pockets form in your truffles, fill slowly and gently tap or shake the tray of filled spheres on your countertop once done. This helps the ganache settle and any air bubbles rise to the surface, allowing you to top up any spheres that might need a little extra ganache.

Once all spheres are filled, allow them to crystallize overnight in the refrigerator. For the best texture and stability, we recommend a full 24 hours of chilling. This firming process is crucial before sealing.

Step 3 – Seal the Pralines with Tempered Chocolate

The next day, it’s time to seal your truffles. This step involves tempering chocolate, which ensures a glossy finish and a satisfying snap.

1. Begin by tempering your dark chocolate. Tempering is essential to achieve a stable, shiny, and crack-free chocolate coating. You can achieve this using a water bath or a dedicated tempering device.

2. Water Bath Tempering: If using a water bath, you’ll need two pots of different sizes. Fill the larger pot with 3-4 finger-widths of water and bring it to a gentle simmer. Place the second, smaller pot (which should not touch the water) inside the larger one. Add your dark chocolate to the smaller pot and melt it over the rising steam, stirring continuously. Be careful not to let any water get into the chocolate.

   Tempering Device: For a more controlled approach, use a tempering machine. Add your dark chocolate to the unit and set it to the appropriate melting temperature: for dark chocolate, aim for 50 °C (122 °F). Once melted, follow your device’s instructions for cooling and re-heating to achieve temper.

3. Once your dark chocolate is perfectly tempered, pour a small amount into a piping bottle or a small piping bag with a tiny hole.
4. Carefully take each filled hollow sphere from the refrigerator and apply a small chocolate dot to seal the opening. Gently shake or tap the praline to allow the chocolate to spread evenly and fully seal the ganache inside.
5. Place the sealed chocolates back into the refrigerator for approximately 15 minutes. This brief chill time allows the freshly applied chocolate seals to set firmly.

Step 4 – Coat and Finish Your Gorgeous Truffles

The final step brings these eggnog truffles to life with a beautiful, bittersweet cocoa powder coating. Organization is key for a smooth process.

1. For coating, you’ll need the following:
   • Your already-tempered dark chocolate (it may need a quick re-temper if it has cooled too much).
   • Disposable gloves (to keep your hands clean and prevent fingerprints on the chocolate).
   • A loaf pan or shallow dish filled with the Criollo cocoa powder for coating. Remember, you can add a teaspoon of freshly ground nutmeg to the cocoa powder for an extra festive aroma and flavor.
2. Arrange everything within easy reach to make the coating process quick and efficient.
3. Put on your disposable gloves. Take 2-3 sealed chocolates in one hand. Dip the fingers of your other hand into the tempered dark chocolate.
4. Gently roll the chocolates between your chocolate-coated hands, ensuring they are covered with a thin, even layer of dark chocolate.
5. Immediately drop the chocolate-covered truffles into the loaf pan filled with cocoa powder.
6. Swirl the loaf pan back and forth briefly, allowing the cocoa powder to adhere completely and evenly coat the chocolates. Once coated, transfer them to a clean surface and move on to the next set of truffles.

Once all your truffles are coated and rolled in cocoa powder, set out the appropriate number of paper chocolate molds. These molds not only enhance presentation but also protect the truffles.

For a clean finish, the easiest way to remove any excess cocoa powder from the truffles is to gently swirl them in a close-mesh sieve. This leaves a perfectly dusted, elegant appearance.

Finally, divide your finished boozy eggnog truffles among the paper cups. Store them in an airtight container to preserve their freshness and flavor.

Your delicious and impressive egg liqueur truffles are now ready to be enjoyed or gifted! Prepare for rave reviews!

🥜 Substitutions for Glucose

While glucose syrup is highly recommended for its anti-crystallization properties and extended shelf life, you can make a substitution if necessary.

You can replace glucose with honey at a 1:1 ratio. However, it is essential to use liquid honey to prevent the sugar from crystallizing in the ganache. Solidified or crystallized honey will not yield the same smooth results.

Furthermore, it’s generally advised to NOT use organic honey for confectionery purposes, but rather industrial honey. Organic honey can sometimes contain residual enzymes or particles that can lead to fermentation or mold formation in your ganache over time, especially in alcoholic preparations. Industrial honey is more processed and consistent, making it safer for longer-shelf-life treats.

🍽 Essential Equipment for Truffle Making

Having the right tools can make all the difference in achieving perfect homemade truffles:

• Water Bath or Tempering Device: Crucial for melting and tempering chocolate correctly, ensuring a smooth, glossy finish.
• Several Small Mixing Bowls: For preparing different components of your ganache and chocolate.
• Digital Thermometer: Essential for precise temperature control when melting and tempering chocolate, preventing seizing or bloom.
• Piping Bag: For cleanly filling the hollow spheres with ganache and sealing them with chocolate.
• Squeeze Bottle: An alternative to a piping bag for sealing, offering even finer control for small chocolate dots.
• Disposable Gloves: To keep your hands clean and avoid leaving fingerprints on the delicate chocolate coating.
• Loaf Tin: Ideal for rolling the chocolate-covered truffles in cocoa powder, ensuring an even coating.
• Close-Meshed Sieve: For sifting off excess cocoa powder, giving your truffles a polished, professional look.
• Paper Chocolate Cups: For presentation and easy handling of your finished truffles.

🌡 Storage Tips for Perfect Truffles

To keep your delicious eggnog truffles fresh and maintain their exquisite texture and flavor, proper storage is crucial. Pralines, like most fine chocolates, prefer cool, stable conditions, away from humidity and direct light.

The optimum storage temperature for these truffles is approximately 62.6 °F (17 °C). At this temperature, the finished chocolates will retain their quality and deliciousness for up to three months. Storing them in a cool pantry or a dedicated chocolate cooler is ideal.

If stored at room temperature (typically around 68-72°F or 20-22°C), their shelf life is significantly reduced to about one week. Higher temperatures can cause the chocolate to soften, the ganache to become too fluid, or accelerate the “bloom” phenomenon, where cocoa butter separates and rises to the surface, creating a dull, whitish film. While still edible, bloom affects the appearance and texture.

Always store your truffles in an airtight container to protect them from external odors and moisture, which can degrade their quality.

💚 Delightful Eggnog Truffle Variations

While our classic boozy eggnog truffles are divine, you can easily experiment with variations to suit different tastes or occasions. Here are a couple of ideas:

• White Chocolate Dipped Eggnog Truffles: An absolutely divine variation involves dipping these very same eggnog truffles in luscious white chocolate. After dipping, sprinkle them with festive chocolate sprinkles or a generous dusting of colorful edible glitter for a truly elegant presentation. A final drizzle of extra eggnog (if using a non-tempered coating) can also add another layer of flavor and visual appeal.
• Spiced Nutmeg & Cinnamon Coating: Instead of just Criollo cocoa powder, blend it with a larger proportion of ground nutmeg and cinnamon. This amplifies the warm, festive spices, making the truffles even more aromatic and comforting.
• Toasted Coconut Coating: For a tropical twist, roll your dark chocolate-coated truffles in finely shredded toasted coconut. The texture and flavor contrast beautifully with the creamy eggnog filling.

If you embark on making this delightful recipe, please let me know how you liked it by giving it a ★★★★★ star rating and leaving a comment below. Your feedback is invaluable and would be truly awesome! You can also sign up for our Newsletter to receive weekly delicious homemade recipes directly in your inbox. And don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest or Instagram, and share your culinary creations with me. Just tag me @combinegoodflavors and use the hashtag #combinegoodflavors, so I don’t miss your masterpieces!

📖 Full Recipe Card

Eggnog Truffles with White Chocolate

Nora

Delicious eggnog truffles with white chocolate rolled in bittersweet Criollo raw cocoa powder. An absolute delicacy and perfect for the coming holiday season!

5 from 37 votes

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Chill Time 12 hours hrs

Total Time 13 hours hrs

Course Candy, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine European

Servings 15 Truffles

Calories 97 kcal

Equipment

• Water bath or tempering device
• small mixing bowls
• Thermometer
• Piping bag
• Squeeze Bottle
• Disposable gloves
• Loaf tin for rolling the chocolates
• Close meshed sieve
• Paper chocolate molds

Ingredients

 

 

• ¼ cup Eggnog or heavy cream for dissolving the glucose.
• ⅔ tablespoon Glucose
• 3 ¼ tablespoon Eggnog
• 1 cup White chocolate chips
• 15 Hollowed chocolate spheres
• ¾ cup Dark chocolate couverture
• Criollo cocoa powder

Optional

• 1 teaspoon Ground nutmeg for rolling

Instructions

 

Step 1 – Egg liqueur ganache

• Weigh the glucose in a bowl and add heavy cream or eggnog.
  ⅔ tablespoon Glucose, ¼ cup Eggnog
• Heat the mixture in the microwave to a maximum of 82.4 °F // 28 °C to dissolve the glucose. This takes about 20 seconds on the lowest setting.
• In a second bowl, dissolve the white chocolate in the microwave (on the lowest setting, 3×20 sec) or using a water bath. Make sure that the temperature does not rise above 89.6 °F // 32 °C.
  1 cup White chocolate chips
• Mix the glucose mixture with the melted white chocolate, let it cool to 80.6 °F // 27 °C, and then add the remaining eggnog.
  ¼ cup Eggnog, ⅔ tablespoon Glucose, 3 ¼ tablespoon Eggnog, 1 cup White chocolate chips

Step 2 – Fill the hollow spheres

• Place the foil with hollow spheres on the countertop and remove the lid.
  15 Hollowed chocolate spheres
• Take a tall container and put the piping bag into it.
• Empty the white chocolate mixture into the piping bag and fill the hollow bodies with the ganache just below the rim.
• To ensure no air spaces, fill slowly and gently shake again at the end.
• Allow the filled hollow spheres to crystallize overnight in the refrigerator, preferably for 24 hours.

Step 3 – Seal the pralines

• The next day starts with tempering the chocolate. You can do this by using a water bath or a tempering device.
  ¾ cup Dark chocolate couverture
• Pour a small amount of the melted chocolate into a piping bottle or a piping bag, and seal the chocolate hollow sphere openings with a small chocolate dot.
• Shake gently so that the chocolate can spread.
• Place the sealed chocolates in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to allow the chocolate to set.

Step 4 – Coating the chocolates

• Fill a loaf pan with Criollo raw cocoa powder for coating the chocolates. Optionally, you can add grated nutmeg.
  Criollo cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon Ground nutmeg
• Take 2-3 chocolates in one hand and dip the fingers of the other hand into the tempered chocolate.
• Roll the chocolates between your hands and cover them with the chocolate.
• Then, drop the chocolates into the prepared loaf pan with the cocoa powder.
• Swirl the mold back and forth briefly, so the chocolates are covered with cocoa powder. Now move on to the next set of chocolates.
• Once you’re done coating and rolling, set out the appropriate number of paper chocolate molds.
• Remove the excess cocoa powder from the truffles by swirling them in a close-mesh sieve.
• Divide the finished truffles between the molds and store them in an airtight container.

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Keyword Advocaat, chocolate candy, Eggnog, eggnog truffles, eggnog truffles christmas, truffles

Like this recipe?Mention @combinegoodflavors or tag #combinegoodflavors!

Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.

Serving: 1Truffle | Calories: 97kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 14mg | Potassium: 40mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 19IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 0.04mg

⛑️ Food Safety Guidelines for Home Bakers

Ensuring food safety is paramount when preparing any homemade treats, especially those involving ingredients like eggs and dairy. Follow these essential guidelines to keep your kitchen and your creations safe:

• Cook to Minimum Temperature: If your recipe involves cooking egg or dairy components (like a custard base for eggnog), ensure they reach a minimum internal temperature of 165 °F (74 °C) to kill harmful bacteria.
• Prevent Cross-Contamination: Always use separate utensils, cutting boards, and bowls for raw and cooked foods. This prevents the transfer of bacteria from raw ingredients to finished products.
• Wash Hands Thoroughly: Wash your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds before, during, and after handling food, especially after touching raw ingredients.
• Refrigerate Promptly: Do not leave perishable foods, such as your eggnog ganache or finished truffles, sitting out at room temperature for extended periods. Promptly refrigerate them to inhibit bacterial growth.
• Never Leave Cooking Unattended: Always supervise food when it’s on the stove or in the microwave to prevent burning and ensure proper cooking.
• Use High Smoking Point Oils: If any part of your recipe involves frying or high-heat cooking (not directly applicable here, but a good general kitchen rule), use oils with a high smoking point to avoid producing harmful compounds.
• Ensure Good Ventilation: When using a gas stove, always ensure good ventilation in your kitchen to prevent the buildup of carbon monoxide.

For further comprehensive food safety information and best practices, please consult the official guidelines from reputable sources like the Safe Food Handling – FDA.