Peanut Butter Chip Truffles
Originally posted February 3, 2009. Updated 12/23/2020
Did you know that you can easily make truffles from peanut butter flavoured chips? These Peanut Butter Chip Truffles are fun and easy to make.
What are Peanut Butter Chip Truffles?
Truffles consist of two main parts - the center (chocolate ganache), and the coating.
The ganache center is made from just a few very basic ingredients - chocolate - in this case, peanut butter chips - cream, optional flavoring, and butter.
The coating can be made from almost anything - your creativity is pretty much your only limit!
Typically, you’ll see store-bought truffles enrobed in chocolate. While that’s certainly a popular option, it does veer off into “intimidating” territory - tempering chocolate, etc.
Personally, I don’t bother - I find rolling truffles in various non-chocolate coatings is not only more fun and less work, I prefer the taste.
Making Chocolate - or Peanut Butter Chip - Ganache
Chocolate ganache is quite easy to make, but there are a few basic principles to keep in mind:
1. Too much liquid will prevent your ganache from setting up enough to roll properly.
Fairly straightforward rule, right? If this happens, try adding extra chocolate... or use your runny ganache as a chocolate fondue or sauce for ice cream!
2. Not all chocolate varieties are created equally.
While this applies to flavor, texture, and overall quality, I’m actually talking about behavior.
Dark chocolate requires more liquid than milk chocolate, which requires more liquid than white chocolate.
Sugar free chocolate requires a smaller amount of liquid than other varieties of chocolate... Please be sure to follow the basic instructions for the variety of chocolate you are using, without swapping the type.
3. Water is chocolate’s enemy.
Be very careful to use a dry bowl, dry utensils, and to not allow any water to fall into your chocolate.
Water causes melted chocolate to “seize”. Seizing is when melted chocolate comes in contact with even the tiniest amount of water, and becomes grainy, clumpy, and unpleasant.
For this reason, you should never use a lid when melting chocolate (condensation will occur, and drip in!), and you should always be careful when using a double boiler.
4. Fat amount is important.
The fat content in the chocolate ganache contributes to the smoothness, and the ganache’s ability to hold together.
Using milk instead of heavy cream really isn’t an option. Additionally, if a high percentage of the liquid is coming from a non-fatty source (liqueur, rather than cream), it’s a good idea to add extra butter.
5. Liquid added to chocolate must be warm.
Pretty basic rule - cold liquid added to melted chocolate will cause it to seize.
Warm liquid will not - this is why it’s important to heat up the cream mixture before adding it to the chocolate. Do not skip this step!
6. Chocolate - or peanut butter - chips are just fine to use.
Yes, I’m sure the purists just had a heart attack over that phrase... deal with it!
Chocolate chips are a highly unusual medium for truffle making, consistently being eschewed for bars of pure chocolate.
The thing is, however, that not only are chocolate chips are easy to find, they lack the sticker shock that comes with the more traditional chocolate options.
I find that this makes chocolate chips a far more accessible option for those who are new to making truffles.
Not only that, but they can make a great product, too - only the most avid chocolate connoisseur can really tell the difference between truffles made with a high end bar of chocolate, and those made with a good brand of chocolate chips.
For that reason, I believe chocolate chips are a great way to get in to making truffles. I developed a series of recipes using chocolate chips!
Anyone can make these truffles at home, with common ingredients, for only about $4.00/30 truffles. Far less scary of a commitment than the traditional approach!
“Stuff to Roll Them In”
Cocoa powder, coconut flakes, finely chopped nuts, and powdered sugar are all traditional options.. but feel free to go a bit crazy with it.
Just be sure that whatever you use is either powdered, or finely chopped.
A few ideas:
Dried Fruits
Fruit can be a fun combination with the peanut butter ganache - almost like a PB & J truffle!
Finely chop or process very dry fruit - chewy varieties don’t work as well. Dried stone fruit or apples tend to process down more easily than, say, dried cranberries or apricots.
Additionally, chewy varieties of store-bought dehydrated fruit can usually be tossed into a food dehydrator for a day or two to achieve a more dried out texture.
If your local grocery store doesn’t have a large variety, try dehydrating fresh fruit yourself!
Freeze dried fruit is a great option that is readily available for order from online companies - pulverize them to a powder for a unique coating!
Additionally, you can always buy fruit powders made from freeze dried fruits.
As a few examples, you can try Blueberry powder, Strawberry Powder , Raspberry Powder,
Blackberry Powder, Pomegranate Powder, Mango Powder, Cherry Power , or Dragonfruit Powder
Try rolling truffles in exotic powdered fruit such as Acai Powder, Pulverized Goji Berries, or Mangosteen Powder - a little goes a long way!
Cocoa Powder and/or Powdered Sugar
Cocoa powder and powdered sugar can be used separately or mixed, as a “stuff to roll them in”.
Alternately, you can enhance cocoa powder or powdered sugar with the addition of various spices - cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, even cayenne pepper... whatever you like.
Experiment with amount of flavoring used in your cocoa powder or powdered sugar, have fun with it!
Peanuts, Obviously!
Finely chopped peanuts are a fantastic coating for truffles!
Just whirl them in a food processor until they’re finely chopped.
Cookies
Finely ground cookies of any variety can add an interesting flavor and texture to your truffles.
Ginger snaps, Oreos, Nilla wafers, maple cookies.
Miscellaneous Stuff
More options to consider:
- Crystallized ginger
- Maple sugar
- Crushed coffee beans
- Finely chopped chocolate
- Instant hot chocolate powder
- Crushed pralines
- Finely crushed pretzels
- Crushed toffee.
- Crushed potato chips
As you can see, there are many, many options available for “stuff to roll your truffles in” - and yes, that’s a technical term. 🙂
Mix and match any of these ideas - or anything else you come up with - with the recipes and flavoring options for ganache centers... and the possibilities really are endless!
If you’re interested in truffle coatings in general, be sure to check out my post for the full list of suggestions. The ones I’ve listed in this post are just the ones I recommend for this particular recipe!
How to Make Peanut Butter Chip Truffles
1. Place chocolate chips into a glass mixing bowl, and put aside.
2. In a small saucepan, combine heavy whipping cream and butter. Heat to a boil, remove from heat.
3. Pour hot cream mixture into bowl of chocolate chips. Let sit for 3-5 minutes.
4. Starting in the middle of the bowl, slowly start stirring the chocolate and cream until all of the chocolate is
melted and the cream has disappeared into it – it should be smooth.
5. Cover with plastic wrap, preferably resting right on top of the surface – this prevents a skin from forming while it cools.
6. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour or two, until it’s pretty solid.
7. Once solid, scoop out small amounts (a teaspoon or two), and roll them into balls. Try to handle the chocolate as quickly as possible, or it will melt.
8. Once all of the ganache is rolled into balls: wash and dry hands, then roll ganache centers in whichever coating(s) you’d like.
Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
More Truffle Recipes!
Once you find out how easy it is to make tasty truffles at home, you may find yourself wanting to try MORE! Here are a few recipes to help you out!
Andes Mint Chip Truffles
Basic Dark Chocolate Truffles
Sugar Free Truffles Recipe
Dark Chocolate Coffee Truffles
Hop Flavoured Dark Chocolate Truffles
Low Carb Bananas Foster Truffles
Milk Chocolate Chai Truffles
Peanut Butter Chip Truffles
Tropical White Chocolate Truffles
White Chocolate Almond Amaretto Truffles
Share the Love!
Before you chow down, be sure to take some pics of your handiwork! If you Instagram it, be sure to tag me - @CelebrationGenerationCA - or post it to My Facebook Page - so I can cheer you on!
Also, be sure to follow me on Pinterest, and subscribe to my free monthly email newsletter, so you never miss out on any of my nonsense.
Well, the published nonsense, anyway!
With all of that said... on to the peanut butter chip truffles recipe!
Peanut Butter Chip Truffles
Ingredients
- 10 oz Reese peanut butter chips
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp butter
- Stuff to roll them in *
Instructions
- Place peanut butter chips into a glass mixing bowl, and put aside.
- On stovetop, bring heavy whipping cream and butter to a boil. Remove from heat.
- Pour hot cream mixture into bowl of peanut butter chips. Let sit for 3-5 minutes. Starting in the middle of the bowl, slowly start stirring the chips and cream until all of the “chocolate” is melted, and the cream has disappeared into it – it should be smooth.
- Cover with plastic wrap, preferably resting right on top of the surface – this prevents a skin from forming while it cools.
- Chill in the fridge for at least an hour or two, until it’s pretty solid.
- Once solid, scoop out small balls (a teaspoon or so, and roll them into balls. Try to handle the ganache as quickly as possible, or it will melt.
- Then, roll them and eat them!
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