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These creamy coconut white chocolate truffles with basil are the best white chocolate truffle recipe. They’re easy to make, sweet to eat, and the perfect basil dessert for springtime, summertime, or any time at all.
Homemade Coconut White Chocolate Truffles with Basil
Made with sweet white chocolate and basil infused coconut cream, these 4 ingredient coconut balls offer a unique twist on a traditional coconut white chocolate truffle. They’re quick to prepare, delicious to eat, and don’t even require turning on the oven.
That said, if you’ve never used basil in a dessert recipe before, you might find yourself wondering, “doesn’t this stuff belong in my spaghetti and meatballs?” Well, yes, but it’s more versatile than you think. While I love a good caprese salad, a homemade pizza, or a batch of pesto as much as the next person, I also really enjoy adding basil to my desserts.
Basil Desserts?
Basil works surprisingly well in sweet recipes—you’ll frequently find it in cheesecakes, mousses, olive oil cakes, and shortbread cookies, among other things. I think it pairs perfectly with fruits like strawberry, blueberry, and lemon,
Back in pastry school, we learned to make a basil crème brûlée with raspberry coulis, pistachio sponge, raspberry mousse, and white chocolate circlage. I’d never used basil in a dessert recipe before that class, and not only did I find the crème brûlée surprisingly delicious, but I also discovered a newfound interest in using basil (and other savory ingredients and herbs) in pastries and confections:
Why Make These Easy White Chocolate Truffles?
I love these basil-infused white chocolate truffles because they’re easy to make, and the actual prep work takes just a few minutes. This recipe mostly consists of passive time (infusing the cream, chilling the ganache), so you can pop the ganache in the fridge and do something else while it sets.
If you have a well-stocked pantry (and especially if you’re like me and make a lot of Thai curries) you probably already have the ingredients for this recipe on hand. I always keep coconut cream and shredded coconut in the cabinet, and a basil plant on the kitchen windowsill.
You can also make this recipe with bits and pieces of various white chocolates (feel free to mix and match!) And if you have an herb garden, it’s perfect for putting all of that abundant summer basil to good use, too.
Coconut Milk Vs. Coconut Cream
While there are plenty of delicious coconut milk truffle recipes available, I’ve chosen to develop my basil and coconut truffles using coconut cream instead.
I’m a big fan of coconut cream, especially in recipes where it takes the place of regular dairy cream. (For example, I also use coconut cream in my vegan coconut whipped cream recipe.) I prefer it because of the thicker, creamier texture (due to higher fat content) which more closely mimics traditional cream
These days, you can easily purchase coconut cream from most grocery stores, or on Amazon from brands like Native Forest and Thai Kitchen. Asian grocery stores stock coconut cream as well. If buying in the grocery store, canned coconut cream generally shares the aisle with the canned coconut milk (the kind used for making curries, not the boxed beverage.) Just be sure to choose unsweetened coconut cream—the white chocolate is sweet enough!
Which Coconut to Use for Coconut White Chocolate Truffles?
Retailers sell a few different kinds of dried coconut, including flaked, shredded, and dessicated, not to mention sweetened and unsweetened options. Which is the best kind of coconut to use?
For this recipe, you’ll want to choose an unsweetened shredded coconut, like Let’s Do Organic, Anthony’s, or Whole Foods 365. If you’re unsure, just look for tiny, thin shredded bits of coconut, rather than large, flat pieces.
You do not want to use a sweetened coconut like Baker’s; your finished truffles will be overwhelmingly sweet. And flaked coconut pieces are too big for adding to ganache, so skip those as well.
Infusing and Re-Measuring the Coconut Cream
The basil flavor in these basil coconut white chocolate truffles comes from infusing fresh basil leaves into coconut cream. To do this, simply pour the cream into a small saucepan, stir in the leaves, and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Then, turn off the heat and allow the leaves to steep in the cream. I found that steeping for 30 minutes creates noticeable-but-not-overpowering basil notes, but feel free to increase the infusion time to 45 minutes or 1 hour if you prefer a more pronounced basil taste.
After steeping, pass the mixture through a sieve to remove the leaves. (You will need a fine mesh strainer for this step; I also like to use a bench scraper or back of a spoon to push the leaves to extract as much of the liquid as possible.)
Next, you’ll re-weigh the cream before re-warming. This is extremely important. If you simply pour the infused cream into the melted chocolate, you might end up adding too much liquid, or not quite enough.
Why Am I Infusing More Cream Than I Need to Make My Ganache?
In the recipe, I’ve instructed you to infuse 120 milliliters (1/2 cup) of coconut cream, but to only add 75 milliliters (1/3 cup) to the ganache. But why?
Well, because you’ll begin the process with 120 milliliters, but you’ll end it with much less.
Heating the cream reduces it slightly, and the basil leaves will absorb some as well. You’ll also lose cream in the straining process. That 120 milliliters will only yield about 80-90 milliliters of basil-infused goodness. (In addition, starting with a little bit of extra cream will give the leaves enough room to soak efficiently.)
After infusing, re-weigh the cream. If you have too much, discard the excess (it will only be a few tablespoons, at most.) If you don’t have quite enough, “top up” your infused cream with extra plain coconut cream to make up the difference.
Please note that I’ve given volume (cups) in parentheses as a secondary measurement, but for precision I strongly suggest using a kitchen scale to weigh your cream in milliliters instead. If you don’t own a kitchen scale, now is a great time to invest!
How to Choose the Best White Chocolate for Basil Coconut White Chocolate Truffles
I’ve made many different kinds of truffles, using white, dark, milk, and even ruby chocolate. Of these, I find white chocolate the most finicky to work with.
Since it does not contain cocoa solids, white chocolate requires a much lower cream-to-chocolate ratio—too much liquid, and your ganache will never set firmly enough to scoop and roll. When working with dark chocolate, I’ll often use a 50/50 ratio for ganaches and truffles; with white chocolate, it’s more like 25-40% liquid, depending on the chocolate I’ve chosen and the other ingredients in the recipe.
If you have a go-to white chocolate for making truffles, you can definitely use it here. If not, some experimentation might be necessary to determine which brand of chocolate you prefer.
Different types of chocolate create significant variations in the chilling time required, and how firmly (and quickly) the chocolate ganache sets. (I’ve noticed that this holds true even with the same truffle recipe, made using exactly the same method, and with the same non-chocolate ingredients…the chocolate makes all the difference.) I’ve also tried a few chocolates which set very “sticky” or “gooey,” even when chilled overnight, which isn’t ideal for rolling truffles.
I generally suggest using the best-quality couverture for bon bons, truffles, and other chocolates. But when it comes to white chocolate truffles, I’ve actually had better luck with cheaper brands. Your own mileage may vary!
Basil Coconut Cream Truffle Tips and Tricks
When chilling the ganache, the amount of time required will depend on a number of factors, including the type of white chocolate you’ve chosen, the size of your bowl, and the temperature of your refrigerator. I recommend checking the ganache after an hour or so, and continuing to check periodically until it is firm enough to scoop.
I made 24 1-inch coconut truffles. If desired, you can roll bigger balls. I caution against making them too big, however, as these truffles run pretty sweet (white chocolate contains more sugar than dark or milk!)
This should go without saying, but I’ll say it just in case. Do not substitute dried basil in this recipe. You absolutely need the fresh stuff. I like to keep a basil plant on my windowsill (you can usually find inexpensive potted herbs in the grocery store produce aisle—Whole Foods definitely sells them!) but if you don’t have fresh basil on hand, wait until you can buy some to make this recipe.
You can make these 4 ingredient coconut balls without many fancy tools or equipment, but I do suggest a melon baller (or small cookie scoop) for scooping the truffles, and a mesh sieve for straining the basil-infused cream.
Other chocolate truffle recipes you might enjoy:
Red Wine Truffles
Raspberry Dark Chocolate Truffles
Sparkling Rosé Truffles
Guinness Truffles
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
Basil Coconut White Chocolate Truffles
- Total Time: 5 hours
- Yield: 24 1-inch round truffles 1x
Description
Made with white chocolate and basil infused coconut cream, these creamy basil white chocolate truffles are the best white chocolate truffle recipe. They’re easy to make, sweet to eat, and the perfect basil dessert!
Ingredients
120 milliliters coconut cream (1/2 cup), infused and reweighed to 75 milliliters (1/3 cup), plus more for topping up*
10 grams fresh basil leaves (about 20 3-inch leaves, plus stems)
200 grams chopped white chocolate (7 ounces, or about 1 1/2 cups)
45 grams unsweetened shredded coconut (about 1/2 cup), divided
Instructions
In a small saucepan, bring the coconut cream to a gentle simmer.
Stir in the basil leaves and simmer for 1 minute.
Remove from heat, cover, and allow the basil leaves to steep in the coconut cream for 30 minutes.
Strain the infused coconut cream through a fine mesh strainer to remove the basil leaves. Discard the leaves.
Add the chopped white chocolate to a bain marie or double boiler. Stir gently until completely melted, then remove from heat.
Meanwhile, reweigh the infused cream to 75 milliliters (1/3 cup). (See recipe notes above to learn more about how and why to reweigh the cream. Do not skip this step!)
Gently rewarm the basil-infused coconut cream until steaming. Do not boil.
Whisk the cream into the white chocolate.
Whisk in 20 grams (1/4 cup) of the unsweetened dried coconut.
Transfer bowl to the refrigerator to chill until firm enough to scoop, about 4 hours.**
Line a plate or small tray with parchment or a silicone mat.
With a cookie scoop or melon baller, divide the chilled ganache into 24 portions.
Use your hands to roll each portion into a ball, then roll in the remaining unsweetened shredded coconut.
Place truffles on prepared tray and chill until firm.
Store leftover basil coconut truffles in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Notes
*See notes in the post above to learn how and why it is important to reweigh the coconut cream after infusing it with the basil leaves.
**Chilling time will depend on a number of factors, including the type of white cocolate you’ve chosen, the size of your bowl, and the temperature of your refrigerator. I recommend checking the ganache after an hour, and continue checking periodically until it is firm enough to scoop.
- Prep Time: 1 hour (including steeping time)
- Chilling Time: 4 hours
- Category: Chocolate
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Sweets