Earl Grey Chocolate Truffles

A recipe for Earl Grey chocolate truffles made with white chocolate, confectioner’s sugar, and whipping cream infused with Earl Grey tea.

Why Make These Earl Grey Chocolate Truffles?

Named after the 19th Century British Earl Charles Grey, Earl Grey is a black tea blend made with bergamot and known for its citrus-forward flavor profile. In the UK it’s an especially popular choice for afternoon tea, and is also the key component in a London Fog, a hot tea beverage made with steamed milk and vanilla. 

You’ll also find Earl Grey in afternoon tea accompaniments like loaf cakes and shortbread biscuits. One of my personal favorites is an Earl Grey and white chocolate ganache, a recipe I reach for whenever I need a unique cake frosting or French macaron filling, and the recipe that inspired these chocolate truffles. With a few tweaks and adjustments (for truffles, a scoopable, ice cream-like consistency works better than a fluid, spreadable one!) I’ve turned my favorite frosting recipe into a sweet, bite-sized chocolate treat.

Ingredients for Making Earl Grey Truffles

To make Earl Grey tea chocolates, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• Whipping Cream – Or heavy cream in the US. Whisked together with melted white chocolate, the Earl Grey-infused whipping cream gives these truffles their creamy texture.
• Earl Grey Tea – To infuse the tea flavor into the cream. You can use Earl Grey tea bags, or loose leaf Earl Grey tea

• White Chocolate – Choose a good-quality chopped white chocolate or chocolate callets, rather than chocolate chips.
• Unsalted Butter – A tablespoon of softened butter makes smooth, melt-in-your-mouth truffles.
• Food Coloring – If you want to make colored truffles as I’ve done here, you’ll need a few drops of blue or purple oil-based food coloring. Without food coloring, the truffles will look light brown or tan. See my Earl Grey and white chocolate ganache recipe for more on tinting the ganache. 

Making the Cream and Tea Infusion

To make these chocolate truffles, you’ll start by infusing the Earl Grey tea into whipping cream (heavy cream in the US). Warm the cream on the stovetop, then remove the pan from heat and allow the tea to infuse for at least 30 minutes. (A longer infusion time will yield more flavorful truffles—I usually let mine infuse for about an hour.) Then simply pass the cream through a fine mesh strainer to remove the tea before making the ganache and rolling it into truffles.

You can use Earl Grey tea bags or loose leaf Earl Grey tea to infuse the flavor into the cream. I’ve tested this recipe both ways. Flavor-wise the results are about the same, but tea bags absorb more of the liquid, so you’ll need to have plenty of extra whipping cream on hand to “top up” the cream after straining. 

Gifting and Serving Earl Grey Chocolate Truffles

You can serve these Earl Grey chocolates in decorative paper cups (white truffle cups are a classic, but light blue or a natural brown would look nice) or pop them into clear truffle boxes.

For an afternoon tea party, arrange the truffles on a three-tiered stand, or add to a dessert charcuterie board along with Earl Grey shortbread biscuits, tea cakes, lavender sugar cookies, and homemade French macarons. 

Recipe Tips and Tricks

Have plenty of extra cream available. If you choose to infuse the cream with Earl Grey tea bags rather than loose leaf tea, you’ll “lose” a good amount of cream during the infusion process, because the bags are absorbent. 

Tint the ganache. The food coloring in this recipe is optional, but without it, the ganache will be medium tan in color. I think it looks an awful lot like peanut butter, which you might not find aesthetically pleasing:

I suggest using an oil-based food coloring to tint the ganache to a shade of pale blue, grey, or purple. See this ganache recipe for more tips on coloring Earl Grey-infused chocolate.

Add sugar as a finishing touch. I suggest waiting until just prior to serving to roll the truffles in the confectioner’s sugar. Otherwise, the sugar may cause the truffles to draw moisture, and/or will be absorbed by the ganache. You can also roll the truffles in an initial coat after shaping, then re-roll in more sugar before serving.

Choose good-quality white chocolate. Remember that your choice of white chocolate will impact the amount of time it takes for the ganache to set. (Some chocolates set quickly, while others take a couple of hours.) Check your ganache at the 2-hour mark, and periodically thereafter. It should be firm enough to scoop with a melon baller or cookie scoop, but not rock solid.

Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions

Store Earl Grey truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Allow to come up to room temperature for 10-15 minutes. Re-roll in additional confectioner’s sugar just prior to serving.

Other Earl Grey recipes you might enjoy:

Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies
Earl Grey and White Chocolate Ganache

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!

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