Snowball Truffles (Coconut Truffle Recipe)
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Featuring a creamy white chocolate ganache rolled in snowy flakes of shredded coconut, these snowball truffles make a seasonally appropriate addition to winter gatherings and holiday dessert tables. I love this coconut truffle recipe because it requires just four ingredients (plus an optional dusting of edible glitter) and a few minutes of active prep time. Just whisk up the white chocolate ganache, then do something else while it sets in the fridge!
Ingredients for Making Snowball Truffles
- Whipping Cream – Whisked together with melted white chocolate, whipping cream gives the coconut truffles their smooth and creamy texture. If you’re in the US, look for heavy cream instead.
- Chopped White Chocolate – Good chocolate will make a big difference in the taste and texture of your truffles. Opt for quality chopped couverture white chocolate or chocolate callets, rather than chocolate chips from the baking aisle. See my notes on choosing the right chocolate, below.
- Flavoring – You can flavor your truffles with vanilla bean paste, coconut flavoring, or a mix of both.
- Blue Food Coloring – For this batch, I used Chefmaster‘s sky blue gel food coloring, but any shade of blue, green, or teal will work. (While I usually recommend oil-based food coloring for tinting chocolate, you can get away with gel for this recipe since you’ll be rolling the finished chocolate in coconut anyway. If you prefer a more natural look, you can skip the food coloring and retain the natural off-white shade of the ganache instead.
- Unsweetened Shredded Coconut – Look for an unsweetened shredded coconut, like Let’s Do Organic, Anthony’s, or Whole Foods 365. Do not use sweetened coconut; combined with white chocolate, the finished truffles will be much too sweet. I always keep shredded coconut in the cabinet, not just for truffles but for other staple treats like coconut pudding and homemade Mallo cups. Once you invest in a bag, you’ll find plenty of ways to put it to good use.
- Edible Glitter – Dust in edible glitter for a sparkly finishing touch, just like the “sparkle” of freshly-fallen snow. And save the rest of the jar to add holiday sparkle to other treats, like my cornflake wreaths and snowflake sugar cookies.
Notes on White Chocolate
Because it does not contain cocoa like its milk and dark counterparts, white chocolate requires a lower cream-to-chocolate ratio. When working with dark chocolate, I’ll often use a 50/50 ratio for ganaches and truffles, but with white chocolate, I use more chocolate than cream—add too much liquid, and the ganache will not firm up enough to roll.
Different types of white chocolate will require different amounts of chilling time, and will also determine how firmly the ganache sets. (I’ve had a few misfires with white chocolates stayed somewhat “gooey,” even after spending a full day in the fridge!) If you have a favorite white chocolate for truffle-making, reach for whichever brand you know and trust. I used a Belgian white chocolate containing 26% milk solids. But in general, opt for a couverture designed for chocolatemaking, rather than chocolate chips.
Tips and Tricks for Making Coconut Truffles
- Make a bain-marie. For melting the white chocolate, you’ll need a double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, you can set a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water to make a bain-marie, or hot water bath.
- Whisk, whisk, whisk. Whisking promotes crystallization, creating a thick, ultra-creamy, creating melt-in-your-mouth white chocolate ganache.
- Keep an eye on the fridge. The amount of chilling 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.
- Cover the bowl. Cover the bowl with a tight layer of foil or plastic wrap, to prevent water from damaging the ganache.
- Take time to chop the chocolate. If using a bar or block of white chocolate rather than callets, chopping the chocolate before whisking in the cream will help it to melt smoothly.
- Don’t overheat the cream. Heat the cream just until it begins to steam, then pour it over the chocolate. Overheating can cause the ganache to separate.
- Use a melon baller. A melon baller (if possible, choose one with a release) is ideal for creating evenly-sized truffles.
Snowball Truffles (Coconut Truffle Recipe)
- Total Time4 1/2 hours (including chilling time)
- Yield18 1-inch truffles 1x
A snowball-inspired holiday truffle recipe made with white chocolate and shredded coconut.
Ingredients
75 milliliters whipping cream (1/3 cup)
200 grams chopped white chocolate (7 ounces, or about 1 1/4 cups)
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or coconut flavoring
Blue gel or oil-based food coloring (I used Chefmaster‘s sky blue gel food coloring)
45 grams unsweetened shredded coconut (about 1/2 cup), divided
Edible glitter, for dusting
Instructions
In a small saucepan, warm the whipping cream to steaming. Do not boil.
Meanwhile, add the chopped white chocolate to a bain marie or double boiler. Melt, stirring gently, until completely melted. Remove from heat.
Whisk the warm cream into the melted chocolate.
Whisk in the vanilla bean paste (or coconut flavoring) and blue food coloring.
Whisk in 20 grams (1/4 cup) of the coconut.
Cover bowl with clingfilm/plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to scoop, about 4 hours.
Line a small tray with parchment or a silicone mat. With a cookie scoop or melon baller, divide the chilled ganache into 18-20 portions.
Use your hands to roll each portion into a smooth ball, then roll in the remaining coconut.
Refrigerate until firm. Dust with edible glitter before serving.
Store leftover snowball truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
Allow at least 2-4 hours for the ganache to chill prior to scooping and serving. Store leftover truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. These white chocolate truffles are best stored in the fridge, but for optimal taste and texture, allow them to sit at room temperature for a few minutes prior to serving.
Other Chocolate Truffle Recipes You Might Enjoy
Coconut White Chocolate Truffles with Basil
Orange Creamsicle Truffles
Coconut Oreo Truffles
Candy Cane 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!
