These Hot Chili Pepper Truffles are made with a dark chocolate ganache spiced up with cayenne pepper for a unique homemade candy with a kick!
hot chili pepper truffles are flavor bombs!
I know this is a terrible tease. All you see are little balls of chocolate. They could taste like anything, really.
How would you know that when you bite into one of these silky truffles you not only get the rich flavor of extra dark chocolate, but a pleasant hit of spice at the back of your throat as you swish the silky ganache across your palate?
It’s a lovely experience, but not a visual experience. You need to pop one of these hot chili truffles into your own mouth to really get it. If you’ve made my SMOLDERING HEART COOKIES ~ dark chocolate shortbread kicked up with cayenne ~ you’ve got the idea.
it’s all done with a simple cast of ingredients ~
- heavy cream
- extra dark chocolate
- cayenne chili pepper
But like so many interesting flavor combinations, this one is anything but new. Chocolate has been enjoyed by humans for thousands of years, and it was originally consumed unsweetened, paired with chili peppers. The word chocolate comes from the Aztec word for ‘bitter’, and the dark or bittersweet chocolate in these truffles plays off the spicy chili in the most alluring way.
If this interests you, you can read more in depth about the relationship between chocolate and chili on Serious Eats.
hot chili pepper truffles are positively romantic!
I’d say this would be a perfect thing to make for your Valentine, or, better yet, with your Valentine. The process of making truffles is easy and pretty sensuous, actually.
craving more truffles?
I have several other great truffle recipes on the blog if hot chili peppers aren’t your thing. My COFFEE AND CARDAMOM TRUFFLES, for instance, or my HOMEMADE FERRERO ROCHER TRUFFLES. And if you’re truly obsessed with truffles check out my epic collection of 20+ best chocolate truffle recipes.
Ingredient spotlight: Cayenne pepper
Cayenne peppers are long tapered red peppers, and as hot peppers go, they’re only moderately hot. That makes them a good choice for drying and grinding into a powder for cooking, and you’ll want to use it when you need a reliably moderate kick of spice in your recipes. I like it because it adds heat without a strong flavor. Start with 1/4 teaspoon and adjust to your taste.
I use cayenne pepper in everything from CARROT or CHICKEN SOUP to PINEAPPLE CHILI SORBET and MOLTEN LAVA CAKE!
Hot Chili Pepper Truffles
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne chili pepper more if you dare!
- 8 oz good quality dark or bittersweet chocolate or dark chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder for rolling
Instructions
- Heat the cream until it just comes to a simmer. You can do this in a small saucepan on the stove, or in a bowl in the microwave.
- Meanwhile, if you are using bar chocolate, chop it into small pieces.
- Add the chocolate and chili powder directly to the hot cream. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, and then stir until the mixture is smooth and glossy. If the chocolate isn’t completely melted you can heat it for about 15 seconds in the microwave and stir again.
- Cover with plastic wrap and set the bowl in the refrigerator to cool for about 2 hours, or until the ganache has hardened enough to be scoopable.
- Using a small 1″ sized scoop, a melon baller, or a teaspoon, scoop up small amounts of chocolate and set them on a plate. Work with about 10 truffles at a time.
- Roll each truffle around in your palms until it is a smooth ball.
- Roll each truffle in the cocoa powder until they are completely coated.
- Repeat the process with the rest of the truffles, cleaning your hands in between batches.
- You can store the truffles in the refrigerator, and you can serve them chilled or at room temperature.
Cook’s notes
- Feel free to adjust the amount of chili to suit your needs, if you’re feeling adventurous, add more cayenne.
- You might try using other hot spices in place of the cayenne ~ try chipotle chili powder, or even hot smoked paprika.
- You can use milk chocolate as well.
47 Comments
Zoe
January 31, 2022 at 4:30 pmHi sue , quick question can these be made in advance and how long can they stored ? Maybe they can even be frozen?
Sue Moran
January 31, 2022 at 5:29 pmDefinitely you can freeze them, and as for storage, they’ll last in the fridge about 2 weeks to be conservative.
Leanne
December 27, 2019 at 8:32 amThank you got this recipe Ive recently gotten into the truffle spirit and making them. While I’m not a fan of anything spicy I have a few loved ones that thoroughly enjoy them. I love a lot of your recipes because if they don’t automatically fit into our keto lifestyle I’m able to slightly tweak them to make them into keto recipes. Thank you so much for all the inspiration! I would never come up with any of these on my own.
Sue
December 27, 2019 at 8:34 amThanks Leanne, I’m so glad I’ve become a good resource for you 🙂