White Chocolate Truffles

These white chocolate truffles need just five ingredients and zero baking. You melt white chocolate with heavy cream, stir in orange liqueur and fresh zest, chill until firm, then roll into bite-sized balls coated in powdered sugar.

The orange liqueur (Grand Marnier, Cointreau, or triple sec) gives each truffle a bright citrus note that cuts through the sweetness of the white chocolate. Fresh orange zest reinforces that flavor without adding liquid. Together they keep these from tasting one-dimensional.

Chilling the ganache in a pie pan speeds things up. The shallow, wide shape cools the mixture evenly, so you’re scooping and rolling in about two hours instead of waiting overnight.

Chef Tips

• Use good quality white chocolate with cocoa butter listed as an ingredient. Cheap white chips made with palm oil won’t set into a smooth ganache.
• If the mixture is too soft to roll, pop it back in the fridge for 15 minutes between batches.
• Sift the powdered sugar before rolling. Lumpy sugar gives the truffles a gritty, uneven coating.
• Work quickly when shaping. The warmth of your hands softens the ganache fast.

Variations

• Roll in unsweetened cocoa powder or finely chopped pistachios instead of powdered sugar.
• Swap the orange liqueur for Chambord (raspberry) or Amaretto (almond) for a different flavor profile.
• Fold in dried cranberries or candied ginger before chilling for added texture.