Rich keto chocolate truffles with espresso – the ultimate dessert for coffee lovers! Dipped in sugar-free dark chocolate too. This post is sponsored by ChocZero.
If you know anything about me, you know I love coffee with a deep and undying passion. I love it in all forms – strong black coffee, creamy frothy cappuccinos, and tiny bitter cups of espresso.
I also love to create desserts with it with coffee and espresso, and I have a some well loved keto coffee recipes. Cakes, brownies and other delicious creations. And you don’t want to miss my Keto Coffee Ice Cream!
Nothing goes together quite like coffee and chocolate. In fact, I often add a bit of coffee to my keto chocolate cake recipes, because it intensifies the chocolate flavor. So making Keto Chocolate Espresso Truffles was the next logical step.
To dip or not to dip?
Keto chocolate truffles are made much the same way as conventional chocolate truffles, wherein chopped chocolate is add to hot cream to melt, then rolled into balls.
You see chocolate truffles decorated in any number of ways, the simplest being to roll them in cocoa powder.
But if you really want to take your keto truffles to the next level, you must try dipping them in sugar-free chocolate. It’s extra work but well worth it.
For these Chocolate Espresso Truffles, I decided to dip in ChocZero’s delicious dark chocolate, and then created a drizzle with with some of their white chocolate.
As always, use code FOODDREAMER for 10% off all ChocZero products!
How to make Keto Chocolate Truffles
This is an easy recipe that results in a truly decadent keto treat. It’s also great for holiday gift giving! Here are my best tips for great results:
- Use heavy cream – don’t try to lighten these with half and half or something thinner, as your chocolate mixture won’t firm up properly.
- You can do coconut cream if you want dairy free truffles but I often find that results in a thinner mixture too. Adding an additional ½ ounce of chocolate can help.
- Watch your cream in the pan. You don’t want it to boil, but you want to see it bubbling in a simmer. The minute it does, remove it from heat.
- Then immediately add the chocolate and let it sit undisturbed for about 5 minutes. The residual heat from the cream will melt the chocolate without making it seize.
- Add the butter and vanilla, and whisk until smooth. Then place it in the fridge to firm up. This should only take about an hour.
- Be prepared to get your hands dirty! There is no good way to make chocolate truffles without rolling the mixture in your hands. And as you do so, it melts a bit. Keep a rag nearby to wipe your hands frequently.
- Freeze the truffles before dipping. This makes them less likely to melt and it also sets the chocolate coating quickly.
- I always like to melt my chocolate coating with some cocoa butter, as it helps thin it out and melt more smoothly. You can use 2 teaspoons of coconut oil if you prefer.
- White chocolate is finicky so it requires care when you melt it. Always do it double boiler-style and don’t walk away, especially with an amount this small. It can firm up and seize quickly if you don’t stir it almost constantly.
- For the drizzle, I recommend place the melted chocolate in a small snack-size ziplock bag and cutting off just the very tip of one corner. Then you can gently squeeze it out as you drizzle it over the truffles.
- Place your espresso bean on the chocolate right away, as it sets quickly.
More delicious keto truffle recipes
- Keto Peanut Butter Truffles (AKA Buckeyes!)
- Keto Pecan Pie Truffles
- Keto Brownie Batter Truffles
- Keto “Oreo” Truffles
- Keto Cheesecake Truffles
- Keto Hazelnut Caramel Truffles
Keto Chocolate Espresso Truffles
Ingredients
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoon instant espresso powder (can use a Starbucks Via pack)
- 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate chopped
- ⅓ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 2 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 ounces dark chocolate chips, sugar-free
- ½ ounce cocoa butter
- 1 tablespoon sugar-free white chocolate chips
- 24 espresso beans
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the heavy cream and espresso powder to a simmer. Remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate. Let sit 5 minutes to melt.
- Add the sweetener and butter, and whisk until smooth. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
- Using about 1 tablespoon of the mixture at a time, roll into balls and place on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet. Freeze 1 hour.
- In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, combine the dark chocolate chips and cocoa butter. Stir frequently until melted and smooth.
- Dip the frozen truffles in one at a time, tossing with two forks to coat. Lift out and tap the fork on the side of the bowl to remove excess chocolate. Place back on the waxed paper lined baking sheet.
- Place the white chocolate in another heat proof bowl and set over the pan to melt, stirring constantly.
- Drizzle any remaining melted dark chocolate over half of the truffles and drizzle white chocolate over the rest (Place the melted chocolate in a ziploc baggie with the very corner snipped off to pipe it over).
- While the chocolate drizzle is still warm, place one espresso bean on the top of each truffle. Let set.
Leesa Bartu says
The texture inside is amazing on these! The vanilla was listed as an ingredient but never listed in the recipe itself but I just added it to the espresso ball mixture. Great alternative to some of the sugar free candies – I can’t wait to try some different options as I can only have a limited amount of caffeine.
AmyJo says
HI, Carolyn.
I have made many of your recipes and love them! I found ChocZero thanks to your recipes and have been an avid purchaser of their products for the last year and a half.
I recently got a CGM and found that their products spike my blood glucose higher than items containing sugar. 2 peanut butter cups spiked my blood glucose +55 points. I have tried eating their treats alone and at the end of a healthy meal. I tested several products to be sure that was the reason for the spike. I know every body is different but wanted to alert others to the possibility that their products may not be keto/glucose friendly options.
Carolyn says
Wow, that’s not good. Sorry to hear it. I don’t have issue with their chocolate products. I do steer clear of the syrups, as they haven’t been great for my blood sugar either.
Polina says
This resepie is very the best ! just like a real McCoy !love it
,
Carolyn says
Thank you!
Amanda Miller says
Yum! I was looking for a quick, rich chocolately snack to whip up today, and this fit the bill! I will put this one on repeat!
BTW, you didn’t say where to add the vanilla extract, so I put it in with the sweetener (which I cut to 1/4 cup since I find your recipes too sweet for my taste).
Ellen Ingles says
vanilla is listed in ingredients, but never mentioned in the directions? I just left it out.
Kelly says
Hi Carolyn!
I love all your fabulous recipes! Thank you for sharing with us!
Wasn’t sure if you follow Thomas Lauer or had seen his most recent video on erythritol. It’s fantastic! (I’ve got Zero concerns about baking with it & thought you might want to see the video if you hadn’t already)
Carolyn says
Yes, I saw his and Dr. Berry’s and Berg’s, and the one from the New York Times too! There’s a lot of pushback on this right now. 🙂
Ava Malinovsky says
Is there a substitute for Cocoa butter? They look fabulous!
thanks and Merry Christmas!
Carolyn says
Coconut oil is your best bet but it does make them much meltier at room temp.
Barb says
When do you put the vanilla in? I don’t see that in the instructions.
Cynthia Poppe says
I hate coffee. I know – I’m an odd one out. So be it. What I substituted for espresso was powdered peanut butter! Yum yum yum. Thanks for the inspiration and relentlessly good recipes!
Carolyn says
Don’t sub anything, just skip it for chocolate. but if you want PB balls, check these out: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/peanut-butter-cookie-dough-truffles-low-carb-and-gluten-free/
Alison Orr says
I rolled truffles in coconut to save the faff of coating in chocolate, especially as there’s already a lot of chocolate in the recipe. My goodness, these are delish! I bet they’re even better with the chocolate coating! Thanks so much.
Rebecca Charles says
How do these need to be stored?
Carolyn says
The fridge is fine.
Paula O says
I altered this recipe to suit my chocoholic husband for Valentine’s Day. He detests coffee, but loves chocolate-orange flavor, so I substituted the espresso powder with orange peel and orange extract. Then, I topped the truffle with a little more orange peel and white chocolate (which he also loves). A complete win! Thank you!
Heather says
I miss the old recipe with the condensed milk. This was always a favorite of mine for the holidays.
Carolyn says
What old recipe? I never made these before I created this particular recipe.
Erin says
If you’re a coffee lover, you have to try this recipe. Rich and delicious. thanks for the easy to follow recipe.
Lily says
These were amazing so silky/creamy. I double the recipe and I am so glad I did they are the perfect pick me up with a cup of coffee!
wilhelmina says
These are the most incredible truffles! They are so rich and delicious, I love the depth that the espresso adds to the chocolate. YUM!!!
Crissa Pap says
Thank you Carolyn for this recipe! It was absolutely fabulous! I made it for my daughter-in-law and she said that it tasted like chocolate from Harry and David’s. Quite a complement. The only thing that I changed was the espresso powder which I made by grinding 2tsp. of Chocolate Cherry coffee Into powder, that did come from Harry and David’s, but I used only 1 tsp in the recipe. Thank you again!
Liz L says
Looks delicious! Can’t wait to try.
Tresa Lovejoy says
Carolyn this recipie looks great. Do you think I could sub out the heavy cream for Silk whipping cream?
stacy says
I love truffles with Grand Mariner or Kirsh added, and used to make them every year in pre-diabetes days. Have you added booze to any of your batches? Any suggestions on how I can do that, or are the properties of sugar-free chocolate different? I’d just wade in, but the ingredients are too spendy on my secretarial salary.
Carolyn says
So you could easily add a little in. I am not sure of the process but I bet you could look up a conventional boozy truffle recipe and use it as a guide (it may have to replace some of the cream to not throw off the liquid content). But you could also do something like orange extract or cherry extract to “fake it” without the booze.