Heavenly Champagne Truffles are placed on a silver platter with a handle. they have bittersweet chocolate shells and are decorated with edible gold leaves. Two glasses of champagne are served on the side.

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: Heavenly Champagne Truffles are a top-tier holiday indulgence! These velvety smooth treats are undoubtedly divine: intensely chocolatey with the added zip of bubbly. Plus, the gold leaf embellishment makes them look as gorgeous as they taste!

The creamy milk chocolate center is infused with champagne and brandy, resulting in a sweet ganache lifted by a pleasantly boozy note.
These treats take some effort, but the results are unique and worth it. (Also, much of the preparation time is hands-off, and waiting for the chocolate to set.)

Handcrafted truffles make a gorgeous holiday gift, and if the basic type weren’t impressive enough, this recipe elevates truffles into the sumptuous category. If you were to buy a box of champagne truffles, you’d spend a bundle. But whipping up a batch of these Heavenly Champagne Truffles, even with the luxe gold leaf, gives you a budget-friendly splurge that’s a great gift or a treat to enjoy by yourself!

What Are Heavenly Champagne Truffles?
Tools You Need
Key Ingredients and Why
How to Make Heavenly Champagne Truffles
Can I Make Heavenly Champagne Truffles in Advance?
How to Store Heavenly Champagne Truffles
FAQs
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
More Truffle Recipes

What Are Heavenly Champagne Truffles?

Heavenly Champagne Truffles are chocolate confectionery with a delectable bittersweet chocolate shell and a thick, whipped center made from milk and semi-sweet chocolate, champagne, brandy, and heavy cream. Edible gold leaf is applied to the tops of the truffles.
According to legend, French patissier Louis Dufour invented chocolate truffles on Christmas Day. When he ran out of treats to sell, he improvised by rolling balls of chocolate ganache and dipping them in melted chocolate.
The Swiss chocolatier Teuscher was the first to create the champagne truffle. The story goes that he saw champagne buckets near his shop, and inspiration struck!

Tools You Need

Key Ingredients and Why

Milk chocolate
- Milk chocolate gives the truffle center sweetness. At 38-42% cocoa solids, its cocoa content is lower than semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate. Milk chocolate contains cocoa solids, milk solids, sugar, lecithin, and sugar to create its smooth and creamy texture with a sweet and flavorful profile.
- The cocoa butter and milk solids contribute to milk chocolate’s creamy texture, giving the chocolate coating a lovely smoothness.
- Chopped chocolate is preferable to chocolate chips, as most chips don’t melt as well.
- Learn about chocolate varieties in our Ultimate Guide to the Different Types of Chocolate.
Semi-sweet chocolate
- Semisweet chocolate, with 52-62% chocolate solids, gives these truffles a darker, more pronounced chocolate flavor while still having a sweetness and a creamy consistency,
Demi-sec champagne or Prosecco
- Demi-sec, or semi-dry champagne, is the perfect choice for candy making. Whereas brut champagne is dry, demi-sec contributes notes of fruitiness and milk sweetness.
- Prosecco, with its fresh and fruity notes, is a delicious and budget-friendly alternative to use in this recipe.
- The wine balances the intense sweetness of the ganache.
Heavy cream
- Heavy cream is essential for giving the ganache its silky smooth consistency.
- Cream also keeps the ganache from being so sweet and is a flavor carrier, distributing the chocolate and champagne throughout the ganache center.
Brandy
- Brandy adds complexity to the flavor of the truffle, giving it warmth and depth.
Butter
- Butter gives the truffle an indulgent richness and a lush mouthfeel.
- The butterfat emulsifies the ganache ingredients, blending everything together in a stable, smooth, and glossy mixture.
Bittersweet chocolate
- Bittersweet chocolate has 63-72% chocolate solids, giving it an intense flavor.
- If you’d prefer creamy dark chocolate champagne truffles, you can substitute dark chocolate for the bittersweet chocolate.
Edible gold leaf
- Edible gold leaf is a super-thin sheet of real gold. It’s flavorless and adds a luxurious look to the truffles.

How to Make Heavenly Champagne Truffles

Make the ganache: In a double boiler, combine milk chocolate, semisweet chocolate, champagne, brandy, and heavy cream until melted. Stir in butter. Put the mixture in a covered bowl and refrigerate until firm.
Make the truffle centers: Scoop and shape tablespoon-sized smooth ganache balls and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for an hour.
Make the coating: Melt the bittersweet chocolate in a double-boiler. Remove from the heat and let cool. Dip one ball at a time into the melted chocolate and put on the baking sheet to dry. Refrigerate for one hour.
Add the gold leaf: Lightly dampen the tops of the chocolate champagne truffles and apply the gold leaf.

Can I Make Heavenly Champagne Truffles in Advance?

Yes, you can make Heavenly Champagne Truffles in advance.

The ganache balls can be prepared two days in advance.
You can dip the ganache balls into the chocolate a day or two ahead of time or a few hours before serving.
Before serving, let the truffles come to room temperature.

How to Store Heavenly Champagne Truffles

Store leftover truffles in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.

FAQs

Can I make these truffles without alcohol?

If you’d like a delicious alcohol-free truffle, try my Salted Caramel Truffles!

I’ve never made ganache before—is it tricky?

Ganache is easy to make if you follow some simple rules.

- Warm the ganache mixture over low heat. If the heat is too high, the ganache could separate.
- If the ganache is too soft to scoop into balls, refrigerate until firm.
- Make sure the ganache balls are chilled thoroughly before dipping. If not, the coating won’t go on smoothly.

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

Since this perfect sweet treat is essentially a chocolate candy dessert, it will be as good as the chocolate you use. Use the very best you can find.
I use lighter chocolate than normal for this recipe so you can taste the Prosecco. Don’t use bittersweet for the truffle center as it will dominate the taste.
Instead of using a double boiler (bain marie), you can gently melt the chocolate in the microwave but do so in 30-second intervals so as not to burn it.
Instead of brandy, you can use another liquor or liqueur of your choice: Grand Marnier, Chambord, or cognac would also be nice.
Rolling the balls of truffle can get very messy if your hands get hot. If you have food-grade disposable gloves, wearing these can provide a heat barrier to help keep the chocolate from melting in your hands.
If you don’t want to use gold leaf, you can either roll the truffles in cocoa powder just after dipping them in chocolate, or you can brush on some gold luster dust after the chocolate has set.

More Truffle Recipes