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5-Ingredient Whiskey Dark Chocolate Truffles

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5-Ingredient Whiskey Chocolate Truffles | gimmesomeoven.com

Something new is brewing lately in Kansas City. Actually make that — something very old is distilling again lately in Kansas City, for the first time since Prohibition. And I must say, everyone I know in town is pretty “high-spirited” about it. Oh yes.

Kansas City whiskey is back!!!

And let me be the first to give you a heads up — you’re going to want to check it out. After years in the making (after far too many years not in the making), the first bottles of J. Rieger & Co Kansas City whiskey were finally released in bars and stores this past fall. And they has been flying off the shelves at record pace ever since. Why?!

  1. It’s “O-So Good”.  Back in the day when J.Rieger & Co whiskey was one of the best-selling spirits in the country, this is what the labels on their bottles claimed. And I couldn’t agree more. Why? Well….
  2. It’s made with a special ingredient. Sherry! I never knew this, but apparently back in the 1800s before Prohibition, it was customary to blend a small amount of Spanish sherry into whiskey. And after tasting it, I understand why. It balances out the whiskey perfectly, smooths out any harshness, and adds a subtle hint of sweetness that is positively yummy. Since this was the style for making Kansas City whiskey back in the day, it has now becoming a legal thing that any sherry-blended whiskey will be classified as “Kansas City Whiskey”. Pretty cool.
  3. It’s made in my neighborhood. Well technically, the East Bottoms neighborhood that’s next door to my neighborhood in downtown Kansas City that’s newly being revitalized, but I’ll claim it as my own. You know how much I love neighbors!
  4. The story behind it is the best. I’d heard bits and pieces about how the owner of my favorite speakeasy stumbled upon the history behind this brand. But it wasn’t until he and his business partner (great-great-great-somthing-grandson of the original J. Rieger) were featured alongside me in the ShowMeKC series that I understood more of the context. And then when some friends and I popped over to the distillery last month for a tour, we were blown away by all of the cool (and incredibly serendipitous) details that explained so much more about the booming whiskey business in Kansas City in the 1800s, the far-reaching consequences of Prohibition, and what it looks like to revive a century-old brand and start a whiskey distillery nowadays. You can watch a short little 5-minute ShowMeKC clip about them here. But I’m telling you, if you’re ever in Kansas City, you must go on the tour. It’s the most fascinating history lesson ever!!

Anyway, this is totally not a sponsored post. Just the whiskey-loving, downtown-living, small-business-supporting, Kansas City food blogger shouting from the rooftops that I am very excited about this…because I have a blog, and I can. ;)

Also exciting? This recipe for 5-Ingredient Whiskey Chocolate Truffles. I made a few million of these truffles back in March for the screening of my ShowMeKC clip, which I have been tweaking and making and remaking ever since. After many requests from friends for the recipe, I’m finally getting around to sharing it with you today!

Whiskey Dark Chocolate Truffles Recipe | 1-Minute Video

5-Ingredient Whiskey Chocolate Truffles | gimmesomeoven.com

Oh man. When I found out that 50+ people were going to be attending this screening and that I was in charge of providing any treats, I panicked slightly for a hot minute. I may be a food blogger, but I have said a hundred times that I am not a caterer. Cooking for very large groups of people gives me mega anxiety, and after trying it a few times in the past, I quickly decided that I am much more of a “small batch” type of cook.

However.

I figured that with so many kind friends showing up to attend a mini-documentary screening about a food blog, I had probably better serve at least something from the blog. So I made a half dozen big batches of my Slow Cooker Chex Mix (which was surprisingly one of the top recipes of 2014). And then to balance out the savory, I decided to try mixing some Kansas City whiskey into a batch of dark chocolate truffles.

And I’m pretty sure the truffles stole the show.

5-Ingredient Whiskey Chocolate Truffles | gimmesomeoven.com

The great news was that — per my style (mwahaha) — they were actually incredibly easy to make behind the scenes. All you need are 5 easy ingredients (well, 6 ingredients, if you want to roll the truffles in something like cocoa powder or sprinkles or nuts), a few minutes to mix them up…

5-Ingredient Whiskey Chocolate Truffles | gimmesomeoven.com

…a few hours to let them chill…5-Ingredient Whiskey Chocolate Truffles | gimmesomeoven.com

…and then a few more minutes to roll them into balls. (I used a cookie scoop to make this part go faster.)

5-Ingredient Whiskey Chocolate Truffles | gimmesomeoven.com

Then voila!! In a short amount of time, I literally made hundreds of these truffles to serve that evening.

They were decadent, they were rich, they were sweet-but-not-too-sweet, and the sea salt was a must. But without a doubt, the number one comment was how much everyone loved the surprise kick of whiskey at the end. You’re of course free to use whatever kind of whiskey you love. But whenever I make these, I’m pretty sure that they will be KC Whiskey Dark Chocolate Truffles from now on. ;)

5-Ingredient Whiskey Chocolate Truffles | gimmesomeoven.com

Anyway, big cheers to local distilleries and breweries for doing such cool things across the country right now. I raise my glass (and my chocolate truffle) to all of you!

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5-Ingredient Whiskey Dark Chocolate Truffles

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 6 reviews
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 0 About 3 dozen truffles 1x

Description

These 5-Ingredient Whiskey Dark Chocolate Truffles are


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound dark chocolate, finely chopped (or chocolate chips)
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/3 cup whiskey
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • optional: unsweetened cocoa powder or sprinkles for rolling

Instructions

To Make In The Microwave:

  1. Add chocolate, heavy cream and butter to a microwave-safe bowl.  Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth.  Stir in whiskey and sea salt, and whisk until smooth.  Refrigerate the mixture for 2-3 hours, or until completely chilled.
  2. Remove from the refrigerator, and use a small cookie scoop (or a mellon baller or spoon) to shape the truffles into your desired size and shape, rolling between your hands quickly to smooth out the edges into a ball if needed.  Roll each ball in a bowl of cocoa powder or sprinkles if desired.  Then transfer to a serving place or storage container, and repeat with the remaining truffles.
  3. Enjoy immediately, or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 1 week.  (These truffles are best served chilled, so that they hold their shape better.)

To Make On The StoveTop:

  1. Add chocolate, heavy cream and butter to a medium saucepan.  Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth.  Stir in whiskey and sea salt, and whisk until smooth.  Refrigerate the mixture for 2-3 hours, or until completely chilled.
  2. Remove from the refrigerator, and use a small cookie scoop (or a mellon baller or spoon) to shape the truffles into your desired size and shape, rolling between your hands quickly to smooth out the edges into a ball if needed.  Roll each ball in a bowl of cocoa powder or sprinkles if desired.  Then transfer to a serving place or storage container, and repeat with the remaining truffles.
  3. Enjoy immediately, or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 1 week.  (These truffles are best served chilled, so that they hold their shape better.)

5-Ingredient Whiskey Chocolate Truffles | gimmesomeoven.com

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80 comments on “5-Ingredient Whiskey Dark Chocolate Truffles”

  1. I can’t lie. I am not much for whiskey…more of a vodka girl. BUT, my hubby LOVES his whiskey. And his desserts. So I am gettin’ some major wifey points for making these! Pinned!

  2. Whiskey and chocolate! Yes, please!

  3. Do you happen to know if they distribute out of state?

  4. I adore whiskey, and I love a good excuse to put it into any dessert. I made bourbon marshmallows around Christmas last year, but these truffles look great. I pinned them for later :)

  5. Yum! These look incredible! I love a good truffle and these sound divine!

  6. Ohh wee these are decadent and sweet!  I love the added KC home town whiskey kick to the recipe!  Great recipe, this will go over huge in my family.  I think I’ll make them for Mother’s day – whiskey and chocolate, why not?! She’ll love them!

  7. I’ve been hearing about the Rieger Whiskey!! I haven’t tried it yet, but am DYING to. Until a couple of months ago, I had no idea that the Rieger Hotel Grill & Exchange building was actually previously owned by the creator of whiskey. So much history there. It’s so fun to see something old become new again. Whiskey + chocolate seems like the perfect no brainer pairing. MUST try these! 

  8. I love whiskey, and I love chocolate! So these sound AWESOME. That’s really exciting about that distillery coming back. There’s supposed to be a distillery opening in my neighborhood sometime this summer, so I’m SUPER pumped about it – and you know I’ll be talking about it on my blog, too! Haha 

  9. I love this and love that distilleries are popping up everywhere in the midwest!! Also, I love anything you create in ball form. :)

  10. Oh I’m making a Mother’s Day gift for myself today! My hubby bought some bourbon a while back and discovered he hates the stuff, I like it but drink it very rarely, I think I’ll like it even better this way! Can’t wait!

  11. This sounds like a dessert that’s right up my alley. 

    Thanks for sharing!

    Josh – The Kentucky Gent
    https://thekentuckygent.com

  12. Perfect! I’m making these for my mother (who met my father in Kansas City) and my mother-in-law for Mother’s Day.  Beautiful and delicious – thank you!

  13. Love it so much. 2 year ago my friend gave me a whiskey dark chocolate truffle, and i in love with this ever since. Everyone please try this. I promise you won’t be regret.

  14. These are some seriously grown-up trruffles.Love them!

  15. These look so good!  I would love to try them for Christmas ,does anyone know if you can freeze these?

  16. Just finished making these to take to our family Thanksgiving dinner. My whiskey-loving hubby and I just sampled a couple – VERY rich, and so good! The whiskey packs a powerful punch for someone who, like me, doesn’t drink it other than taking a small nip from my husband’s glass now and then. The sea salt really adds to these, too. I think the family will be as wowed by these truffles as we are! 

  17. How many does this make?

  18. Hi Ali, OMG! This recipe sounds so good! And the way you write, it makes me want to make it NOW. LOL First of all, thank you so much for sharing all your wonderful recipes with us. I love all the photos, details and suggestions. I especially love the way you incorporate stories, as we read! I checked out the whisky you suggested in the chocolate truffles but I did not see anywhere I could order a bottle. (I’m 50). I realize they may not ship their whiskey. I don’t know how that works. But I also use organic ingredients when possible, when I cook. I would be using all organic ingredients to make this recipe, because I stay away from GMOs. However, the ingredients for the whisky in part, is corn. (In everything). I’m going to guess this whiskey is GMO. :-( But this sounds so good. I wish I could order myself a bottle. I think I’d make a small exception and go ahead and use it. Thank you again and I hope you have a great New Year! May it be filled with happiness, health and wealth! Beth

    • Thanks Beth, we hope you love these! You might be able to check with your local ABC stores and see if they carry any special whiskeys. Happy new year to you! :)

  19. Could the melted chocolate, butter, cream mixture chill in the fridge longer than 3 hours? or even overnight? before being rolled into balls.

    • Hi Rachel! That will be fine, but it will take longer for the mixture to come closer to room temp so they’re pliable, so just make sure you pull the mixture from the fridge an hour or two before you’re ready to shape them.

  20. I made these for myself, and ended up sharing them with friends so I wouldn’t eat them all. The recipe was so easy! For some reason, all the whiskey kick came up front in my truffles before finishing with dark chocolate deliciousness. Because of that, I got comments like, “I didn’t think I liked it at first, but then the flavor grew on me.” Someone else called the texture, “Perfect!” When I make this again, I’m going to take your suggestion of rolling it in nuts, however, they were wonderful for me with just the dusted coating :) Thank you!

  21. have you ever dipped them in melty chocolate- a la cake balls?

  22. I just tried the first step in this recipe. I used 1/3cup of heavy whipping cream, 16 Oz. of dark chocolate chips (Nestle), all I had on hand, and 2 tablespoons of butter. I used a heavy saucepan on the stove and just after the chocolate melted it did not go smooth, but started to separate and have a liquid butter in the mixture which will not incorporate at all. I added the sea salt and stirred more, but to no avail. I’m not wasting my whiskey at this point, since the other ingredients are now a waste.

    So, what went wrong?

  23. Okay – I Googled the problem “split ganache”…. This is caused by not heating the cream & the butter, if you’re using butter, first, BEFORE adding in the chocolate. This is key. I was able to salvage the mixture by following the steps found. After the mixture came together, I added the whiskey. Two things I noticed, the mixture tasted salty, and the whiskey was not prominent at all, I couldn’t define that flavor.

    I’m glad I tried this recipe. In the future I will not be using this formula..

  24. This is the 2nd time i made these. The 1st time for a Halloween party last year, they were super easy & totally a hit. I made the mixture again last night& was going to chill over night, but didn’t want to put the dish right in the fridge hot & accidentally left it sitting on the counter overnight. ? Being that there is heavy cream in this, do you think they should still be ok to serve after sitting out at roo temp for a few hours? I can’t believe i did that.

    • Hi Zoe! We’re glad to hear you enjoy these — no worries about accidentally leaving them out overnight, they should be fine. :)

  25. Salted or unsalted butter ?

  26. Could you use semisweet instead of dark chocolate?

    • Yes, completely! We’d recommend bittersweet, but semisweet will work just fine — we hope you enjoy them!

  27. Could you use other types of liqueur in these? Rum, baileys, etc?

  28. Can these be frozen for longer storage? (Sorry if this has been asked already)

  29. Love the idea! Gonna make them for Xmas!

  30. Do you think this could be done with rum instead?

  31. I made 2 batches of these last night to bag up as holiday gifts for my boyfriends co-workers. They prefer bourbon so I subbed that for the regular whiskey and used semi-sweet chocolate chips as I’m a bargain hunter and that’s what was on sale in the big bag. These were quick and easy using the microwave method and I even enjoyed one, even though I could never drink/liked the taste of bourbon. Thanks for the wonderful recipe! 

  32. Hello 
    I have just tried th recipe and its in the freeg for 5 hours now and still too soft to roll.
    What would you recommend here ?
    I could eat with spoons but ideally rolling it into small truffle balls would be the best.

    Thank you,
    Veri 

    • Hi Veri! Hmmm, we’re a bit puzzled here because they should definitely firm up and be easier to shape and roll after being in the fridge for that long. You could try popping them in the freezer for a few minutes and see if that helps?

  33. I just made these using blackberry whiskey and they are SO good! Thank you for sharing the recipe! I can’t wait to serve these at my Golden birthday party next week!

    • Oooh, we think that blackberry whiskey sounds amazing, Caitlyn! We’re glad you enjoyed these (and Happy early Birthday to you)! :)

  34. Hello, what is the best way to store the truffles?

    • Hi KC! We just store them in a container at room temp, but you could also store them in the fridge or freezer to make them last longer. We hope you enjoy!

  35. should i use salted or unsalted butter? can’t WAIT to make these

    • Hi Laura! We use unsalted for this, but if you want, you can use salted and just omit the salt that the recipe calls for. We hope you enjoy these!

  36. These five ingredient whiskey chocolate truffles were absolutely delicious. My cousin made these for Thanksgiving and they were a big hit. I will definitely make these for my next chocolate fix. They are absolutely on par with any packaged store bought truffle.

  37. This is my go-to recipe for social occasions, and they are always a hit! I decided to mix it up a bit this time and use bourbon instead of whiskey, so we’ll see how it goes. I usually dip them in dark, white, and milk chocolate for added interest, and sprinkle them with cocoa and ground coffee. Thank you for the recipe!






  38. Please don’t waste your time and $ on this recipe! Just made this. Followed this recipe step by step and when I added the whiskey the whole mixture curdled. Remained optimistic and refrigerated per directions. Just took it out after 4 hours and there is a yellow layer of fat on top. No way I could “scoop this and make truffles.” Horrible. Don’t bother. So frustrated I wasted this money.

  39. Made these for Holiday treats for our friends and they came out great. The whiskey gave it a really rich flavor, and I will definitely make these again! I adjusted the microwave method based on other truffles that I have previously made. First, I heated the heavy cream in a bowl in the microwave for 1 minute, which brought it to a boil. Then I dumped in the chocolate chips and butter in the bowl and covered it with plastic wrap.I let is sit for a minute then mixed and it melted perfectly! If it isn’t entirely melted from this method, try placing in the microwave for 15 more seconds, and it should do the trick.






  40. Super easy and super impressive. We’re having a late St. Patrick’s celebration and these are going to be a sure-fire favorite. I just finished rolling them and my partner and I can’t stop licking the spoons. Mmm.






  41. I am trying them for a family mothers day desert contest at home and I am hopping to win them over with this delicious and awesome recipe

    hopefully I win!!!






  42. I make these with 1/2 chocolate chips and 1/2 mint chocolate chips and call them drunken grasshopper truffles!! Spectacular!






  43. Meant to give four stars






  44. Can you make this without the alcohol?

  45. Is there a substitute for the heavy cream that would work for a non-dairy version