Salted Caramel Truffles are hands-down one of my favorite things to make when the occasion calls for something a little fancy. There’s just something about that first bite—smooth dark chocolate that gives way to buttery caramel with a hint of salt—that feels special without being overly precious. And here’s the best part: you don’t need any fancy equipment or candy-making skills to pull these off.
These work beautifully for gift boxes, dinner party desserts, or honestly just keeping in the fridge for when you need something sweet after dinner. The sweet-salty thing is dangerously good, and because you’re making them yourself, you control exactly how much salt and how dark the chocolate goes.
What Makes These Salted Caramel Truffles So Damn Good
✾ Actually easy, not “easy”: No thermometer, no tempering, no weird techniques. Just melting, stirring, and rolling.
✾ Five ingredients do all the work: Sugar, butter, cream, chocolate, and salt create something that tastes way more complex than the ingredient list suggests.
✾ Make them days ahead: The ganache stays perfect in the fridge for almost a week before rolling, and finished truffles freeze like a dream for up to three months.
✾ Customize however you want: Roll them in cocoa powder for classic elegance, crushed pistachios for color, or dip in tempered chocolate if you’re feeling ambitious.
✾ Gift-giving solved: Pack a dozen in a small box with tissue paper and suddenly you’re the person who gives amazing homemade gifts.
✾ The flavor is seriously addictive: That homemade caramel brings a depth you just don’t get from plain chocolate truffles, and the salt keeps things from getting cloying.
Your Short but Mighty Ingredient List
For the Salted Caramel Ganache:
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar: Stick with white sugar here; brown sugar makes the caramel too soft to roll properly.
• 6 tablespoons (90g) unsalted butter, cubed: Cut it into chunks before you start so everything melts evenly when you add it.
• ½ cup (120ml) heavy cream: Needs to be real heavy cream (36% fat minimum). Half-and-half won’t set up right.
• 8 ounces (225g) dark chocolate (60-70% cacao), finely chopped: Use actual chocolate bars, not chips. Chips have stabilizers that mess with the texture.
• ¾ teaspoon flaky sea salt (Maldon or fleur de sel work great), plus extra for topping: Those visible flakes make all the difference. Table salt is too harsh and fine.
For Coating:
• ⅓ cup (30g) unsweetened cocoa powder: Either natural or Dutch-process works fine.
• Or 1 cup finely chopped toasted nuts: Pistachios are gorgeous, but almonds or hazelnuts are equally delicious.
• Or 6 ounces tempered chocolate: If you want that hard shell snap.
Quick Notes: Keep finished truffles in the fridge in an airtight container for up to two weeks. Just let them sit out for 10 minutes before eating—they’re way better when the ganache softens up a bit.
Can’t find flaky salt? Use kosher salt instead, but dial it back to ½ teaspoon and crush it between your fingers first so it’s not too chunky.
Let’s Walk Through It Together
1 Prep your workspace.
Line an 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper. Chop chocolate into small pieces and place in a medium bowl. Cube the butter and measure the cream—once you start the caramel, things move fast.
2 Caramelize the sugar.
Pour sugar into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and spread evenly. Heat on medium without stirring for 4-5 minutes until edges melt. Once you see significant melting, gently stir with a heatproof spatula, dragging melted sugar toward the center. Continue until everything’s melted and deep amber colored (8-12 minutes total). Watch closely at the end—it burns quickly.
3 Add butter and cream.
Remove from heat and add all the butter. It’ll bubble up—keep stirring for 30-45 seconds until smooth. Pour in the cream and salt (more bubbling), stir until combined, then return to medium-low heat. Simmer for 2 minutes without stirring.
4 Make the ganache.
Pour hot caramel over chocolate. Let sit 2 minutes, then whisk from center outward until smooth and shiny (about 1 minute). If chocolate bits remain, microwave in 10-second bursts, whisking between each.
5 Chill it.
Pour ganache into prepared dish, smooth the top, and press plastic wrap directly on surface. Refrigerate 3-4 hours until firm (or freeze for 90 minutes).
6 Roll the truffles.
Line a baking sheet with parchment. Use a cookie scoop or spoon to portion walnut-sized pieces. With cocoa-dusted hands, quickly roll into balls. If too sticky, refrigerate 10 minutes. Makes 24-28 truffles.
7 Coat and finish.
Roll truffles in cocoa powder (work in batches of 4-5), then top each with a pinch of flaky salt. Store in the fridge in an airtight container.
Little Details That Make a Big Difference
✾ Go darker with the caramel for better flavor. That deep amber color isn’t just for looks—it creates complex caramel flavor with slight bitter notes that balance out all the sweetness. Stop too early and your truffles will taste flat and one-dimensional.
✾ Let the ganache firm up properly. If you try rolling too soon, you’ll end up with misshapen, sticky disasters. On the flip side, if it gets too hard (like if you forget it in the fridge overnight), let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before scooping. It should be firm but still scoopable.
✾ A portion scoop is a game-changer. Uniform truffles aren’t just prettier—they firm up at the same rate and look professional. A 1-tablespoon cookie scoop is the perfect size and makes the job so much faster.
✾ Double-coat for gift-giving. Roll once in cocoa powder, refrigerate for 30 minutes, then roll again. This creates a thicker, cleaner coating that hides fingerprints and looks really polished in a gift box.
✾ Nothing goes to waste. Any ganache that’s too soft or misshapen gets melted down and stirred into hot milk for drinking chocolate, drizzled over ice cream, or spread between cookies. It’s all delicious.
What You’re Getting in Each Bite
• Calories: 110
• Total Fat: 8g
• Saturated Fat: 5g
• Carbohydrates: 11g
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 9g
• Protein: 1g
• Sodium: 45mg
✾ Nutrition information is estimated based on standard ingredient values and may vary depending on specific brands used and coating choices.
Questions You’ll Probably Have (and the Answers)
➲ Can these be made dairy-free?
Yes, but with a few tweaks. Swap the heavy cream for full-fat coconut cream and use vegan butter. The caramel will have a slightly grainier texture and the truffles will be softer at room temperature, so plan to serve them cold. Make sure your chocolate is dairy-free too.
➲ What if my ganache stays grainy and won’t smooth out?
This is usually a temperature problem. Set the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water (makeshift double boiler) and whisk continuously until it comes together. Another trick: hit it with an immersion blender for 30 seconds to force the emulsion.
➲ How should these be packaged as gifts?
Small boxes (4×4 inches fit about 6-9 truffles nicely) lined with parchment or mini cupcake liners look really professional. If you’re stacking them, put parchment squares between layers. Keep them refrigerated until about an hour before giving, and include a note that they should stay in the fridge and be eaten within a week.
➲ My caramel seized up when adding the cream—what went wrong?
The caramel was probably too hot, which caused the sugar to crystallize when it hit the cooler cream. Next time, take the pan completely off the heat before adding butter, and try to have your cream at room temperature. If it does seize, you can sometimes save it by putting it back on low heat and stirring constantly until the crystals dissolve, but prevention is way easier.
Final Thoughts Before You Roll Up Your Sleeves
These Salted Caramel Truffles prove you don’t need pastry school credentials to make something that tastes legit. The homemade caramel folded into dark chocolate creates this ridiculously smooth texture, and that flaky salt on top is what takes them from “nice” to “can’t stop eating these.” After making them a few times, the whole process becomes second nature—you’ll know the caramel’s ready by sight and smell, and rolling will feel effortless.
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Made these? Drop a comment and let everyone know which coating you went with—cocoa powder, nuts, or something creative. And if you’re packaging these up as gifts this year, tag your boxes on Instagram so people can see how gorgeous they turn out! #Salted Caramel Truffles
List Of Sections
Easy Salted Caramel Truffles
Ingredients
- 1 cup 200g granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons 90g unsalted butter, cubed
- ½ cup 120ml heavy cream
- 8 ounces 225g dark chocolate (60-70% cacao), finely chopped
- ¾ teaspoon flaky sea salt plus more for topping
- ⅓ cup 30g unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
- Line an 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper. Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Add sugar to a heavy-bottomed saucepan, spread evenly, and heat on medium without stirring for 4-5 minutes. Once edges melt, stir gently until all sugar melts and turns deep amber (8-12 minutes total).
- Remove from heat and add butter, stirring until smooth (30-45 seconds). Add cream and salt, stir to combine, then return to medium-low heat and simmer 2 minutes.
- Pour hot caramel over chocolate. Let sit 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth. If needed, microwave in 10-second bursts until fully melted.
- Pour ganache into prepared dish, cover surface with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 3-4 hours until firm.
- Scoop ganache into walnut-sized portions and roll into balls with cocoa-dusted hands. Roll in cocoa powder and top with flaky salt. Store refrigerated.
