Make cute and tasty Pumpkin Truffles for Halloween or Thanksgiving. Each of these bite-sized chocolate pumpkins is filled with creamy pumpkin ganache.
The smell of pumpkin mixed with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger wafting through the house brings up warm memories of childhood. My mom didn't bake too often, but she always made pumpkin bread each year. The bread was always so moist and tender and full of spicy goodness.
My husband's favorite dessert is pumpkin pie, so we have it often throughout the fall.
As a chocolatier, I am always looking to create new flavors. I wanted to make a filled chocolate truffle that encompassed all the wonderful flavors of pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread. I think this recipe is just right.
Ingredients
Pumpkin Ganache
pumpkin puree - Canned pumpkin is fine. Do not use a can of pumpkin pie filling. That is already flavored.
brown sugar - This will add a rich caramel flavor to the ganache.
spices - Use cinnamon, ground ginger, and nutmeg.
vanilla extract
freshly squeezed lemon juice - This helps to brighten up the flavor of the pumpkin ganache.
salt - Just a pinch to balance out the sweetness.
heavy whipping cream - Makes your ganache rich and creamy.
good quality white chocolate - I used bars of Lindt White Chocolate.
Hershey's cinnamon chips - I found adding a ¼ cup of these cinnamon-flavored chips really adds an amazing cinnamon flavor. If you can't find them, you can add more white chocolate instead and add a little more cinnamon.
Chocolate Pumpkins (the outer shells)
semi-sweet chocolate or dark cocoa candy melts or almond bark - I created the outer shells from pure-tempered chocolate. If you aren't experienced at tempering, you can use compound chocolate, also known as confectionery coating, candy melts, melting wafers, or almond bark.
Check out my chocolate-making tips page for detailed instructions on choosing the right chocolate, melting chocolate or candy melts, and tempering pure chocolate.
Supplies
double boiler (saucepan and bowl)
shallow glass dish
plastic wrap
disposable pastry bags or zip-top bags
plastic pumpkin candy mold (or use silicone or polycarbonate chocolate molds)
Instructions
Make pumpkin ganache.
Prepare a double boiler. Set the bottom pot of the double boiler, filled with 1" of water, over low heat.
Set the top bowl on the bottom pot, making sure that water does not touch the bowl.
Combine all the pumpkin ganache ingredients in the top bowl. Stir occasionally until melted and smooth.
Let it cool.
Pour ganache into a bowl.
Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the top of your ganache, so a crust won't form. Let cool to room temperature.
Create the chocolate pumpkins.
Melt and temper (heat and cool to exact temperatures) pure semi-sweet chocolate or melt dark cocoa Candy Melts, almond bark, or melting wafers. For instructions, check out my chocolate-making tips page.
Pour melted chocolate into a disposable pastry bag. Cut off the tip of the bag.
Pipe chocolate into the cavities of a pumpkin-shaped candy mold filling them all the way up to the top edge.
Remove air bubbles.
Tap the mold on the table several times to allow air bubbles to rise to the surface. I use a small vibrating table to do the work for me.
It's not that I'm lazy, it's just that at times I fill hundreds of molds a day, and this machine just makes it easier.
Pour out excess chocolate.
Turn your filled mold upside down over your bowl of melted chocolate. Allow most of the chocolate to drip out of the mold, leaving only a thin shell of chocolate.
Scrape the chocolate off the mold.
Use an offset spatula or a putty knife (from the hardware store) to scrape off the excess chocolate. You want the top edge of each cavity to be clean.
Chill the chocolate.
Once cleaned, put mold in the refrigerator if you are using tempered chocolate, or the freezer if using confectionery coating.
Allow the chocolate to set completely. This should take 5-10 minutes.
Pipe pumpkin ganache into chocolate pumpkins.
Spoon the pumpkin ganache into a disposable pastry bag. Cut off the tip and pipe the ganache into each chocolate-filled mold.
Once you fill the mold, set it aside for about an hour so that the ganache can firm up.
Cover the ganache with chocolate.
Sorry, I missed snapping a picture of this step, so I'm sharing a picture from my Chocolate Raspberry Eggs recipe.
Pour a thin layer of chocolate over the top, spread it over the opening to ensure it is completely covered, and then scrape across the mold using the scraper to remove any excess chocolate.
Chill until set.
Unmold the chocolates.
Turn the mold upside down and allow the chocolate to fall out of the mold.
If the pieces don't come out easily, you can press the backside gently until the chocolates come out.
I hope you can excuse the ugly photos of these chocolate pumpkin truffles.
I made this recipe in 2010 for my Hungry Halloween website (which has been forwarded to Hungry Happenings), and I was not a very good photographer back then.
However, the candies taste amazing. I do hope enjoy making them.
Related Recipes
Be sure to check out all the Halloween recipes here on Hungry Happenings.
Recipe
Chocolate pumpkins are filled with creamy pumpkin ganache flavored with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- pinch of salt
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 18 ounces good quality white chocolate
- ¼ cup cinnamon chips (Hershey's)
- 36 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (melted and tempered) OR dark cocoa candy melts or almond bark (melted)
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Prepare a double boiler by filling a saucepan with 1 inch of water and setting a bowl on top.
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Combine all the pumpkin ganache ingredients in the bowl.
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Stir occasionally until everything is melted and smooth.
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Remove the bowl from the heat.
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Pour the pumpkin ganache into shallow dish, cover it directly with plastic wrap, and set aside to cool.
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All the ganache to coo for about an hour before piping it into your chocolate pumpkins.
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Create the chocolate pumpkins.
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Pour your melted (and tempered) chocolate into a disposable pastry bag.
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Cut a small bit of the tip off so your chocolate will flow out easily but not too quickly.
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Pipe chocolate into the cavities of a pumpkin-shaped candy mold filling them all the way up to the top edge.
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Tap the mold a few times to remove air bubbles.
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Then, turn your filled mold upside down over your bowl of melted chocolate and allow most of the chocolate to drip out of the mold, leaving only a thin shell of chocolate.
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Use an offset spatula or a putty knife to scrape off the excess chocolate leaving the top of your free of any chocolate.
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Put the chocolate-filled mold in the refrigerator if you are using tempered chocolate, or the freezer if using confectionery coating.
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Allow the chocolate to set completely. This should take 5-10 minutes.
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Once all of your chocolate shells are ready, you can fill them with pumpkin ganache.
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Spoon the pumpkin ganache into a disposable pastry bag. Cut off the tip and pipe the ganache into each chocolate-filled mold.
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Once you fill the mold, set it aside for about an hour so that the ganache can firm up.
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When the ganache no longer feels wet to the touch, pour a thin layer of chocolate over the top, spread it over the opening to ensure it is completely covered, and then scrape across the mold using the scraper to remove any excess chocolate.
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Chill in the refrigerator or freezer for 3-5 miutes just until that chocolate is set.
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Unmold the chocolates.
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Let the chocolate pumpkin truffles come to room temperature before eating.
Store your chocolates at room temperature for up to 5 days or place them in a cardboard box in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Remove them from the refrigerator and leave them in the box for an hour before removing them. This should keep condensation from forming on the chocolate.
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theolotto says
I use pumpkins for jack-o-lanterns.
Jennifer says
Favorite use for a pumpkin?! That is an extremely difficult question..
I looove pumpkin cheesecake, and regular pumpkin cake... but I think my favorite thing to do is make mini pumpkin pies (made by lining mini-muffin cups with pie crust and filling with standard pumpkin pie filling)
Rachel says
My favorite use is to make toasted pumpkin seeds! I love the crunch. 🙂
Anonymous says
I follow and love your site. I love Halloween. I am not sure if my last post worked. I use pumpkins for decorations, pies and muffins.
Diane Baum
esldiane@gmail.com
Anonymous says
I now follow you via google. I love your site and I will refer friend, but on esuggestion...I understand why you used black for the background but I found it difficult to read. I use pumpkins for decorations, pies and muffins.
Diane Baum
esldiane@gmail.com
Snowpuff says
My favorite use for a pumpkin is pumpkin pie!
Anonymous says
I am a follower. We like to use the pumpkin for decoration, but , the insides of it for homemade pie!
edgenemmers@gmail.com
Jen H says
I use pumpkins for decoration and I absolutely love carving jack o' lanterns. I love watching the kids scoop it out especially their first year with it sticking to their hands 🙂
Jodi says
I like to decorate with pumpkins.
purehrt555(at)yahoo(dot)com
I am a new follower.
jsc123 says
I am following via Blogger.
My favorite use of a pumpkin is to decorate for fall with. But I also use the inside to make pumpkin pies and muffins.
paula michele says
I'm a follower. I like to make pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, and pumpkin muffins.
hafner611{AT}gmail{DOT}com
susan says
I follow your blog via gfc.. suele1998 @ gmail.com
I love to use pumpkin for pie!
Laurie says
Posted on Facebook too! And will also post on my blog later today with the Amazon link to the book.
Laurie says
Tweeted for the truffles!
Beth R says
Posted on Facebook and tagged "cookbook" on Amazon...#49
Love all your ideas. You are such a talent, Beth.
ky2here says
Will tweet for truffles:
http://twitter.com/ky2here1/status/24966950117
ky2here at msn dot com
ky2here says
GFC follower kycouple2000. My most likely use for a pumpkin would be decoration (sorry).
ky2here at msn dot com
sweetsue says
I follow you on GFC. My favorite use for pumpkin is to give them to my mom-she makes the worlds greatest spicy pumpkin pie!
smchester at gmail dot com
Krista says
I love to use pumpkins in the fall as a vase for flower arrangements. You have a really fun site. I am a follower, I have shared your site on my FB page and I added the tag Halloween Recipe - (3) on Amazon for a total of 7 entries unless of course and friends referrals show up 🙂
Thanks for offering such a wonderful giveaway!
Krista
floating says
i am a follower
my favorite use of a pumpkin is craving it or painting it