Chocolate Gingerbread Truffles

 

 

 

These chocolate gingerbread truffles are festive, simple to make, and use only three ingredients. Smothered in chocolate, the truffles are made with crushed gingerbread. The recipe is adaptable and the candy will be ready to eat in under an hour.

 

 

 

My chocolate gingerbread truffles

Making your own gingerbread

The perfect spice for Christmas

Other ways to use up leftover gingerbread

Adapting the truffle recipe

More Christmas recipes

 

 

 

 

 

 

My chocolate gingerbread truffles

We love gingerbread in our house. In Sweden, it is called pepparkaka (plural pepparkakor) and tins of the crunchy delights start appearing in the shops around Halloween time. At this point, they are devoured mercilessly, and there is never any left over.

However, after the festive season, I am usually all gingerbread-ed out, and usually have some going spare. And we wouldn’t want to waste any of them, would we? I came up with the perfect way to make sure we don’t do that: chocolate gingerbread truffles. So simple, with only three ingredients.

Just crush up some cookies, stir in some cream cheese and smother with chocolate. Dark, milk or white; you choose. If I can’t convince you of how off the charts delicious they are, feast your eyes on the photos. They are as pretty as they are tasty. They are fool proof, take just minutes to prepare, and will impress everyone who sets eyes on them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Making your own gingerbread

You don’t need to make your own gingerbread for this recipe. But I highly recommend you do. Firstly, because, well, homemade gingerbread is going to blow your socks off. Not only does it taste so good, it is such a lovely way for kids to be involved in the preparation for Christmas. In my family, it was a tradition for my kids’ farmor (grandmother on their dad’s side, literally far = father and mor = mother) to make them with her kids and then her grandchildren.

My kids would come home with huge heart shaped gingerbread cookies that would have a hole in the top and a ribbon threaded through. They would be hung up in the house as decoration, something I’d never experienced before moving to Sweden. I’ve continued the tradition, and always try to make at least one batch every year, but most of them are stuffed in my mouth.

However, if you are aiming for a quite festive treat, you could easily swerve making your own. Store-bought gingerbread would work just as well. 

 

 

Why ginger is the perfect spice for Christmas

I love ginger in my coconut chicken curry, but I probably use it far more in my bakes. There’s something truly delicious about a cake that carries a hint of ginger during the short winter days, especially at Christmas. It’s warming, comforting, and lively all at once. 

Ginger has been part of Christmas traditions for centuries, and there are a few reasons why it appears in so many festive recipes. Long before modern transport, ginger was an expensive imported spice, prized for its heat and its medicinal qualities. In medieval Europe, it was believed to warm the body and ward off winter ailments, so it naturally found its place in midwinter feasts. Christmas was the one time of year when families could justify using luxurious ingredients, and spices like ginger, cinnamon and cloves became symbols of celebration.

Another reason ginger fits so beautifully into Christmas baking is its versatility. It adds depth to cookies, cakes and puddings without overwhelming them, and its gentle heat feels perfect when the days are dark and the weather is cold. Across many countries, you’ll find ginger woven into beloved festive foods. From Swedish pepparkakor to German Lebkuchen, and American gingerbread men. Even though the recipes differ, they all share that same cosy, seasonal warmth.

 

 

Other ways to use up leftover gingerbread

If, like me, you happen to have some gingerbread cookies going spare, don’t just use them in chocolate truffles. Here are some fabulous ideas to get the most out of them:

• Crush them up and use them as a crust for festive cheesecakes, such as chocolate and mascarpone or white truffle and cranberry cheesecakes.
• Add them to a Christmas rocky road.
• Transform classic candy into a festive hit with a chocolate gingerbread honeycomb.
• Layer crushed gingerbread into a tiramisu-style dessert with mascarpone and a splash of coffee or orange syrup.
• Stir small pieces into vanilla ice cream for an instant Christmas ice cream.
• Sprinkle them over porridge or yoghurt with a drizzle of maple syrup for a cosy winter breakfast.
• Blitz them into a fine crumb and fold them into whipped cream for a quick gingerbread mousse.

 

 

 

 

 

Adapting the gingerbread truffle recipe

I specifically used dark chocolate to contrast against the gingerbread. I love the rich hue of gingerbread, and up against the dark chocolate, it looks so pretty. The deeper flavour also gives the truffles a slightly more grown-up feel, which I adore. However, you can really use any chocolate you fancy. Milk chocolate will give you a softer, sweeter result, and even white chocolate works beautifully if you want something a little creamier and more indulgent.

I made both small and fairly big chocolate gingerbread truffles. Although I’m not one to say no to a massive truffle, there was something very decadent about popping a whole one in your mouth. It feels like a little moment of luxury, and I’m sure you’ll agree. If you prefer smaller bites, simply roll the mixture into mini truffles. They’re perfect for gifting, sharing, or keeping in the fridge for those quiet moments when you want just a taste of something festive.