Black Sesame Chocolate Truffles – Omnivore’s Cookbook

Black sesame chocolate truffles feature silky smooth truffles mixed with nutty black sesame paste and coated with a crispy chocolate crust. Impress your family and friends with this Chinese-inspired classic dessert! {Vegetarian, Gluten-Free}

Since our pastry chef Emily developed the black sesame babka recipe for Christmas, we’ve been so obsessed with the black sesame flavor and have wanted to use it in other desserts. We decided to make these black sesame truffles because they’re a fancy handmade sweet treat that is quite easy to make at home. 

This recipe is based on the classic chocolate truffle, with a Chinese twist. We used toasted black sesame seeds, maple syrup and sesame oil to make a lightly sweetened sesame paste. Then we worked it into melted dark chocolate and heavy cream to make the truffle. A small amount of sea salt was added to the truffles to further draw out the nuttiness of the sesame. Finally, the truffles are dipped in chocolate for a crispy crust, with different coating options for a stunning presentation.

No matter whether you want to make a special edible gift for Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, or Christmas, these black sesame truffles are a great choice!

Black sesame chocolate truffles ingredients

There are a few component to the black sesame chocolate truffles, and all of them very simple:

Black sesame paste

• Black sesame seeds
• Maple syrup (or honey)
• Sesame oil

These three ingredients make a sweet and gooey black sesame paste that is nutty and fragrant.

Chocolate truffles

• Dark chocolate
• Heavy cream
• Sea salt
• Vanilla extract
• Black sesame paste (that you just made)

I used dark chocolate instead of regular chocolate to make these truffles less sweet. Plus it pairs so well with the black sesame paste. The sea salt makes the truffles a bit savory but so nice!

Use a good baking chocolate

It’s important to use a high quality baking chocolate for the best result! You can use chocolate bars and cut them. But I find that chocolate chips are so much easier to deal with.  I used Ghirardelli 60% chocolate chips and I was very happy with the result.

Dipping & coating

Even though some homemade chocolate truffles do not have the chocolate shell, I really love the texture contrast that the shell creates. You simply need to melt some dark chocolate to make the shell.

Outside of the chocolate crust, you can use any coating option you prefer. I used three different coatings: cocoa powder, dark chocolate sprinkle and sesame seeds for a stunning presentation.

How to make black sesame chocolate truffles

Making sesame chocolate truffles is quite easy, but you do need to be a bit patient since you’ll need to chill the ingredients a few times.

1. Blast the sesame seeds in a blender
2. Add the maple syrup and sesame oil and blend to make a paste
3. Melt the chocolate chips in heated heavy cream
4. Stir in the sesame paste 
5. Chill the chocolate and sesame paste mixture until solidified
6. Scoop out the truffles, then chill them in the fridge again
7. Roll each truffle to make it round, then chill again
8. Melt the chocolate for dipping
9. Dip each truffle in the melted chocolate
10. Drop the dipped truffle in the coating and shake the bowl to coat 

How to store and serve chocolate truffles

Store

You can either store these chocolate truffles in the fridge or at room temperature. 

Serve

My favorite way to serve these chocolate truffles is slightly chilled, by placing the room temperature truffles in the fridge for 10 to 20 minutes. The crust will harden and become slightly crispy. It contrasts with the silky and soft truffle filling inside, making the texture extra fun. 

I also don’t mind the fully chilled truffles. The chocolate inside is less soft in this case, but it still tastes very silky.

Gifting

These black sesame chocolate truffles are perfect for gifting, because they are so pretty and fun to eat. I like to use paper cups for individual truffles, so they look nice and are easy to serve. You can line up these truffles in a small box and it will look quite fancy!

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Black Sesame Chocolate Truffles

Black sesame chocolate truffles feature silky smooth truffles mixed with nutty black sesame paste and coated with a crispy chocolate crust. Impress your family and friends with this Chinese-inspired classic dessert! {Vegetarian, Gluten-Free}

Author: Maggie Zhu

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Fusion

Keyword: gifting

Prep Time: 1 hour hour

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Inactive Time: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 18 to 20 pieces

Ingredients

Black sesame paste

• 1/2 cup black sesame seeds (*Footnote 1)
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup (or honey)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons sesame oil (*Footnote 2)

Truffle

• 200 g dark chocolate 50-70% chips (or dark chocolate bars, chopped finely)
• 150 g (3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) heavy cream
• 1/2 scant teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping options (*Footnote 3)

• Cocoa powder
• Toasted black sesame seeds
• Dark chocolate sprinkles

Special equipment (not required but highly recommended)

• 1/2 oz ice cream scoop
• Disposable gloves (*Footnote 4)

Instructions

Prepare the black sesame paste

• Add the sesame seeds into a medium-sized pan and heat over medium heat until hot, then turn to low heat. Lightly toast seeds until fragrant, then transfer to a small blender. Blend until finely crushed, but not into a paste that releases oil.

• Add the maple syrup (or honey) and sesame oil. Continue blending until mixture comes together and is smooth, scraping down sides between pulses. Transfer the sesame paste to a medium-sized bowl.

• Place the chocolate chips in a large bowl. In a microwave or small saucepan, heat the heavy cream until just below boiling. Pour hot cream over chocolate, making sure all chocolate is submerged, and let it stand for 1 minute. Stir together chocolate and cream to emulsify. If the chocolate is not fully melted, you can heat the bowl in the microwave for 15 second bursts, or over a double boiler, stirring frequently until smooth.

• Add the sesame paste, salt, and vanilla. Stir until mixture is smooth.

• Place plastic wrap directly over the surface of the chocolate, gently use your hand to press down the plastic wrap so it fully touches the chocolate. Refrigerate the bowl until the chocolate is solid, for at least 1 hour, up to 5 days if made in advance.

• Line a plate or baking sheet with plastic wrap or parchment paper. Once the chocolate mixture is chilled, scoop the truffles using a 1/2-oz ice cream scoop or greased tablespoon into approx 18-20g portions. Keep the scoops as round as possible. Place onto the lined plate or baking sheet. Let sit in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes before continuing.

• Wearing a pair of disposable gloves, roll each truffle between your palms, applying light pressure, until smooth and round. Place back on to the lined plate and refrigerate again, at least 20 minutes.

Assemble the truffles

• Melt dipping chocolate over a double boiler, or in the microwave, stirring after every 15 second interval. Stir to cool slightly.

• Working quickly, drop truffles one at a time into chocolate to coat and shake off excess. Drop the ball directly into the bowl of the topping of choice (sesame seeds, cocoa powder, or sprinkles, etc). Roll the ball gently to coat the truffle. Place the coated truffle back onto the lined plate. Repeat until all the truffles are assembled.

• Refrigerate again until chocolate is set, 15 minutes or so. Once done, you can store the truffles at room temperature for 3 to 4 days, or in the fridge for 2 weeks. Serve the truffles at room temperature or slightly chilled (*Footnote 5). Enjoy!

Notes

1. I recommend using roasted black sesame seeds, so you only need to toast them lightly in the frying pan before using. It’s OK to use raw black sesame seeds as well. In this case, you need to roast them in a pan (or in the oven) over lower heat and for a longer time, so the sesame seeds are fully cooked without burning.
2. A high quality fresh sesame oil makes a much nuttier and better result. Use up to 3 tablespoons if your sesame oil is not super fragrant (usually when the sesame oil bottle has been opened and stored at room temperature for a few months).
3. You can use any one of, or a combination of the coatings. As for the taste, I like the cocoa powder the most. The sesame seed coating offers a fun crunchy texture, but my husband said it was too “seedy”. The chocolate sprinkles create a nice appearance, but also makes the coating quite thick, making the truffle a bit sweeter and less savory.
4. When rolling the truffles, it’s best to use gloves to protect against the heat of your hands. If not, be sure to rinse and dry your hands thoroughly when chocolate buildup accumulates on your palms.
5. I like to chill the room temperature truffles for 10 to 20 minutes, so the crust hardens. The crispy crust and soft truffle make a great mouthfeel together.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 137kcal, Carbohydrates: 13.1g, Protein: 1.8g, Fat: 10.4g, Saturated Fat: 4.7g, Cholesterol: 10mg, Sodium: 979mg, Potassium: 29mg, Fiber: 1.2g, Sugar: 9.8g, Calcium: 42mg, Iron: 1mg