Lemon Truffles

EASY, four ingredient lemon truffles! These delicious truffle balls are made with a simple white chocolate ganache and lemon zest. They are the ultimate no bake treat!

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Homemade lemon truffles are so easy to make! They are no bake, which makes them perfect for summer time or the holidays when oven space is at a premium.

The truffle balls are made with white chocolate, heavy cream and lemon zest and don't require any fancy equipment.

For more citrus desserts be sure to try my lemon white chocolate cake, lemon bar cookies or mini key lime cheesecake.

why you will love this homemade truffle recipe

• Simple ingredients ~ only four ingredients are needed; three if you don't want to roll them in confectioners' sugar.
• So quick and easy to make!
• Soft and creamy texture thanks to the easy white chocolate ganache.
• A no bake recipe ~ perfect for summer entertaining or Christmas cookie trays. They would also be great Easter treats!

🍋ingredients needed

Please scroll to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the full list of ingredients and baking directions.

• White chocolate ~ a quality white chocolate is needed here. I tested the recipe with Callebaut chocolate as well as Trader Joe's white chocolate baking chips and Ghirardelli white chocolate chips. I cannot guarantee that any other white chocolate chip brands would work.
• Heavy cream ~ also sold as heavy whipping cream is needed for the smooth ganache. The cream should have at least a 36% milk fat.
• Lemon zest ~ I zested one large lemon, which yields about 1 tablespoon of lemon zest. If you like a big pop of lemon, increase the zest to 2 tablespoons. This is my favorite zesting tool.
• Confectioners' sugar ~ also known as powdered sugar, is used for coating the outside of the truffle balls after they have chilled. You can skip this step or use one of the alternate coatings listed below with truffle decorating ideas.

👩🏼‍🍳how to make lemon truffles

Start by placing the white chocolate {chopped finely if not using Ghirardelli or Trader Joe's white chocolate chips} in a glass or metal bowl that will fit snugly over a sauce pan. Set aside.

Then place about 1-inch of water in the bottom of a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Once the water is simmering, pour the heavy cream over the white chocolate and place the bowl snuggly on top of the saucepan {you are creating a double boiler}.

Now stir occasionally until about 50% of the white chocolate has melted. Carefully remove the bowl from the saucepan and continue stir in one direction until all the chocolate is melted.

Once all the chocolate is melted, add the lemon zest and stir to combine.

Place plastic wrap directly on the top of the lemon truffles ganache and place in the refrigerator until firm 1-2 hours.

Use a tablespoon scoop to portion the truffles and lightly roll between your hands to make a smooth ball, then roll in the confectioners' sugar or desired topping. They can be left with no topping as well.

truffle decorating ideas

You can go simple and just roll the lemon truffles in confectioners' sugar or try rolling them in ~

• Crushed freeze dried strawberries or blueberries
• Sprinkles
• Coarse sanding sugar or turbinado sugar {I buy mine at Trader Joe's}

what white chocolate should I use?

I tested this easy truffle recipe with Callebaut white chocolate, Trader Joe's white chocolate baking chips and Ghirardelli white chocolate chips. Any quality white chocolate baking bar should also work.

Remember to pin this recipe to Pinterest! Use the button on the recipe card or the share buttons on the side or bottom of this page.

troubleshooting truffles

• The white chocolate didn't melt ~ place the mixture back over the pot of simmering water and stir another minute, being careful to not get the white chocolate too hot.
• The white chocolate is separating and looks greasy ~ the mixture got too hot. Sometimes you can rescue the chocolate by adding a little more finely chopped white chocolate and slowly stirring it in.
• The truffle mixture is too hard to scoop ~ allow the lemon truffles ganache to sit on the counter for 10-15 minutes and try again.
• The lemon truffles aren't accepting the toppings ~ roll the truffle balls between your hands to warm them up and make them a little sticky; then roll in the topping again.

frequently asked questions

can I add lemon juice to the chocolate?

White chocolate can be finicky, so I prefer to use lemon zest versus a lemon juice or extract. Lemon zest adds a powerful punch of tartness, often better than lemon juice. If you love a really tart lemon dessert; use the zest of two large lemons instead of one.

do lemon truffles need to be refrigerated?

Since the no bake truffles are made with heavy cream, I feel best storing them in the refrigerator. The lemon truffles have the best texture when they are eaten at room temperature, so pull them out about 20 - 30 minutes before you plan to eat them.

They will be fine at room temperature for several hours, if serving them at a party.

can truffles be frozen?

Yes! Lemon truffles can be frozen in an airtight container for up to three months. Allow to defrost before serving.

how to store

Lemon truffles should be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. See above or in the recipe card for how to freeze them.

Remember to snap a picture and tag me on Instagram if you make these EASY Lemon Truffles. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!

more no bake desserts

• Mini Key Lime Cheesecake
• Buckeye Bars
• Sprinkle Rice Krispie Treats
• Cookie Butter Bars
• Lemon Raspberry Bars

If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating.  I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!

Lemon Truffles

recipe created and tested by:

Tasia Harper

EASY, four ingredient lemon truffles! These delicious truffle balls are made with a simple white chocolate ganache and lemon zest. They are the ultimate no bake treat!

I highly recommend using weight (metric) measurements when available for more accuracy and the best results.

Print Recipe rate this recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Chill Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course Candies

Cuisine American

Calories 89 kcal

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Please note

When using 2x or 3x ingredients, the grams DO NOT adjust, you will have to manually do that.

Ingredients

  

• ▢ 12 ounces white chocolate* 340g
• ▢ ¼ cup heavy cream 60mL
• ▢ 1 - 2 large lemons zested
• ▢ ⅓ cup confectioners' sugar for rolling 40g

Instructions

 

• Place 12 ounces/340g of white chocolate (chopped finely if not using Ghirardelli or Trader Joe's white chocolate chips) in a glass or metal bowl that will fit snugly over a sauce pan. Set aside.
• Place about 1-inch of water in the bottom of a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
• Once the water is simmering, pour the heavy cream (¼ cup/60 mL) over the white chocolate and place the bowl snuggly on top of the saucepan (you are creating a double boiler).
• Heat and stir occasionally until about 50% of the white chocolate has melted. Carefully remove the bowl from the saucepan and continue stirring until all the chocolate is melted. If the chocolate doesn't completely melt, place the bowl back on top of the simmering water for another minute or two being careful to not get the chocolate too hot.
• Once all the chocolate is melted, add the lemon zest and stir to combine.
• Place plastic wrap directly on the top of the ganache and place in the refrigerator until firm 1-2 hours.
• Use a tablespoon scoop to portion the truffles and lightly roll between your hands to make a smooth ball, then roll in the confectioners' sugar (⅓ cup/40g) or desired topping. They can be left with no topping as well.
• Lemon truffles have the best texture when served at room temperature, but they will get soft if left out for more than a few hours in a warm setting.

Notes

*Use a quality white chocolate; I tested with Ghirardelli white chocolate chips, Callebaut and Trader Joe's white baking chips. A Lindt or Ghirardelli baking bar will also work. I have not tested other brands of white chocolate chips and suspect that others will not work as well.

The zest of one large lemon gives a nice lemon flavor. If you like a big punch of lemon, use the zest of two lemons.

I use a tablespoon size scoop, which yields about 25 truffles. You can use a larger size, but will get less lemon truffles.

Sprinkles, crushed freeze dried berries, turbinado sugar or chopped nuts can all be used as toppings to roll the truffles in.

Truffles can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. They can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Truffles have the best texture when served at room temperature.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 truffleCalories: 89kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 1gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 13mgSugar: 10g

The nutrition information is based on third-party calculations, is an estimate only and may not be entirely accurate. Actual nutritional values will vary based on brands used and portion sizes.

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