Dark chocolate, fresh mint, cream and honey rolled into small balls and dusted in cocoa powder. Ramsay makes these with his kids on Christmas Eve because they are simple enough for children to help with, and he calls them “the perfect after-dinner chocolates.” The whole batch makes about 30 with an hour of chilling in between.
He films the process in two parts on his Ultimate Christmas YouTube series, where Megan and Jack help break the chocolate and roll the balls. The second part covers the coating and decorating, which is where the kids really take over.
Fresh mint infused into hot cream is what gives these their clean, bright flavour, because Ramsay bruises a whole bunch and steeps it as the cream comes to the boil. He strains it over the chocolate so you get pure mint taste with no green bits left behind. Extract or essence would taste artificial beside this.
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Gordon Ramsay’s Mint Chocolate Truffles
Course: Dessert, ConfectioneryCuisine: British, FrenchDifficulty: Easy30
truffles20
minutes5
minutes75
kcal25 min + 1 hr chilling
Handmade Christmas truffles from Ramsay’s Ultimate Christmas video. Dark chocolate ganache infused with fresh mint, sweetened with honey and rolled in cocoa powder. Make them the day before.
Ingredients
200g (7 oz) dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken into small pieces
150ml (⅔ cup) double cream (heavy cream)
50ml (3 tbsp) single cream (light cream)
Small bunch of fresh mint, lightly bruised
2 tbsp honey
130g (4½ oz) unsalted butter, softened and diced
- For coating:
Cocoa powder, sifted
Crumbled Flake bar (optional)
Demerara sugar (optional)
Finely chopped pistachios or almonds (optional)
Fresh mint sprigs, to decorate
Directions
- Infuse the cream: Put the double cream (heavy cream), single cream (light cream) and bruised mint in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, then immediately remove from the heat.
- Make the ganache: Strain the hot cream through a sieve onto the broken chocolate, pressing the mint to extract all the flavour. Stir slowly in one direction until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth and glossy.
- Add the honey and butter: Stir in the honey until combined, then add the diced butter a few pieces at a time, stirring until each batch melts and the ganache has a rich sheen.
- Chill: Pour the ganache into a shallow container and refrigerate for about 1 hour until firm enough to handle.
- Roll: With cold hands, scoop a teaspoon of ganache and roll quickly into a small ball. Ramsay says “a truffle is a one-bite wonder, not a golf ball,” so keep them small and work fast before the ganache softens.
- Coat: Roll each truffle in cocoa powder, crumbled Flake, brown sugar or chopped nuts, then place on a tray lined with baking paper.
- Decorate and store: Tuck a small sprig of mint into the top of each truffle and refrigerate until ready to serve. Best eaten within 3-4 days.
Notes
- Ramsay says you can flavour the ganache with whatever you like: “fresh chilli gives a surprisingly delicious kick, or try orange zest, or a splash of brandy.” The Passion for Flavour cookbook has a professional version using glucose, couverture chocolate and concentrated butter for a restaurant finish.
FAQs
Why fresh mint instead of extract?
Steeping fresh mint in hot cream pulls out the natural oils without the chemical aftertaste that extract leaves behind, which is why Ramsay bruises the leaves first to release as much flavour as possible. He strains them out before pouring over the chocolate so you get clean taste with no green bits in the ganache.
The chocolate mint cake from UHC takes the same fresh mint approach in its caramel topping, so if you like this combination that cake pushes it further with a flourless chocolate base underneath.
Can kids help make these?
Ramsay films the whole thing with Megan and Jack, who break the chocolate while he heats the cream. Jack tries to roll the balls and Ramsay tells him “a truffle is a one-bite wonder, not a golf ball,” which is his way of saying handmade means they do not all have to look perfect.
The only step that needs an adult is heating the cream, since it comes to a full boil. Once the ganache is chilled, rolling and coating is genuinely child-safe because nothing is hot and the worst that happens is sticky fingers.
What coating works best?
Cocoa powder is the classic because it sticks to the ganache without adding sweetness. Ramsay uses crumbled Flake for the kids and says “finely chopped pistachios or almonds work really well with the mint.” Plain brown sugar gives a crunchy shell that contrasts with the soft centre.
The profiteroles use warm dark chocolate poured over the top, so if you want a glossier finish you could dip the truffles in melted chocolate before the cocoa. That is closer to the restaurant method in Passion for Flavour, though it adds an extra step.
How far ahead can you make them?
Ramsay says to make them the day before Christmas and keep them in the fridge, where they hold for 3-4 days covered. The ganache actually firms up overnight, which makes them easier to eat because they hold their shape better at room temperature.
Pull them from the fridge 10 minutes before serving so the centre softens to that glossy, fudgy texture. The Christmas pudding from the same series follows the same make-ahead logic, so between the two you can have Christmas dessert sorted days in advance.
What other chocolate desserts does Ramsay make?
The chocolate mousse from the UCC starts with the same dark chocolate and cream base but whips it into something lighter, while the hot chocolate from Bread Street Kitchen melts chocolate into warm cream for a drink version of the same flavour.
All three use the ganache principle of chocolate plus hot cream, so once you can make a ganache you already know how to make truffles, mousse and hot chocolate from the same starting point.
