Dark Chocolate Cottage Cheese Truffles
Dark Chocolate Cottage Cheese Truffles
Three flavours. One beautifully simple base.
Creamy at the centre, intensely chocolatey on the outside and made for the fridge door when you want something a little special. One simple cottage cheese truffle mixture becomes three very different dark chocolate treats, from bright raspberry and cherry to warming ginger and softly spiced apple.
A little chocolate preparation for the week ahead.
These are exactly the sort of thing I love making on a Sunday. A batch goes into the fridge, a few inevitably disappear while I'm making them, and suddenly there is something genuinely delicious waiting when the afternoon chocolate craving arrives. The centre is creamy and soft, while finely ground 100% dark chocolate and cacao nibs create a deep, grown-up finish.
The Chocolate Truffle Mixture
One base mixture, divided into three bowls before adding the flavour combinations. Simple, adaptable and particularly useful if, like me, you can never quite choose just one flavour.
Truffle Base
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 tbsp Greek yoghurt
- ½ cup finely ground 80Noir Ultra 72% dark chocolate
- 2 scoops chocolate protein powder
- ¼ cup honey
The Dark Chocolate Coating
- ¾ cup finely ground 80Noir Ultra 100% dark chocolate
- ¼ cup raw cacao nibs
Protein powders absorb liquid differently. If your mixture feels too soft to roll after chilling, add a little more protein powder or finely ground chocolate until you reach a soft but workable consistency.
The Method
- Add the cottage cheese, Greek yoghurt, finely ground 72% 80Noir Ultra chocolate, chocolate protein powder and honey to a blender or food processor.
- Blend until completely smooth, thick and creamy. Scrape down the sides as necessary so everything is beautifully incorporated.
- Divide the mixture evenly between three separate bowls.
- Add one of the three flavour combinations below to each bowl and fold through thoroughly.
- Refrigerate for 20–30 minutes. This firms the mixture and makes rolling considerably easier.
- Scoop and roll into approximately 12–14 bite-sized truffles in total. Place onto a parchment-lined tray.
- Combine the finely ground 100% chocolate and cacao nibs. Roll each truffle through the mixture until generously coated.
- Return to the refrigerator, or place in the freezer for 10–15 minutes to firm slightly, then enjoy.
Three bowls. Three personalities.
Once the base is divided, this is where the fun begins. Add the flavourings gradually and taste as you go. The idea is to complement the chocolate rather than hide it.
Raspberry & Cherry
Bright raspberry cuts beautifully through the dark chocolate while pieces of dried cherry bring little pockets of fruitiness and chew.
- Freeze-dried raspberry powder, to taste
- Finely chopped dried cherries, to taste
Golden Ginger
Warming crystallised ginger with turmeric and cinnamon creates the boldest of the three — particularly lovely against deep dark chocolate.
- Finely chopped crystallised ginger, to taste
- Turmeric, a small pinch
- Cinnamon, to taste
Apple, Ginger & Cinnamon
Think apple pie by way of dark chocolate: gently fruity, warmly spiced and finished with little pieces of crystallised ginger.
- Apple powder, to taste
- Finely chopped crystallised ginger, to taste
- Cinnamon, to taste
Roll them in 100%.
Rather than finishing these with another sweet coating, they are rolled in finely ground 100% 80Noir Ultra dark chocolate and raw cacao nibs.
The result is deliberately dark and grown-up: a soft, creamy centre followed by the deeper cacao character and gentle crunch of the outer coating.
- 100% dark chocolate adds deep cacao flavour without adding sugar from the chocolate itself.
- Raw cacao nibs bring natural texture and another layer of cacao intensity.
- The darker coating balances the honey and fruit within the truffle centre.
A little more than a chocolate truffle.
This is still a treat — exactly as it should be. But cottage cheese, Greek yoghurt, protein powder, real dark chocolate, fruit and spices give these little truffles rather more substance than their beautifully indulgent appearance might suggest.
Creamy, with substance.
Cottage cheese, Greek yoghurt and protein powder contribute protein while creating that beautifully soft and creamy truffle centre.
Real dark chocolate.
72% and 100% dark chocolate keep cacao at the heart of the recipe. Cocoa solids naturally contain polyphenols alongside minerals including magnesium and iron.
Flavour, naturally.
Raspberry, cherry, apple, ginger, cinnamon and turmeric bring colour, aroma and complexity, allowing one simple chocolate base to become three completely different treats.
This recipe contains honey and sugars naturally present in some ingredients. Nutritional values will vary depending on the cottage cheese, protein powder, chocolate and flavouring quantities used.
Before you start rolling...
- Protein powders behave differently. I use Hunter & Gather chocolate protein powder. Another brand may absorb less moisture, so add a little extra if your mixture remains too loose after chilling.
- Yes, rolling them is a little messy. That's because we're keeping the middle beautifully soft rather than creating a dry protein ball. Gloves make the process much easier.
- If the mixture is still too loose, add a little more finely ground chocolate or protein powder. Alternatively add approximately ¼ cup almond flour, remembering that the recipe will then contain nuts.
- Keep them chilled. These contain fresh cottage cheese and Greek yoghurt, so store the finished truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator and return them to the fridge promptly after serving.
Make a batch now.
Thank yourself later.
Grab your 80Noir Ultra dark chocolate, clear a little space in the kitchen and make something delicious for the week ahead.
Grab Your Chocolate & Let's Get Making
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