Indulge friends and family with the perfect holiday treat: Pumpkin Spice Truffles! Delicious with rich, chocolatey goodness, these delightful truffles are sure to garner rave reviews. Make your next gathering even sweeter with this tasty treat!
WHAT YOU’LL LOVE
- Lightly smoked pumpkin purée: Roasting a pie pumpkin on the grill beside a smoldering pellet tube gives the purée a hint of smoke that plain canned pumpkin lacks.
- Cream cheese and gingersnap base: Cream cheese binds the filling and adds tang, and the gingersnap crumbs bring ginger and structure so the mixture firms into rollable truffles.
- Freezer-firmed filling: Chilling the filling and then freezing it for 30-60 minutes makes it firm enough to scoop and roll into clean balls.
- Two-chocolate dip with smoked salt: Half the truffles go in white chocolate and half in dark, and a dusting of cinnamon and smoked hickory flaked salt goes on right after dipping.
Pumpkin Spice Truffles
Tom Jackson
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Dessert
Cuisine
American
Servings
10
Prep Time
1 hour
Cook Time
1 hour
Calories
600
Tasty little chocolate treats are exactly what your holiday parties need, so fire up the smoker and try a batch of these Pumpkin Spice Truffles. You’ll be glad you did!
Ingredients
-
1 (2 lb) pie pumpkin
- 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup pumpkin purée
-
1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1 1/2 cup ginger snap crumbs
- 4 oz white chocolate chips, melted
- 8 oz white chocolate, melted
- 8 oz dark chocolate, melted
-
Noble Saltworks Smoked Hickory Flaked Finishing Salt
- cinnamon
For the filling:
For the coating:
Directions
To prepare the pumpkin purée, preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640 Pellet Grill to 350ºF, set up for indirect grilling. Fill an A-Maze-N Tube Smoker with your favorite wood pellets. Place the tube on the left-hand side of the main cooking grate. Light the end with a torch. Let the flame burn for about 30 seconds, then blow out the flame.
- Split the pumpkin vertically in half. Scoop out seeds and discard. Place the halved pumpkin on the second shelf of the grill. Cook until tender, about 45 minutes. Remove the skin. Scoop out the flesh. Place in a food processor. Purée the flesh of the pumpkin until smooth. Remove from the food processor and clean out the bowl.
- Combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar in the clean bowl of the food processor. Mix until well incorporated. Add 1/2 cup pumpkin purée, along with the maple syrup, cinnamon, allspice. Mix well. Add the ginger snap crumbs and melted chocolate. Mix until well incorporated. Transfer to a container with a lid. Place in the refrigerator until chilled.
- Transfer the chilled filling to the freezer for 30-60 minutes. Remove from the freezer. Scoop out one tablespoon at a time and roll each portion into a ball. Place the balls on a parchment lined sheet pan. Place in the refrigerator to chill.
- For the coating, melt the chocolates separately. The white chocolate will melt best in a bowl over a pot of simmering water. The dark chocolate can be melted in the microwave.
Dip the truffles in the melted chocolate (half white, half dark). Place back on the parchment lined sheet pan. Just after dipping and transferring the truffles, sprinkle with a dusting of cinnamon and a pinch of Noble Saltworks Smoked Hickory Flaked Finishing Salt.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why roast the pumpkin with a smoke tube?
A pellet tube smoldering beside the pumpkin at 350°F gives the flesh a light smoke flavor that carries into the purée, which adds a savory edge to the sweet filling.
Why use a pie pumpkin?
Pie pumpkins are sweeter and less stringy than carving pumpkins, so they purée smoothly. If you'd rather skip roasting, 1/2 cup of canned pumpkin purée works for the filling.
How much purée will the pumpkin make?
A 2 lb pie pumpkin makes more purée than the 1/2 cup the filling uses. Save the extra for soup, oatmeal, or another baking project.
Why use gingersnap crumbs in the filling?
They add ginger and spice flavor and absorb moisture from the cream cheese and pumpkin, so the mixture firms up into a texture that can be rolled.
Why chill the filling and then freeze it before rolling?
Cold, firm filling holds its shape when scooped. If it's too soft, the truffles flatten and stick to your hands, and they will be hard to dip cleanly.
Why melt the white chocolate over simmering water and the dark chocolate in the microwave?
White chocolate scorches easily, so gentle heat from a bowl over a pot of simmering water melts it smoothly. Dark chocolate is more forgiving and melts well in the microwave, in short bursts with stirring.
Why add the cinnamon and smoked salt right after dipping?
The chocolate is still wet, so the toppings stick. Once it sets, they would roll off.
How should I store the truffles?
The filling contains cream cheese and pumpkin, so keep the truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They keep for about 5 days, and they can be frozen for longer storage.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
5 out of 5. A 350°F oven roasts the pumpkin the same way, and the rest is mixing, chilling, and dipping. You'd lose only the light smoke on the purée.
Recipe Highlights
Smoked pumpkin purée: Adds a faint smoky edge to the filling.
Cream cheese and gingersnap base: Gives tang, spice, and a rollable texture.
Freezer-firmed filling: Makes clean, round truffles.
White and dark chocolate dip: Finished with cinnamon and smoked salt.
Recommended Recipes
Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 7.38 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 600
- Carbs
- 71 grams
- Protein
- 9 grams
- Fat
- 32 grams
- Sodium
- 367 milligrams
