Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cheesecake Truffles (Printable)
Creamy strawberry-infused cheesecake center coated in rich chocolate. An indulgent bite-sized treat ready in under 3 hours.
# What You'll Need:
→ Cheesecake Filling
01 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
02 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
03 - 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
04 - 1/2 cup freeze-dried strawberries, finely crushed
05 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
06 - 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
→ Chocolate Coating
07 - 10.5 oz semisweet or dark chocolate, chopped or chips
08 - 1 tablespoon coconut oil, optional for smoother coating
→ Decoration
09 - 2 tablespoons white chocolate, melted
10 - Freeze-dried strawberry powder or sprinkles for garnish
# Directions:
01 - In a mixing bowl, beat softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy.
02 - Add powdered sugar, crushed freeze-dried strawberries, and vanilla extract to the cream cheese mixture. Mix until fully combined.
03 - Stir in graham cracker crumbs until the mixture becomes thick and moldable into balls.
04 - Cover the mixture and refrigerate for 30 to 45 minutes until firm enough to handle.
05 - Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Scoop and roll the mixture into 24 balls, approximately 1 tablespoon each. Arrange on the prepared tray.
06 - Freeze the formed balls for 1 hour until completely solid.
07 - Melt the chocolate with coconut oil if using, in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals or over a double boiler, stirring until completely smooth.
08 - Using a fork or dipping tool, dip each frozen truffle into the melted chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. Return to the parchment-lined tray.
09 - Drizzle with melted white chocolate or sprinkle with freeze-dried strawberry powder as desired.
10 - Refrigerate the finished truffles for 30 minutes until the chocolate coating is completely set. Serve chilled.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- These truffles taste like sophisticated strawberry cheesecake but require zero baking skills – my neighbor actually gasped when I told her they weren't store-bought.
- The make-ahead convenience means youll have impressive homemade treats ready whenever unexpected guests drop by – theyve saved me during surprise visits at least four times.
02 -
- If your cream cheese mixture seems too soft to roll even after chilling, gradually add more graham cracker crumbs one tablespoon at a time until it reaches a moldable consistency.
- Adding a tiny bit of coconut oil to the melting chocolate prevents that frustrating cloudy finish that sometimes happens when chocolate cools – I discovered this by accident when I grabbed the wrong bottle.
03 -
- For an extra-smooth filling, pulse the freeze-dried strawberries in a spice grinder until they become fine powder – this eliminates any detectable texture while intensifying the flavor.
- Warming your hands slightly before rolling helps create perfectly round truffles with a glossy surface – I run mine under lukewarm water then dry thoroughly just before shaping.