Halloween Truffles
These Halloween truffles are just plain fun to make. They’re rich, chocolatey, and covered with colorful candy coating, sprinkles, and googly candy eyes. Each little monster turns out differently, which is half the fun!
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I use devil’s food cake for the chocolate centers and mix the crumbs with cream cheese and peanut butter. The peanut butter may sound a little different, but it works really well with the chocolate and keeps the cake balls from getting dry.
They’re so cute on a Halloween party tray, and you don’t need to be great at decorating to make them look adorable. A couple of candy eyes, some sprinkles, and a messy drizzle are all it takes to give each truffle its own personality.
Specifics About This Recipe
✓ Plan on about 3 hours from start to finish (less if you work fast).
✓ These are baked cake truffles, not no-bake Oreo truffles.
✓ Chocolate or vanilla melting wafers can be used for the coating.
My Best Halloween Truffle Making Tips
- Let the cake cool completely before crumbling it. Warm cake makes the mixture too soft and difficult to roll.
- Use softened, block-style cream cheese. It blends into the crumbs more evenly than cold cream cheese or the spreadable kind sold in tubs.
- Press a little of the mixture between your fingers before rolling the truffles. It should hold together without falling apart.
- Chill the rolled cake balls for 30 to 60 minutes. They’ll be much easier to coat once they’ve firmed up a bit.
- Add sprinkles and candy eyes while the coating is still wet. Once it sets, the decorations won’t stick.
How to Make Halloween Truffles
- Mix the cake mix, water, oil, and eggs in a large bowl. Pour the batter into a greased 9×13-inch pan and bake at 350°F for 26 to 31 minutes. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let it cool completely before moving on. Even a slightly warm cake can make the truffle mixture too soft to hold its shape.
- Break the cooled cake into fine crumbs, then mix in the softened cream cheese and peanut butter. The mixture is ready when the ingredients are evenly blended and a small amount holds together when pressed.
- Scoop out 1 ½ tablespoons of the mixture for each truffle. Roll the portions into balls and place them on the lined baking sheet. You should get about 40 truffles. Refrigerate them until they feel firm enough to dip without losing their shape.
- Melt the candy wafers in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring every 20 to 30 seconds. Work in batches if needed so the coating stays smooth while you dip.
- Dip each chilled cake ball into the melted coating with a fork or truffle dipper. Let the excess coating drip back into the bowl before placing the truffle on the baking sheet. Add the candy eyes and sprinkles right away, before the coating begins to set. Refrigerate the finished truffles until the coating is firm.
For a full Halloween dessert spread, pair these truffles with Halloween bark or Halloween snack mix.
Decorating the Truffles
Candy eyes and Halloween sprinkles are the easiest way to turn these dipped cake balls into monster truffles. You can also use different colors of melting wafers for the coating or add a different color of drizzle after the first layer sets.
When adding color to vanilla candy melts, use oil-based candy color made specifically for candy coating. Add only a small amount at a time. Water-based liquid and gel colors may cause the melted coating to seize. Trust me on this one! The very first time I tested these, the candy coating seized up so bad it was unusable.
If the coating becomes too thick for dipping, thin it according to the directions for the brand you’re using.
More Halloween Recipes
Keep the Halloween treats going with Nutter Butter mummy cookies, caramel popcorn, and homemade caramel apples.
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounce box devil’s food cake mix, Duncan Hines used
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 8 ounces block-style cream cheese, softened
- ⅓ cup peanut butter, creamy or crunchy
- 20 ounces chocolate or vanilla melting wafers, plus more for drizzling
- Halloween sprinkles
- Candy eyes
- Oil-based candy coloring, optional
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch cake pan and line two baking sheets with parchment or wax paper.
- Combine the cake mix, water, vegetable oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.15.25 ounce box devil’s food cake mix1 cup water½ cup vegetable oil3 large eggs
- Bake for 26 to 31 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely.
- Break the cooled cake into fine crumbs. Add the softened cream cheese and peanut butter, then mix until evenly combined. The mixture should hold together when pressed.8 ounces block-style cream cheese⅓ cup peanut butter
- Scoop out 1 ½ tablespoons of cake mixture and roll it into a ball. Place it on one of the prepared baking sheets and repeat with the remaining mixture.
- Refrigerate the cake balls for 30 to 60 minutes.
- Place one package of melting wafers in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave according to the package directions, stirring every 20 to 30 seconds, until smooth.20 ounces chocolate or vanilla melting wafers
- Dip each chilled cake ball into the melted coating using a fork or truffle dipper. Let the excess coating drip back into the bowl, then place the truffle on the lined baking sheet. Add candy eyes or sprinkles before the coating sets. Melt the second package of wafers as needed.Halloween sprinklesCandy eyes
- Refrigerate the truffles until the coating is firm.
- For an optional colored drizzle, melt additional vanilla wafers and tint them with oil-based candy color. Drizzle over the coated truffles and let the decoration set before serving.Oil-based candy coloring
Notes
- The amounts of water, oil, and eggs needed to prepare the cake may vary by brand. Use the amounts listed on the box you purchase.
- When coloring vanilla melting wafers, use oil-based candy coloring made specifically for candy melts. Regular liquid or gel food coloring may cause the coating to seize.
- Store the truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- The calories listed are an approximation based on the ingredients in the recipe card and a serving size of 2 truffles. Actual calories will vary.