We think our Low FODMAP Hot Chocolate Truffle Bombs are the easiest, best and most fun way to make rich, chocolatey homemade hot chocolate. The bombs are made with just chocolate and cream!
Ganache Is Versatile
Ganache is a combination of chocolate and cream and is often used for cake and pastry glazes and for truffles, but it is quite versatile – like for making hot chocolate! Read on…
It is not unusual for me to have extra ganache in the refrigerator (I know, I know, my fridge is not the typical fridge), and it was that treasure trove that led to this hot chocolate truffle bomb “invention.”
Necessity Is The Mother Of Invention
When my twins were young and wanted hot chocolate, one day I just scooped some ganache into a mug, topped with milk and microwaved until hot, stirred until blended, and voilà, truly delicious hot chocolate prepared in record time.
I continued to do this for years before realizing that I should standardize the approach. These Low FODMAP Hot Chocolate Truffle Bombs are essentially truffles, sized so that you use two of these chocolate bombs per 6-ounces (180 ml) of liquid per serving. And just like that, your hot chocolate is made.
And the bombs last a very long time in the fridge or freezer, so make a big batch!
The Low FODMAP Diet Is Not Dairy-Free
The low FODMAP diet is not dairy-free, but it is lower in lactose. Lactose-free half-and-half will give you a rich drink, lactose-free whole milk will make a more typical hot chocolate, and water will make a thinner, but very chocolatey drink. By not adding extra dairy, the chocolate flavors shine through when you use water; try it. The choice of chocolate is very important, so make sure to use one that you really like to eat out of hand.
You might enjoy reading our article about Dairy vs. Lactose, and also our article about cream.
Well, I guess it depends on who you ask. A couple of years ago a certain type of chocolate bomb flooded the market. These are golf ball or larger sized molded chocolate spheres, filled with hot cocoa mix and marshmallows. Dropped into hot milk, they would melt, hot cocoa would be created after a quick stir, and marshmallows would float to the surface. They are definitely very cool to watch unfold.
The problem is that the great majority of them are made with substandard ingredients, and those that are not, are quite pricey to buy. The chocolate itself in the ones I have tried left much to be desired (my opinion here). Also, I published a recipe in my book, Unforgettable Desserts, in 2009 with the title, Hot Chocolate Truffle Bombs, so the concept was there, albeit in a different form. My original idea was to use ganache, which is easily made at home, with high quality ingredients – and the result is DELICIOUS.
Because you need a spherical mold to make those, have to temper chocolate if you use high quality chocolate, and the whole shebang is best approached by those with a fair amount of chocolate and candy making experience. I am more interested in helping you get a serious chocolate truffle bomb fix quickly and easily, using high quality ingredients, and no special equipment.
At its simplest, ganache is equal amounts of chocolate and cream by weight. Ganache recipes vary the ratio depending on the final need. If you need a thinner chocolate sauce, the cream would be in greater proportion. Then there are ratios that are best for whipping to make an airy ganache, ratios that are best for creating a glaze to pour over a cake etc. The amounts provided in this recipe are perfect for scooping into ball form and creating rich, luscious hot chocolate truffle bombs.
This is a pet peeve of ours! They are not the same. Hot chocolate is made with chocolate; hot cocoa is made with cocoa. We have recipes for both Low FODMAP Hot Chocolate and Low FODMAP Hot Cocoa.
Yes, it is. We delve into this in depth in our article, All About Dark Chocolate and FODMAPs. We also have articles on milk chocolate and white chocolate. The serving sizes in this recipe are Elimination Phase compliant.
There is natural cocoa and Dutch-processed cocoa. Dutch-processed cocoa has been processed with an alkali (usually a potassium carbonate solution) to produce a cocoa that is less acidic. It is occasionally referred to as “Dutched”, “alkalized” or even “European style”.
Dutch-processed cocoa is darker than natural cocoa and the flavor is mellowed and considered smoother, while richer at the same time. The pH is around a 7. Since Dutch-processed cocoa is not as acidic as natural cocoa, recipes calling for Dutch-processed are usually leavened by baking powder and do not require baking soda. We prefer it for these truffles.
Heavy cream is actually considered so high in fat that it is low FODMAP in fairly generous servings. Read all about it in our article All About Cream & FODMAPs.
You could, but since the truffles are made with heavy cream your resulting hot chocolate will not be dairy free. Also, whenever you make substitutions in a recipe you have to re-calculate FODMAP load. Reading up on FODMAP stacking would be prudent. For instance, if you decided to make your hot chocolate with coconut milk you would have to know what the low FODMAP serving size for coconut milk is, and it would also depend on the type of coconut milk that you use.
Yes, there are marshmallows that are low FODMAP. Please read our article on Candy Ingredients – and float that marshmallow on your hot chocolate!
Note On Nutrition
The nutritional information at the end of the recipe is for the 2 truffle bombs per serving, but does not include your chosen liquid, since we cannot predict whether you will use half-and-half, milk or water.
FODMAP Information
Our recipes are based on Monash University and FODMAP Friendly science.
- Chocolate: Monash University has lab tested dark, milk and white chocolate all have low FODMAP amounts: 85% dark at 20 g; dark at 30 g; milk at 20 g; white at 25 g.
- Cocoa: Monash University has lab tested what they call “cocoa” and also “cacao” and they show different FODMAP content. The problem is that from the chocolate manufacturing industry’s perspective, there is no difference between cacao and cocoa powder. The FDA, The Food Standards for Australia and New Zealand, the ICCO (International Cocoa Organization) and the National Confectioners Association do not even recognize the term “cacao” to describe cocoa powder. We have an article, All About Cocoa, that we encourage you to read. It attempts to explain the discrepancies in the Monash lab testing.
- Dairy: The low FODMAP diet is not a dairy-free diet. It is however, low in lactose. Many dairy ingredients are low in lactose, such as heavy cream and many cheeses.
Please always refer to the Monash University & FODMAP Friendly smartphone apps for the most up-to-date lab tested information. Foods will be retested from time to time; in the case of raw ingredients, such as fruits and vegetables, results may vary. All lab tested results are valid and represent a snapshot in time. As always, your tolerance is what counts; please eat accordingly. The ultimate goal of the low FODMAP diet is to eat as broadly as possible, without triggering symptoms, for the healthiest microbiome.
Low FODMAP Hot Chocolate Truffle Bombs
We think our Low FODMAP Hot Chocolate Truffle Bombs are the easiest, best and most fun way to make rich, chocolatey homemade hot chocolate. The bombs are made with just chocolate and cream!
Low FODMAP Serving Size Info: Makes about 72 truffles; 36 servings; 2 truffles per serving
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) heavy cream, lactose-free if possible
- 19- ounces (539 g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, between 55% cacao and 62% cacao mass, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup (43 g) sifted Dutch-processed cocoa
- Half and Half, milk or water for serving
Preparation:
-
Place cream in a large saucepan and bring just to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat and immediately sprinkle the chocolate into the cream. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes. The heat of the cream should melt the chocolate. Gently stir the ganache until smooth. If the chocolate is not melting, place over very low heat, stirring often, until melted, taking care not to scorch the chocolate. Scrape into an airtight container and refrigerate until firm enough to roll, for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight. It may be refrigerated for up to 1 week in an airtight container or frozen for up to 1 month.
-
Place the cocoa in a shallow dish, such as a pie plate. Have a clean shallow dish on the side. Use a 1-inch (2.5 cm) ice cream scoop (such as a Zeroll #100), or cereal teaspoon, and make about 4 bombs at a time. Simply scoop out small amounts of the ganache and deposit them on top of the cocoa.
-
Coat your palms with cocoa and roll the bombs into round balls. You are aiming to make bombs that are about 1 ¼-inches (3 cm) across and as round as possible, but they don’t have to be perfectly spherical. Place the bombs in the clean plate and repeat with the remaining ganache. You should end up with about 72 bombs. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 month or freeze for up to 2 months.
-
To make hot chocolate, use 2 truffle bombs and 6-ounces (180 ml) of cream, milk or water per serving. Heat in a saucepan on the stove top or in the microwave, stir until smooth, and serve immediately.
-
This recipe makes many chocolate bombs, but they can be refrigerated for up to 1 month and frozen for up to 2 months, and they make great winter gifts. Package in a decorative clear glass container with an instruction card included for storage and hot chocolate preparation and storage.
Notes:
FODMAP Information
Our recipes are based on Monash University and FODMAP Friendly science.
• Chocolate: Monash University has lab tested dark, milk and white chocolate all have low FODMAP amounts: 85% dark at 20 g; dark at 30 g; milk at 20 g; white at 25 g.
• Cocoa: Monash University has lab tested what they call “cocoa” and also “cacao” and they show different FODMAP content. The problem is that from the chocolate manufacturing industry’s perspective, there is no difference between cacao and cocoa powder. The FDA, The Food Standards for Australia and New Zealand, the ICCO (International Cocoa Organization) and the National Confectioners Association do not even recognize the term “cacao” to describe cocoa powder. We have an article, All About Cocoa, that we encourage you to read. It attempts to explain the discrepancies in the Monash lab testing.
• Dairy: The low FODMAP diet is not a dairy-free diet. It is however, low in lactose. Many dairy ingredients are low in lactose, such as heavy cream and many cheeses.
Please always refer to the Monash University & FODMAP Friendly smartphone apps for the most up-to-date lab tested information. Foods will be retested from time to time; in the case of raw ingredients, such as fruits and vegetables, results may vary. All lab tested results are valid and represent a snapshot in time. As always, your tolerance is what counts; please eat accordingly. The ultimate goal of the low FODMAP diet is to eat as broadly as possible, without triggering symptoms, for the healthiest microbiome.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more. For a more detailed explanation, please read our article Understanding The Nutrition Panel Within Our Recipes.
