Pecan Pie Truffles Recipe (2024)

Recipe from “VegNews Holiday Cookie Collection”

Adapted by Tara Parker-Pope

Pecan Pie Truffles Recipe (1)

Total Time
About 30 minutes, plus 2 hours' freezing
Rating
5(3,431)
Notes
Read community notes

These festive truffles from Hannah Kaminsky, a columnist at VegNews Magazine, combine the rich flavors of pecan pie under a thin layer of smooth chocolate. (To make these vegan, be sure to use vegan dark chocolate.) Like traditional rum balls, these offer a slightly alcoholic kick, so be sure to monitor any underage guests. —Tara Parker-Pope

Featured in: Well's Vegetarian Thanksgiving 2010

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Ingredients

Yield:24 truffles

  • cups pecans, toasted and finely chopped
  • 1cup graham cracker crumbs (from about 8 whole graham crackers)
  • 1cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • ½teaspoon salt
  • 2tablespoons maple syrup
  • ¼cup bourbon
  • 1teaspoon vanilla
  • 7ounces dark chocolate

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (24 servings)

177 calories; 12 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 17 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 12 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 69 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Pecan Pie Truffles Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    In a medium bowl, stir together pecans, graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and salt until well combined. Add maple syrup, bourbon and vanilla, stirring thoroughly. Use your hands to make sure the mixture becomes fully incorporated.

  2. Form mixture into walnut-sized balls, then place on a cookie sheet and freeze for 2 hours.

  3. Step

    3

    In the top of a double boiler or in a medium stainless steel bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water, melt chocolate (we recommend tempering the chocolate, but if you don't, they'll still be delicious, just a bit messy). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dip the frozen balls into the melted chocolate, then place onto prepared baking sheet. Let sit for 15 minutes or until firm.

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3,431

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Cperks

A note to other unexperienced truffle makers: I had trouble rolling them into balls because they were so sticky until I realized that if I wet my hands they wouldn't stick and roll into very nice balls.

Heath

I made these Thanksgiving morning and served them that afternoon. They were a big hit, but I found the bourbon flavor to be a bit overwhelming. However, I had a few left over, and the following day the bourbon flavor had mellowed out. I enjoyed them much more the following day. I recommend making them the day before you plan to serve them.

Have made this four times,

Combine maple syrup, bourbon, 2 tablespoons of butter and sugar & salt in a small glass bowl and microwave it twice 30 seconds each time. This will dissolve the sugar and reduce the grittiness. Pulse half the pecans after toasting with the graham crackers. Makes a smoother mixture. Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon Use a # 40 cookie scoop balls.Freeze and double dip into 10 oz of chocolate plus 2 tablespoons solid fat such as coconut oil. Sprinkle with a few grains of course sea salt

tom

A quarter cup of bourbon is nothing. I would be more concerned that kids ate a half pound of sugar!

Jo Ann Henderson

I thought these little nuggets were pretty good. Personally, I like their boozy quality. I agree that the brown sugar made the texture a little grainy, but that can be eliminated by the use of agave or honey as a sweetener instead. I thought they lacked richness that a couple table spoons of melted butter might add. The butter will eliminate the crumbliness (after refrigerating) when rolling. Upscale alternative to rum balls.

JamesDJ

I just had a fantasy: melt a stick of unsalted butter in a pan over medium heat, then put in all the ingredients (except chocolate) and cook until everything is blended and a bit of the alcohol has burned off. Then scrape into a bowl and refrigerate for a couple of hours until the mixture is cool and set. Then, using a small spoon or melon baller, form into balls, freeze the balls, and then perform step 3. I don't have a kitchen so please someone try this and tell me about it.

fatatita

you could substitute orange juice for the bourbon

Sara

My assumption when I first read this recipe was that it needed melted butter to help bind the filling so I added 1/2 cup to the nut mixture. I used the maple syrup but I think honey would be better. And since I'm not a fan of Bourbon I omitted it. I was short on time and only refrigerated the balls for 30 minutes before dipping them in the chocolate and that was fine. My results were excellent.

Kay Kay

I also felt it needed butter however I thought browning the butter would give it an extra kick and it did. DELICIOUS! I increased the crumbs slightly and added a quarter cup of browned butter.

Maria

Combine maple syrup, bourbon, 2 tablespoons of butter and sugar & salt in a small glass bowl and microwave it twice 30 seconds each time. This will dissolve the sugar and reduce the grittiness. Pulse half the pecans after toasting with the graham crackers. Makes a smoother mixture. Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon Use a # 40 cookie scoop balls.Freeze and double dip into 10 oz of chocolate plus 2 tablespoons solid fat such as coconut oil.

Shane

These are really wonderful and easy to make. If you're concerned about the alcohol do what I did - add the nuts to the mix directly from the oven, immediately after you mix in the alcohol. The heat burns off the booze while leaving the flavor. These will now be a household staple in our home.

Alyce Mantia Price

I made these with Biscoff wafers and the spiced flavor was fabulous!! Otherwise I made them exactly as posted.

Margaret

Iv'e made something similar a few Christmas' ago using Digestives (A British cookie) instead of Graham crackers . . . Just divine & the perfect hostess/host gift!
For gluten-free, just use any plain sweet gluten-free cookie.

MTM

These are delicious - raves all around. BUT does anyone have a hint for making the chocolate a little thinner so the coating goes more smoothly. I saw one recipe for tempering chocolate that called for adding fat. Does anyone have a solution.

And, like many others, 7 oz. is about half of what is needed.

Yassmeen

These have been a staple of my Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners since I first tried them a few years back. I always make a double batch to share. SO GOOD! And I agree with another poster who noted you should wet your hands when rolling the truffles--way less messy and more manageable that way. I think it also helps if you pulse the pecans and graham crackers very finely.

Cindy

Fun to make and delicious. My first attempt at candy making! Took others' advice: Biscoff Biscuits instead of Grahams, butter, food processor. Doubled the recipe with some being dark choco and other milk choco. Experimented with some orange and orange liquor but the lavor got lost. Mine weren't as pretty as the picture but not back for a novice.

Mina

Delicious! I pulsed all of the pecans with the graham crackers. They are a little gritty--next time, I'll try melting the sugar with the bourbon and maple syrup beforehand. Added coconut oil to the chocolate. The amount in the recipe was just about perfect--the last two truffles didn't get a full coating, but I decided those were my chef's treat. I used the narrowest bowl I had to maximize the depth (and therefore, the usable amount) of the chocolate. Half a recipe made 22 truffles.

Nat

Just made these and fell in love. Ended up making a few adjustments that worked great. I used ginger beer to replace the bourbon, as I do not like the taste of bourbon. I didn’t have maple syrup so I used honey, which while sticky did help hold the balls together. And we had speculoos cookies around for the holidays so we used that instead of graham crackers-I loved the spice that it gave the cookies. A great recipe that will be sticking around in this house.

Barbara

We loved these pecan balls. However we all felt they should be called bourbon balls. We couldn't taste the pecans or graham crackers. It was easy to make. I will try them again without the bourbon to see if they have more of the pecan pie taste.

Cooking in Flagstaff

These are a go- to favorite around the holidays! Boozy, nutty and delicious!

Sumati

Underwhelmed. Mine are kind of messy and irregular, but I don't mind that. Just too awfully sweet. Maybe I'm just not a truffle person.

josephine

I wish the recipe had said to keep out a few pecan bits out so you can add them to the top of the truffles like the photo shows. I added all of them into the mixture before I realized I should’ve kept some out.

Dolly

I learned how to temper chocolate for this recipe. I found it impossible to “dip” the frozen balls into the bowl of chocolate without them falling apart and cooling the chocolate too quickly causing the need to reheat which didn’t work well with the cookie grit in it. I would try these again but would spoon the hot chocolate over each one rather than trying to dip again.

Carol

Really liked these, but used about half the brown sugar that the recipe called for. Still PLENTY sweet! Also, tempered the chocolate as per the video and only had enough for 17 balls. Next time I will buy 10 0z of chocolate.

chris

I have substituted espresso (either regular or decaf) for the bourbon to accommodate a family member who dislikes the taste of alcohol. I’ve used a Nespresso machine, but I suspect instant would also work.

Andrew

I made two batches - one as written (plus 1 tsp of cinnamon) and one using some of the tweaks I read about in the comments. The regular one was far better. Other comments talk about the grittiness of the sugar and the booziness of them...but those are the best parts! I’ve had them in my fridge for about a week now and I definitely feel like they’ve gotten better the longer they sit, so I’ll try to make these in advance next time.

Stacey

I replaced the bourbon with apple cider to make a more kid-friendly version, and it turned out great. I love the bourbon version better, but a reasonable swap for those looking.

Stacey of the North

Add 1/4 cup browned butter, and melt the sugar in the butter. Also chop 1/2 of the pecans finer after toasting.

GC

One more thing....Also doubled the amount of chocolate to two bars, total 8 oz. This made enough for dipping without worrying about any chocolate lost through splatters, etc. Set up an assembly line and relax with the dipping....

GC

These are delicious! Nobody could stop eating them! Very rich but taste special!!! Made as directed except added a little extra bourbon (maybe 1/2 cup total) and extra maple syrup to help everything stick together. I would call these pecan bourbon "balls" not "truffles" as that is more what they are but they are great! Also, used chopsticks to dip them in chocolate, worked really well. The chocolate drips right off and you can just place the balls down to dry. Yum! Highly recommend!

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Pecan Pie Truffles Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What do pecan truffles taste like? ›

The pecan truffle is desirable because it has a distinct flavor (nutty and earthy) and is currently more affordable than most imported truffle species (i.e., $10–$20 versus $69–$225 per ounce).

How do you harvest pecan truffles? ›

We have found them by simply raking the surface of the soil with a stiff-tined garden rake. Of course, a trained dog or pig would help since they are not usually visible above ground!

Do truffles grow under pecan trees? ›

However, there are a few native species found in North America. One such truffle is called the pecan truffle (scientific name: Tuber lyonii, earlier known as Tuber texense) because it frequently grows in association with the roots of both native and cultivated pecan (Carya illinoinensis) trees.

How do you identify a pecan truffle? ›

For instance, it has a rounded, subterranean fruiting body that can be lobed, with shallow to deep furrows, and it has yellowish, tan to dark brown skin. The interior of a pecan truffle is solid, light brown to greyish when young, but becomes deeper brown at maturity.

Why are truffles so expensive? ›

Pound for pound, truffle is one of the most expensive foods you can buy. The reason behind such high costs is the scarcity of the produce, truffles are seasonal, extremely difficult to grow, and take many years to cultivate. They also have a short shelf life.

Can you eat pecan truffles? ›

Formerly considered nothing more than a nuisance by pecan farmers, the pecan truffle has been gaining in popularity as an edible mushroom in recent years and can fetch over $160 per pound at market.

How much are pecan truffles worth? ›

While European truffles cost thousands of dollars a pound—they're one of the most expensive foods in the world—one pound of truffles grown in Georgia can sell for $200 to $300, Brenneman said. For more information on pecan truffles and Brenneman's research, visit timbrenneman.org.

What is the value of pecan truffle? ›

Valued at $160–320 per pound, pecan truffles are candidates for commercial production but have been neglected due to a lack of information about overall biology and production practices (Smith et al., 2012).

What time of year do you pick truffles? ›

Season when mature: December through February, depending on weather. Tuber gibbosum (“Oregon Spring Truffle”): Distribution: Northern California to southern British Columbia west of the Cascade Range from sea level to about 2000 feet.

How deep are pecan truffles? ›

Pecan truffles are typically found a few inches below the soil's surface; some may even partially appear above ground if the soil is moved. The fungi traditionally grow at the base of pecan trees and are also found in the roots of hickories, hazelnuts, chestnuts, oaks, and basswood trees.

How big are pecan truffles? ›

Pecan truffles range in size but are generally on the modest side, often being 1/10 to 1/4 of on ounce (about 3g to 10g) per truffle.

Do squirrels dig up truffles? ›

All three squirrel species—the northern flying squirrel, the Douglas' squirrel, and the Townsend's squirrel—consume truffles produced by fungal partners of important tree species. The squirrels then spread the spores of these fungi throughout the forest in their feces.

What do false truffles look like? ›

Looking very much like a potato and just as variable in size and shape, the Yellow False Truffle is typically 1.5 to 4.5cm across its largest dimension and can be ovoid, ellipsoidal, an oblate spheroid or a lobed blob... shapeless is the term that most readily comes to mind!

What is the most common way to find truffles? ›

The best way to find truffles is to look for them in areas where they are known to grow. Truffles typically grow in forests or wooded areas. You can also look for truffles by following the trails of animals that like to eat them, such as pigs or deer.

How do I know if I found a truffle? ›

First, it must be warm and the soil moist. Truffles are often found 10 to 14 days after a heavy rain. The umbrella shaped mushrooms which pop up after a good rain can be used as a kind of clock. Look for truffles after these mushrooms have started to collapse.

What does truffle taste similar to? ›

Black truffles have a deep, pungent umami flavor that, while similar to that of mushrooms, is much bolder. These fungi are decadent and complex, with a nutty richness that can only please a sophisticated palate.

What is the tastiest truffle? ›

Alba (tuber magnatum pico)

The tuber is world-famous for its aroma and exquisite taste. Travellers come from afar just to sample this amazing truffle, grown in the Piedmont region of Italy. Only available from October to December, this white truffle truly is a must-try.

What does truffle flavor taste like? ›

Truffles are known for their earthy, umami-rich flavor and heady, musky aroma. Their flavor is sometimes compared to mushrooms, although truffles are more intense and complex in taste and far more fragrant. The exact profile varies by variety, season and quality, incorporating nutty, garlicky or floral notes.

What is the best tasting truffle? ›

White truffles are more fragrant and flavorful. In fact, they're so aromatic that they're almost always shaved raw on top of dishes, a scene that will soon play out in high-end restaurants all over the world. On the other hand, some light cooking can help coax the maximum flavor out of black truffles.

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