A perfect chocolate truffle, for me, has a fine, tempered shell that, with a soft, satisfying snap, gives way to a ganache that melts luxuriantly on the tongue (and, failing that delicate snap, then give me a classic bitter dusting of cocoa). Truffles may come in endless variations, but at their core, they are simply chocolate and cream, which makes the quality of both non-negotiable.
A good dark chocolate, about 60-70% cocoa, brings complexity and depth without bitterness, while the right cream-to-chocolate ratio creates a ganache that’s smooth, rich and just soft enough to dissolve in the mouth. Any further additions such as salt, liqueur, citrus, coffee or spices should never be dominant. And, whatever the finish, be it cocoa powder, toasted nuts, coconut or a glossy shell, it should complement rather than compete with the chocolate ganache inside.
The best supermarket chocolate truffles
Best overall/best bargain:
M&S Swiss truffle assortment
★★★★☆
A slightly thick shell, but decent chocolate and a good selection of milk, hazelnut, blond and dark. At £12.50 a box, these seem on the expensive side, but there is a generous number of truffles in here, so these are, in fact, the best value of the whole test group.
And the rest …
Monty Bojangles signature choccy scoffy chocolatey truffles
★★★★☆
Not exactly bean-to-bar couverture chocolate, but these have a good cocoa flavour, all dark and dusty, that’s balanced by also being smooth and sweet.
Tesco Finest salted caramel truffles
★★★☆☆
The chocolate’s decent and the salted caramel filling is nicely balanced. Lovely box presentation, too – would make a nice gift.
Waitrose No 1 Fairtrade orange and hazelnut truffles
★★★☆☆
The quality of the chocolate is pretty good here, but the orange oil flavour is very intense and overwhelms the flavour of the hazelnut praline.
Asda Exceptional caramelised biscuit truffles
★★★☆☆
More Biscoff-y biscuit than chocolate, but easy to eat and enjoyable. Perhaps a little too sweet.
Morrisons the Best marc de champagne truffles
★★☆☆☆
The filling tastes a little like scented candle, and overpowers the chocolate.
Co-op Irresistible Belgian chocolate flaked truffles
★★☆☆☆
Not quite chocolatey enough, and a little too sweet.
Aldi Specially Selected reindeer nose truffles
★★☆☆☆
Ersatz berry flavour – these might be enjoyed more by kids.
Lidl Deluxe vanilla truffles
★★☆☆☆
Synthetic vanilla flavour that lingers in the throat.
Sainsbury’s Free From salted caramel chocolate truffle
★☆☆☆☆
These have an odd, waxy texture, plus they don’t melt in the mouth. Artificial-tasting salted caramel, too.
