Pumpkin Pie White Chocolate Truffles: A Small Fall Indulgence

My friend Becky has never tasted pumpkin. In anything. Not one Thanksgiving pie, not one fluffy muffin, or freshly baked slice of bread.

Vertical image of a bowl with a stack of candies next to pumpkins with white text on an orange background.

And between us, she must be terribly sorry she ever admitted this to me. Not just because she’s now the main subject of this post, but for the responses it has garnered from me:

“How can you never have eaten pumpkin? Do you know what you’re missing? I can’t believe this! We will change this. Really?! You’ve really never, ever had it before?!”

Vertical image of rows of truffles covered in graham cracker crumbs.

But I’m terribly hypocritical – chastising someone for not tasting a popular ingredient, when I myself have never eaten kale, Brussels sprouts, sushi, foie gras, edamame, and tons of other things many people love. I only just tried mushrooms a few weeks ago, by accident, and we still aren’t on friendly terms.

It’s a funny truth about eaters: we like to brag about what we love and what we’ve tried. Especially, it seems, when someone else hasn’t.

Vertical image of a plate of truffles with white chocolate chips on the surface.

So you should feel a little sorry for Becky, if you don’t already.

Thing is, I am now on a mission. A mission that began the moment she revealed her gastronomic secret to me. This is one person who can still be converted, and I want to make it happen.

Over the past few weeks, I have been plotting to find what would be the perfect first experience. What should she start with? What would be a thing, the thing, to ensure a lifetime enjoyment of it?

Vertical image of a tall stack of candies covered in graham cracker crumbs with pumpkin decorations and an orange towel.

These inside-out pumpkin pie truffles are the ideal start.

Fun and small, they are the perfect bite-sized introduction to the orange-hued world of my favorite fall squash.

Mix together a creamy combo of sweetened condensed milk, white chocolate, and pumpkin puree with aromatic vanilla and warming spices. Roll into balls, cover in graham cracker crumbs, and chill.

Vertical closeup image of a candy with a bite next to whole candies on a dark plate.

The truffles are like fudge, with a dense and smooth texture that slowly melts in your mouth. Lifelong squash lovers and complete newbies will fall under its captivatingly sweet spell.

I’m 100% confident that my friend will love these soft and chewy delights, and will want to try even more amazing recipes. I swear to the great Pumpkin King himself!

Print
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Horizontal image of rows of white chocolate truffles with pumpkins.

Pumpkin Pie White Chocolate Truffles


  • Author: Shanna Mallon
  • Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
  • Yield: 30 truffles 1x

Description

Want a treat that isn’t a hefty slice of pie? Fun and tiny, these pumpkin pie truffles are bite-sized confections you can enjoy all autumn.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 1/2 cups chopped white chocolate or chips
  • 6 ounces sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup graham cracker crumbs

Instructions

  1. In a double boiler or large heavy saucepan, melt the chocolate and condensed milk together over low heat, stirring with a sturdy wooden spoon.
  2. Once the chocolate is melted, add pumpkin puree and whisk until smooth. Mix in the vanilla and spices until completely combined. Remove from heat.
  3. Chill the mixture for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator, or until it has hardened enough to roll. Scoop out the mixture in small rounds with a small cookie scooper. Using your hands, roll into 1-inch balls. Roll in the graham cracker crumbs to coat well. Place on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper. 
  4. Chill finished truffles for at least 30 minutes before serving.
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Truffles
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Dessert

Keywords: pumpkin, white chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, fall

Cooking by the Numbers…

Step 1 – Prep

Horizontal image of a bowl of white chocolate chips on an orange towel.

Prepare a double boiler for the stovetop. Place a silicone mat or piece of parchment paper on one baking sheet pan. Set out a small cookie scooper.

Measure out the white chocolate chips. If using a bar of chocolate, chop in large chunks with a sharp knife and sturdy cutting board.

Measure out the puree, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, pumpkin spice (make it homemade!) and cinnamon.

Make the graham cracker crumbs using a food processor.

Step 2 – Melt Together the Chocolate and Milk

Horizontal image of a bowl of melted white chocolate.

In the double boiler or a pot with a heavy bottom, melt the chocolate and condensed milk together over low heat, stirring with a sturdy wooden spoon. The mixture will be very thick and sticky. If the mixture seizes, don’t worry! We have all the steps to recover from this potential catastrophe.

Step 3 – Add the Puree, Vanilla, and Spices

Horizontal image of a melted orange batter with a spatula in a white bowl.

Switch to a metal whisk. Once the chocolate is completely melted, add the puree and whisk until the mixture is very smooth.

Add the vanilla and spices and mix until everything is completely combined. Remove from heat and chill for 1 hour in the refrigerator, until the mixture has hardened enough to roll. It should feel like a soft fudge that you can mold.

Step 4 – Shape and Roll in Graham Crackers

Horizontal image of rolling dessert balls in graham cracker crumbs

With the cookie scooper, scoop out small, even mounds of the mixture. Use your hands to roll and form small, 1-inch balls.

Place the graham cracker crumbs in a large bowl. Roll each ball in the graham cracker crumbs to coat the entire exterior. Set the finished truffles on the prepared sheet pan.

Step 5 – Chill and Serve

Horizontal image of rows of white chocolate truffles with pumpkins.

Chill the truffles for at least 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

To store, keep place them in an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to one week, or in the freezer for several months.

Go Small This Fall

Want a treat that isn’t a hefty slice of pie? New to the world of pumpkin? Go small this fall!

Horizontal image of a single truffle on a wooden surface by an orange towel, white chocolate chips, and a pumpkin.

Fun and tiny, these truffles are bite-sized confections you can enjoy all autumn and well into the holidays.

I’m very happy to report that my dear friend Becky is now a complete convert – after trying these creamy delights, she’s already planning on making homemade pumpkin cake this Thanksgiving, and pumpkin pie smoothies and coffee creamer in the mornings!

For even more bite-sized delights to try this year, make our mummy cake pops and madeleines.

Horizontal image of a plate of chocolate balls in a light graham cracker dusting.

I’m always open to other innovative ways to use this ingredient. I picked up a can of puree at the grocery store this weekend and am open to suggestions. Do you have a foolproof people-who-don’t-eat-pumpkin-should-try-it recipe?

Give me your best ideas in the comments below! And will you remember to rate this recipe? Pretty please with a tasty truffle on top?

For more bite-sized chocolaty indulgences, try these:

Photos by Nikki Cervone, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on November 3, 2008. Last updated: December 27, 2022 at 11:25 am. With additional writing and editing by Nikki Cervone.

Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.

About Shanna Mallon

Shanna Mallon is a freelance writer who holds an MA in writing from DePaul University. Her work has been featured in a variety of media outlets, including The Kitchn, Better Homes & Gardens, Taste of Home, Houzz.com, Foodista, Entrepreneur, and Ragan PR. In 2014, she co-authored The Einkorn Cookbook with her husband, Tim. Today, you can find her digging into food topics and celebrating the everyday grace of eating on her blog, Go Eat Your Bread with Joy. Shanna lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with Tim and their two small kids.

11 thoughts on “Pumpkin Pie White Chocolate Truffles: A Small Fall Indulgence”

  1. Okay, we need to change this you’ve-never-eaten-sushi-or-edamame-or-brussels-sprouts-or-kale thing. Pronto. Come over. NOW. Next, my CostCo sells vanilla beans. I’ve never gotten them, but they look genuine enough. I usually use vanilla paste when it calls for vanilla bean. It’s more expensive than extract of course but cheaper than the bean. And it’s super good. Specialty markets have it in jars usually. And seriously, go eat some sushi. 🙂

    Reply
  2. wait. you’d never had mushrooms till a few weeks ago?! what?

    um. i’ve only had pumpkin pie once, i had one bite and gave the rest to my mom.

    it’s soup season. le bon pain makes a great curried pumpkin soup. i could eat that. you could make that?

    Reply
  3. I have to agree with my first kitchen – all four of those things are must trys! I’m no mushroom fan though, so I can appreciate your need for a little distance from those little guys.
    As far as pumpkin, I actually like it in savoury dishes, like pasta and soups. Or you can serve it like squash… slice, butter and sugar it and bake it. I think that’s so pretty and tasty!
    Those madelines looked like a great idea!

    Reply
  4. are you just not into the raw-fish deal with sushi? because they’re some cooked rolls that you can start out with. get thee to a sushi place, order edamame and seaweed salad as appetizers, and start out slow with some tempura rolls.

    kale, i’m with you on that one.

    i’m finding tons of thanksgiving side dish recipes for brussel sprouts. this one involves bacon. can’t go wrong with that.

    Reply
  5. are you just not into the raw-fish deal with sushi? because they’re some cooked rolls that you can start out with. get thee to a sushi place, order edamame and seaweed salad as appetizers, and start out slow with some tempura rolls.

    kale, i’m with you on that one.

    i’m finding tons of thanksgiving side dish recipes for brussel sprouts. this one involves bacon. can’t go wrong with that.

    my first experience with pumpkin was in a pie. luuurrrved it. kudos on getting your pals to try new foods — now get out there and eat some sushi!!!

    Reply
  6. Wow. I feel so … violated. 🙂

    Do you like how this whole post has become about sushi? I think we should go get some. It doesn’t sound like pumpkin is near as wonderful as you make it sound. Maybe I’ll stick with my single edamame pod.

    Reply
  7. My First Kitchen: Deal! When should I get there? 🙂 Great tip about the vanilla paste or buying beans at Costco. I’m definitely going to try that!

    Lan: I know. I’m not sure how I managed to avoid mushrooms until now, but here’s how we met. I ordered pumpkin soup (irony) a few weeks ago at this French restaurant we were celebrating a birthday at. The soup was amazing. Then, at the bottom, there were a few little bits of something. A nut? Crumbled cookies? I ate them and though: Hmmn, gummy, kind of weird. THEN I asked someone next to me. Mushrooms. Not thrilled.

    Jesse: Another vote for soup, and I’m developing a craving! 🙂 Thanks for agreeing with me on mushrooms, BTW.

    Jacqui: OK, OK! Maybe I can do that. Tempura rolls sound innocent. But don’t tell me what they are. I’ll just be surprised. I’m going to try that.

    Becky: Thanks for being a good sport. Looks like I’m officially in for sushi–or tempura rolls to begin. When should we go? Where? (And the pumpkin is coming! Don’t you worry!)

    Reply
  8. NOTE: Between the melting time required and then the chilling necessary afterwards, this recipe takes MUCH more time than indicated.

    Reply
    • Sorry for the confusion, Linda! In the directions, we did note that the truffles need at least 1 hour to chill, or until hardened enough to scoop into balls. The total time has been adjusted to reflect this. Thanks for your help!

      Reply

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