Dubai Chocolate Strawberry Truffles

I stumbled onto these truffles at a friend's dinner party in Dubai, where she passed around a small golden box with the kind of reverence usually reserved for jewelry. One bite and I understood why—the snap of dark chocolate giving way to that tart strawberry center felt like luxury distilled into a single moment. I spent the next week pestering her for the recipe, then another week in my kitchen getting the ganache to cooperate, learning that patience with chocolate isn't optional, it's essential. Now they're my go-to gift, the thing I make when I want to say something without words.

I made a batch for my sister's engagement party and watched her face light up when she opened the box—that small moment of joy reminded me why food matters beyond taste. She's not someone who gets excited easily, but those truffles somehow broke through her usual composure, and now they're part of the story of that day.

Ingredients

• High-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa), 200g chopped: The foundation of everything—don't skimp here, because cheap chocolate will taste flat and waxy instead of luxurious and smooth.
• Heavy cream, 100ml: This is what transforms chocolate into silky ganache, so use the real stuff, not the whipped kind.
• Unsalted butter, 30g: Adds richness and helps the ganache set at just the right consistency for scooping.
• Freeze-dried strawberries, 1/3 cup crushed: The secret weapon that gives you strawberry flavor without moisture ruining your ganache—I learned this the hard way with fresh berries.
• Pure vanilla extract, 1 tsp: A small amount that rounds out the flavors without making them taste vanilla-forward.
• Sea salt, a pinch: Elevates the chocolate and makes the strawberry sing.
• Dark chocolate for coating, 200g melted: Your dipping chocolate, which needs to be smooth and glossy when you work with it.
• Freeze-dried strawberries for rolling, 2 tbsp crushed: Optional but transforms some truffles into a fruit-forward version alongside the plain ones.
• Edible gold flakes: The glamorous finishing touch that tastes like nothing but looks like everything.

Instructions

Gather your chocolate and get ready:

Place your 200g of chopped dark chocolate into a heatproof bowl and keep it within arm's reach. Using a heatproof bowl matters more than you'd think—a regular one might crack or cool unevenly, and you're trying to coax chocolate into cooperation here.

Warm the cream and butter:

Pour your heavy cream and butter into a small saucepan and set it over medium heat, watching carefully until tiny bubbles form around the edges and steam rises—you want it just at a simmer, never a rolling boil. Boiling cream can split and ruin everything, so go slow and pay attention.

Create the ganache:

Pour the hot cream mixture over your waiting chocolate, then step back and let it sit undisturbed for exactly two minutes—this resting time lets the heat gently melt the chocolate without you stirring it to death. After those two minutes, stir gently and deliberately until the mixture is completely smooth and glossy.

Fold in the strawberries and soul:

Add your crushed freeze-dried strawberries, vanilla extract, and a small pinch of sea salt, stirring until everything is distributed evenly. The mixture should smell intensely chocolatey with a bright fruity note threading through it.

Let it firm up in the cold:

Cover the ganache and slide it into the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours until it firms up enough to hold a shape when you scoop it. It shouldn't be rock hard, just firm enough that a spoon doesn't sink straight through it.

Scoop and shape your centers:

Using a melon baller or small spoon, scoop out portions about the size of a marble and drop them onto a parchment-lined tray. If your hands are warm, briefly chill them under cold water between scoops so the ganache doesn't stick and warm up too much.

Give them a quick freeze:

Pop the scooped truffles into the freezer for about 15 minutes—this firms them up enough to handle dipping without falling apart. This is the moment where cold is your friend.

Melt your coating chocolate with care:

In a heatproof bowl over simmering water or in the microwave in short 20-second bursts, melt your second batch of chocolate slowly, stirring between each burst. You're aiming for smooth and pourable, not hot enough to scramble.

Take the plunge:

Using a fork or dipping tool, gently drop each truffle into the melted chocolate, swirl it once or twice to coat, then lift it out and let the excess drip back into the bowl before placing it back on your tray. The whole motion should feel slow and deliberate, like you're conducting chocolate therapy.

Customize with strawberry or go plain:

While the chocolate coating is still wet, roll some of the truffles in your extra crushed freeze-dried strawberries for a fruity textured finish. Leave others plain if you want that sleek, elegant look.

Crown them with gold:

Immediately after rolling or while the chocolate is still tacky, add a small pinch of edible gold flakes to each truffle—they'll stick to the wet chocolate and give you that luxurious gleam. This is the moment where they stop being just candy and become something to photograph.

Let them set and harden:

Leave the truffles at room temperature for about 15 minutes so the chocolate coating hardens to a snap, or refrigerate them for a quicker set. Once set, they're ready to eat, gift, or admire.

Save

There's something almost meditative about dipping these truffles, watching the chocolate seal around each center, then catching the light as the gold catches and holds it. My mom called me while I was working on a batch and I found myself describing the process in detail instead of just saying I was cooking, because there's something about making something this beautiful that demands to be shared, even over the phone.

The Magic of Freeze-Dried Fruit in Ganache

For years I tried incorporating fresh strawberries into chocolates and kept ending up with weeping, separated ganache that looked like something had gone wrong in the chemistry lab. Freeze-dried strawberries solved this completely—they add intense flavor and texture without any water content, which means your ganache stays smooth and luxurious instead of breaking. The tartness also punches through the richness of the dark chocolate in a way that fresh fruit never quite managed, giving you that perfect balance of indulgence and brightness.

Chocolate Tempering Simplified

You technically don't need to temper the coating chocolate for these to taste amazing, but if you're feeling fancy, melting it slowly and letting it cool slightly before dipping gives you that snap and shine that makes them feel truly professional. For everyday truffles though, just melting it gently and keeping it at a workable temperature is perfectly fine—the goal is smooth enough to coat, not so hot it cooks the ganache center. I've made these both ways and honestly the flavor is identical; the tempered version just looks slightly more polished.

Storage, Gifting, and Those Last-Minute Moments

These truffles will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, though they rarely last that long in my house. I've brought them to potlucks, packed them as thank-you gifts, and even used them as last-minute presents when someone unexpected showed up. There's something about homemade chocolate that feels like you've given someone a small piece of your time and attention, wrapped up in luxury.

• Store them in the coldest part of your fridge so they stay firm and the chocolate doesn't soften.
• If you want to make them ahead, you can prepare the ganache center days in advance, then dip and decorate on the day you're serving them.
• They also travel surprisingly well if you pack them gently with parchment between layers in a box—perfect for mailing to friends or taking to gatherings.

Save

These truffles have taught me that sometimes the most impressive things are the ones you make yourself, and luxury doesn't always require a trip to a fancy shop—it just requires attention and care. Make them for someone you want to impress, or make them for yourself on a day when you need to remember that you deserve something beautiful.