no bake strawberry shortcake truffles;

These strawberry shortcake truffles are just like biting into a cloud! They’re so light and a perfect addition to a truffle sampler because they’re so different. The angel food cake is light, and they’re kept moist with strawberries and cream. Because they’re so light, it makes for a different kind of truffle.

These white chocolate truffles are a snap to make, and full of strawberry goodness. The first batch I made actually was a raspberry version of this—just sub chopped raspberries for the strawberries. I did the raspberry version because I wanted to do a trial run before the holidays and make sure this recipe was up to snuff. It was delicious!!! So of course they’ll be included in the annual Christmas truffle boxes.

But because these strawberry shortcake truffles use fresh cream and fruit, they need to be refrigerated. So I plan to make another batch closer to the holidays for gifting. Truffle making is usually a multi-week production for me. I make multiple kinds, as well as salted caramels. You can check out the spread of truffles I’ve made in years past like my list from last year. But I like to make many ahead of time—sometimes even months—to make the holiday season less crazy stressful.

I’ve had success keeping these strawberry shortcake truffles in my fridge for up to two weeks before eating. I’d be careful about waiting longer than that since the moisture could be more prone to molding. Especially for gifting, I wouldn’t want to take a chance on anything less than fresh versions of these truffles.

When it comes to coating truffles, the chocolate you use is key. I like offering a couple different suggestions. The most accessible options are candy coating. You can find multi-colored candy coating wafers from Michaels’, but I actually prefer the Ghirardelli coating wafers for flavor. Both are solid options, and easily accessible. I’ve seen the Ghirardelli coating wafers in multiple grocery stores, and they’re also available online.

My preference, if you’re looking for a little bit of a higher quality chocolate is Guittard A’Peels. Still no tempering required, but the white A’Peels are a pretty brilliant white. They melt a little thinner and I find that easier to use to coat truffles. I also think the flavor is a bit more elevated. I actually discovered these Guittard A’Peels after I photographed this recipe, so you’re seeing the ghirardelli chocolate in the photos. I will be using the A’Peels for my Christmas batch of strawberry shortcake truffles, though.

I chose to do a pink chocolate drizzle over the tops of these, but you could also dust with some sprinkles, or some dehydrated strawberry dust. I can find dehydrated strawberries at Trader Joe’s and will add an extra little punch of strawberry flavor. Or try some crumbled graham crackers if dehydrated strawberries aren’t in your pantry!

Recipe adapted from Bread and Butter.

Secrets to Success

• If you’re looking for 100% homemade, make your own angel food cake, either from scratch or a boxed mix. But especially if you’re making these for the holiday season, take an extra thing off your plate and go with a premade angel food cake if you can find it. You’ll thank me later when it’s one less thing to stress about.
• Consider using overripe fruit. Since the fruit is mixed up in the filling mixture, overripe is a good choice. Not so mushy or brown they’re not good anymore, but a couple of days past prime is perfect. It imparts more flavor and uses up those berries that might not look perfect anyway.
• There’s really no reason you have to stick to strawberries! Strawberries are a classic, and raspberries are delicious too, but why stop there? Choose your favorite fruit and swap it in for the recommendations in the recipe. I’d stay away from watery fruits like watermelon or pear, but most berries would be quick substitutions. Even mango could be a cool summery option.

Looking for other recipes perfect for gifting? Check out these recipes:

• Cookies and cream cookies are an all-time favorite, and never disappoint.
• For all my peanut butter lovers, try these buckeye pretzel bites.
• Looking for a dark or milk chocolate truffle recipe? Raspberry chambord truffles are always a staple in our household.

Also check out the ultimate holiday truffle guide for more tips, tricks, and truffle ideas!