These beautiful chocolate bonbons are made with tempered dark chocolate and filled with a delicious milk chocolate ganache. This easy technique for painted cocoa butter shells is so impressive no one will believe these are homemade.
Table of Content
Bonbons are by far my favorite treats and one my husband always brings back from trips. Over the years, I've been fascinated with making these myself and have tried many variations and techniques.
A tutorial for making bonbons has been on the request lists for a long time. Especially, by those who have enjoyed my tutorials on how to melt chocolate correctly and the many different methods to temper chocolate.
Why make these bonbons?
- They are filled with delicious chocolate ganache. I use dark chocolate for the outside shell, so the sweet milk chocolate filling makes an incredible contrast.
- Today, we are using the seeding method to temper chocolate. I think this is the best method to use when working at home.
- And with my no-fail method, you will be tempering chocolate just once in the process. So it makes for a very efficient process.
- I also teach you how to paint the molds with cocoa butter. And while the chocolate looks impressive, the technique is surprisingly easy and simple.
- In addition, these make perfect gifts to family and friends. So, it is a great way to impress with your chocolate making skills.
- There are just two components to make these bonbons.
- The shell - we use tempered coveture dark chocolate
- Ganache made with milk chocolate and whipping cream. But the options for filling are endless.
The timeline and process for making bonbons
- Make and chill ganache filling - 10 mins + 2 hours
- Paint and chill the molds - 10 mins
- Temper chocolate - 10 mins
- Mold then chill the shells - 10 mins + 10 mins
- Fill the shells (filling) - 10 mins
- Close the shells (more tempered chcolate) - 10 mins
- Chill the bonbons - 4 hours
Ingredients and substitutes
- Chocolate - Of course, the better the quality of chocolate the better the bonbons will be. I like to use coveture chocolate and my prefered brands are Callebaut and Laubeca. Of course, you can use your favorite brand as well.
Also, I am using dark chocolate for the shells and milk chocolate for the ganache filling. - Cocoa butter - We are using chocolate butter for edible painting in the molds. You can find cocoa butter at any chocolate or pastry store.
- Cream - Use a high fat whipping cream, no less than 38%. Otherwise, to the filling will be too runny.
- Colors - We use edible, powdered food colors that are mixed with cocoa butter to make a paste. You can buy these at any chocolate, pastry, or cake decorating store.
Equipment for bonbons
It is worth noting what is the best practice when working with chocolate. For example:
- Use plastic or silicone bowls when melting chocolate. Unlike metal and glass, these do not retain heat so the process of tempering chocolate is much quicker. Otherwise, the chocolate takes longer to cool in the warm metal/glass bowls.
- Molds - I like to use good quality polycarbonate molds because they are easy to use and do not bend. While you can also use silicon molds, being too soft they are not so easy to invert. Single use plastic molds work too but the do not give a good shine as polycarbonate molds.
- Thermometer - I like to use a stick thermometer, but any chocolate or candy thermometer works just as well. Make sure to clean the part dipped in chocolate before the next reading or you will not get an accurate reading.
Step by step instructions
Chocolate ganache filling
- Combine chocolate and whipping cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt in the microwave for a minute on high.
Pro tip - Alternatively, heat the cream in a saucepan and pour hot cream over the chocolate. The heat in the cream should melt the chocolate. - Let stand for 2 minutes. Then, stir to combine. And if you still have unmelted chocolate, heat in the microwave at 10 to 20-second intervals until completely melted.
Pro tip - Letting the cream and chocolate rest for 2 minutes will help the heat from the cream melt the chocolate evenly and easily.
- Next, use a hand blender to whip the chocolate. Cover with a plastic wrap and let chill in the fridge until set. Usually, about 2 hours but you can leave it in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Pro tip - Whipping the ganache will aerate the ganache and make it lighter in color. Also, the light-colored filling makes a nice contrast to the dark chocolate. - When ready to use, transfer the ganache to a piping bag. Cut a small hole at the end when ready to pipe.
Painting the bonbon molds
- Melt the cocoa butter in a microwave-safe bowl. It takes no more than 30 to 40 seconds. Set aside.
- On a small plate, add the edible powdered food colors. Today, I used green and blue, but you can use one or more colors.
Pro tip - Make sure to use complimenting colors that will blend into a prettier color. - Add a tablespoon of cocoa butter on the plate in between the colors. Using a soft-bristled paintbrush, combine one color with the cocoa butter. Make a thick paste and smear the color in each cavity of the bonbon mold. Then, do the same with the second color as shown in the video.
Pro tip - The technique we used here blends the two colors together. But you can also do the first color and chill the mold for 10 minutes. Then, do a second color. This will ensure the two colors do not blend. - Place the bonbon mold in the fridge for 10 minutes for the cocoa butter to set.
Tempering chocolate
- Use a microwave-safe bowl, heat-proof spatula or spoon, and thermometer.
Pro tip - I like to use plastic or silicone bowls as they do not retain heat. This makes it easier to temper chocolate. - Chop the chocolate into small, similar size pieces. Place ⅔ of the chocolate in one bowl. Chop the remaining chocolate into smaller pieces and set them aside.
Pro tip - Today, I am using small chocolate pallets. So, I melted the large batch without chopping. But I did chop the smaller batch to ensure easy tempering. - Place the large batch of chocolate into the microwave and start at 30 seconds on high. Then, take it out of the microwave and stir it with a spatula or spoon.
Pro tip - The chocolate will seem untouched, as if it has not been melted, but you still want to stir it. - Next, put it back into the microwave and give it another 20 seconds. Remove and stir again. And if necessary, put it back into the microwave for 10 seconds at a time until it melts but does not go over 110°F/43°C (max 115°F/46°C).
Pro tip - Make sure you stir well, the chocolate may look like it is not fully melted but the heat in the chocolate is often enough to melt the remaining chocolate. - Now, add the remaining unmelted chocolate to the bowl stirring continuously.
Pro tip - The chocolate will thicken and become shiny and smooth as it cools. - Continue to stir until the temperature of the chocolate comes down to 90°F/32°C for dark chocolate, 86°F/30°C for milk chocolate, and 84°F/28°C for white chocolate.
Pro tip - Reaching the temperature is important. - Your chocolate should now be in temper.
Pro tip - You can test your tempering by spreading a little chocolate on parchment paper. It should set within 3 minutes at room temperature. It should be shiny and without any streaks.
Assemble
- Bonbon shells - Pour the tempered chocolate into the mold. Tap it a few times to remove any air bubbles. After about 30 seconds to a minute, invert the mold over the bowl or table and let all the chocolate gently empty the mold.
Pro tip - It will feel like the mold is empty when the chocolate drizzles out but that is exactly what we want - a nice thick shell. Scrape the molds as you go to keep things less messy as shown in the video. - Scrape the top of the mold to ensure a smooth top edge on the bonbons. Then, let the mold chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.
Pro tip - It is important that you chill the shells for just 10 minutes or until the chocolate is just set but not completely dry. Otherwise, the shells will move when you pipe in the filling. - After 10 minutes, pipe the ganache filling in each mold cavity. Tap the mold to help the filling settle and remove any air pockets.
Pro tip - If the filling is too liquid, place the mold in the fridge for 10 minutes or at least until the filling has a slight crust on the top. This ganache is set so did not need any chilling. - Pour the remaining tempered chocolate into a piping bag and cut a small hole at the tip. Then, pipe the chocolate over each filling in the mold. When done, scrape the excess chocolate back into the bowl until you have a clean smooth surface.
Pro tip - Make sure you cut a small hole in the piping bag. Otherwise, it will be difficult to control the chocolate. Piping the chocolate keeps the filling in place and makes much less mess and leakage.
- Place the mold in the fridge and chill until the chocolate is set and pull away from the mold.
Pro tip - You will know when the chocolate pulls away from the mold by looking at the back. But make sure to hold them over the table so they don't fall and break. - To remove the bonbons from the molds, simply invert them on a tabletop or flat surface. You may need to tap a few times to help some of them release from the mold.
Pro tip - If necessary, clean the edges of the bonbons with your fingers for a neater appearance.
Frequently asked questions
How long will these chocolate bonbons keep?
These can be kept at room temperature without the fear of melting. Of course, if you have perishable fillings it might be a good idea to keep them in the fridge.
What is the difference between bonbons and truffles?
These are bonbons made using tempered chocolate to create a hard chocolate shell filled with a soft filling. Truffles are soft chocolate, such as ganache, rolled into cocoa or other ingredients. Truffles can sometimes be dipped in chocolate too.
What is the best chocolate to use for bonbons?
Chocolate can be very affordable and also very expensive. Coverture chocolate has a high percentage of cocoa butter and is higher in price compared to regular chocolate bars. Coverture is specifically designed to use for coating, molding, etc. These will have the percentage for cocoa butter specified on them. For example, 30% cocoa butter is perfect for dipping chocolate.
How do I know if my chocolate is tempered?
To test if your chocolate is tempered, dip the tip of a spatula in the chocolate. Leave it to set at room temperature (between 65 to 70F). If the chocolate is tempered, it will harden within 3 to 5 minutes. It should look shiny and glossy.
Troubleshooting
- My bonbons has tiny holes? When pouring chocolate into the mold it is necessary to tap the mold several times to remove any air pockets - so don't be shy, tap tap tap.
- There is no space for filling in my bonbons - When inverting the chocolate mold remove as much as you can. The thinner the shell the more filling you can add. But, chocolate is delicious too, so don't make the shells too thin as they break easily.
- My bonbon molds are cracked - When you invert the mold it is a good idea to tap them several times. But avoid banging too hard, there is no need to ruin good molds. A few taps and the chocolate will be out.
- Can I eat bonbons with holes? If you have any holes on the finished chocolate these are probably air pockets that escaped despite all the tap tap tap. Don't worry the chocolates will be still tasty. They make excellent guilt-free for chef's treats.
- My bonbons have white specks on them - When chocolate is not stored or tempered properly it can cause the cocoa fat to separate from the rest of the chocolate and cause those white streaks or white or dull spots. You can fix this by tempering the chocolate again.
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Printable Recipe
Chocolate Bonbons
Print Pin Rate Share by Email Share on FB Save Grow Difficulty: Medium
Diet : NF, GF, VEG, Eggless
Calories: 75kcal
Adjust Servings Here: 36 bonbons
Description
These beautiful chocolate bonbons are made with tempered dark chocolate and filled with a delicious milk chocolate ganache. This easy technique for painted cocoa butter shells is so impressive no one will believe these are homemade.
Video
Conversions Used
1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,
Ingredients
Bonbon shells
- ½ lb (226 g) Chocolate (Milk, semi-sweet, or dark)
Ganache filling
- 1 cup (175 g) Chocolate
- ½ cup (120 ml) Whipping cream
Cocoa butter painting
- ¼ cup (20 g) Cocoa butter
- 2 Edible powdered food colors
Instructions
Chocolate ganache filling
- Combine chocolate and whipping cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt in the microwave for a minute on high. Pro tip - Alternatively, heat the cream in a saucepan and pour hot cream over the chocolate. The heat in the cream should melt the chocolate.
- Let stand for 2 minutes then stir to combine. If you still have unmelted chocolate, heat in the microwave at 10 to 20-second intervals until completely melted.Pro tip - Letting the cream and chocolate rest for 2 minutes will help the heat from the cream melt the chocolate evenly and easily.
- Use a hand blender to whip the chocolate. Cover with a plastic wrap and let chill in the fridge until set. Usually, about 2 hours but you can leave it in the fridge for up to 2 days. Pro tip - Whipping the ganache will aerate the ganache and make it lighter in color. Also, the light-colored filling makes a nice contrast to the dark chocolate.
- When ready to use, transfer the ganache to a piping bag. Cut a small hole at the end when ready to pipe.
Painting the bonbon molds
- Melt the cocoa butter in a microwave-safe bowl. It takes no more than 30 to 40 seconds. Set aside.
- On a small plate, add the edible powdered food colors. I used green and blue today, but you can use one or more colors. Pro tip - Make sure to use complimenting colors that will blend into a prettier color.
- Add a tablespoon of cocoa butter on the plate in between the colors. Using a soft-bristled paintbrush, combine one color with the cocoa butter. Make a thick paste and smear the color in each cavity of the bonbon mold. Then, do the same with the second color as shown in the video. Pro tip - The technique we used here blends the two colors together. But, you can also do the first color and chill the mold for 10 minutes. Then, do a second color. This will ensure the two colors do not blend.
- Place the bonbon mold in the fridge for 10 minutes for the cocoa butter to set.
Tempering chocolate
- Use a microwave-safe bowl, heat-proof spatula or spoon, and thermometer.Pro tip - I like to use plastic or silicone bowls as they do not retain heat. This makes it easier to temper chocolate.
- Chop the chocolate into small, similar size pieces. Place ⅔ of the chocolate in one bowl. Chop the remaining chocolate into smaller pieces and set them aside. Pro tip -Today, I am using small choclate pallets so I melted the large batch without chopping. But I did chop the smaller batch to ensure easy tempering.
- Place the large batch of chocolate into the microwave and start at 30 seconds on high. Then, take it out of the microwave and stir it with a spatula or spoon.Pro tip - The chocolate will seem untouched as if it has not been melted but you still want to stir it.
- Next, put it back into the microwave and give it another 20 seconds. Remove and stir again. If necessary, put it back into the microwave for 10 seconds at a time until it is melted but does not go over 110°F/43°C (max 115°F/46°C). Pro tip - Make sure you stir well, the chocolate may look like it is not fully melted but the heat in the chocolate is often enough to melt the remaining chocolate.
- Now, add the remaining unmelted chocolate to the bowl stirring continuously. Pro tip - The chocolate will thicken and become shiny and smooth as it cools.
- Continue to stir until the temperature of the chocolate comes down to 90°F/32°C for dark chocolate, 86°F/30°C for milk chocolate, and 84°F/28°C for white chocolate. Pro tip - Reaching the temperature is important.
- Your chocolate should now be in temper. Pro tip - You can test your tempering by spreading a little chocolate on parchment paper. It should set within 3 minutes at room temperature. It should be shiny and without any streaks.
Assemble
- Bonbon shells - Pour the tempered chocolate into the mold. Tap it a few times to remove any air bubbles. After about 30 seconds to a minute invert the mold over the bowl or table and let all the chocolate gently empty the mold. Pro tip - It will feel like the mold is empty when the chocolate drizzles out but that is exactly what we want - a nice think shell. Scrape the molds as you go to keep things less messy as shown in the video.
- Scrape the top of the mold to ensure a smooth top edge on the bonbons. Let the mold chill in the fridge for 10 minutes. Pro tip - It is important that you chill the shells for just 10 minutes or until the chocolate is just set but not completely dry. Otherwise, the shells will move when the filling is piped in.
- After 10 minutes, pipe the ganache filling in each mold cavity. Tap the mold to help the filling settle and remove any air pockets. Pro tip - If the filling is too liquid, place the mold in the fridge for 10 minutes or at least until the filling has a slight crust on the top. This ganache is set so it did not need any chilling.
- Pour the remaining tempered chocolate into a piping bag and cut a small hole at the tip. Then, pipe the chocolate over each filling in the mold. When done, scrape the excess chocolate back into the bowl until you have a clean smooth surface. Pro tip - Make sure you cut a small hole in the piping bag. Otherwise, it will be difficult to control the chocolate. Piping the chocolate keeps the filling in place and makes much less mess and leakage.
- Place the mold in the fridge and chill until the chocolate is set and pull away from the mold. Pro tip - You will know when the chocolate pulls away from the mold by looking at the back. But, make sure to hold them over the table so they don't fall and break.
- To remove the bonbons from the molds, simply invert them on a tabletop or flat surface. You may need to tap a few times to help some of them release from the mold. Pro tip - If necessary clean the edges of the bonbons with your fingers for a neater appearance.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Chocolate melts easily but it can still hold its shape when melted so make sure to always stir frequently to prevent it from burning.
- Use plastic or silicone bowls when melting chocolate, unlike metal and glass these do not retain heat so the process of tempering chocolate is much quicker. Otherwise, the chocolate takes longer to cool in the warm metal/glass bowls.
- Stirring the chocolate means agitating the chocolate. The more you agitate the more shiny the chocolate will be. Read more about how to melt chocolate correctly.
- Tempered chocolate is about reaching the right temperature so invest in a thermometer and use it often.
- Cocoa butter is easy to work with and painting with edible colors makes for a prettier presentation. However, you can mold the bonbons without any color at all. Make the shells with classic tempered chocolate. These are gorgeous too, see the image above for my classic bonbons without any color.
- When pouring chocolate into the mold it is necessary to tap the mold several times to remove any air pockets - so don't be shy tap tap tap.
- When inverting the chocolate mold remove as much as you can. The thinner the shell the more filling you can add. But, chocolate is delicious too so don't make the shells too thin as they break easily.
- When you invert the mold it is a good idea to tap them several times but avoid banging too hard, there is no need to ruin good molds. A few taps and the chocolate will be out.
- If you have any holes on the finished chocolate these are probably air pockets that escaped despite all the tap tap tap. Don't worry the chocolates will be still tasty. They make excellent guilt-free for chef's treats.
- If the chocolate is tempered properly the bonbons will drop out of the molds easily. If for some reason the shells are still stuck - chill them a while longer. If necessary, place them in the freezer for a few minutes and that should help the chocolate release from the mold.
- Bonbons made with properly tempered chocolate will have a wonderful shine and that perfect snap when cracked. These can be kept at room temperature without the fear of melting. Of course, if you have possible fillings it might be a good idea to keep them in the fridge.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 75- kcalCarbohydrates: 8- gProtein: 1- gFat: 5- gSaturated Fat: 3- gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1- gMonounsaturated Fat: 2- gCholesterol: 5- mgSodium: 4- mgPotassium: 38- mgFiber: 1- gSugar: 6- gVitamin A: 49- IUVitamin C: 1- mgCalcium: 7- mgIron: 1- mg
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
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A
Look under recipe notes and tips, point 5. It says Tempted instead of Tempered chocolate. Just thought you’d want to know. This was extremely helpful and I can’t wait to make them for my allergic kids & I, who miss out on candy! ☺️
Siobhan
I was thought to temper chocolate for example.milk heat to between 40 and 45 degrees,add seed to cool ut to 29 degree then slowing bring bit back to 31 degrees for working temperature
gilberto
Hi Veena,
Thank you for your time in preparing and sharing this recipe.
Can you please give an idea of how long would this bonbon be good for ? Would it be safe to say a month considering the ganache (for using cream ) for the filling ?
Many thanks.
Gilberto
Veena Azmanov
Ah!! Honestly, I have never kept bonbons for more than 2 weeks in my fridge, Gilberto. I usually make small batches for the family or to give as gifts and then they are gone instantly.
In truth, chocolate will mostly be affected by climate. So it depends on where you are. If you live in a hot and humid climate the chocolate can go soft. Even in the fridge, it can take ordor from other foods.
It can even have chocolate blooms that do not look nice. I suggest keeping them in the fridge well wrapped but perhaps not for longer than 2 weeks.