Made with real pumpkin puree, these pumpkin spice truffles are wonderfully indulgent and surprisingly easy to prepare. Coated in white or dark chocolate and sprinkled with graham cracker crumbs, these are the ultimate fall treat! I find these truffles get even better—and the pumpkin flavor becomes more prominent—after a day or two in the refrigerator, so this is a great make ahead recipe.
After writing my cookbook, Sally’s Candy Addiction, I was inspired to make these pumpkin spice truffles. Included in the cookbook (and here on my site) is a recipe for pumpkin spice toffee. It’s chewy, buttery, and perfectly spiced—and I knew the fall flavors would be just as amazing in truffle form. Today’s truffle recipe is one of my all-time favorites and after one bite, you’ll taste why.
Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Spice Truffles
- Simple to prepare
- Smooth and creamy inside
- Bursting with warm, cozy flavors—you can use homemade pumpkin pie spice here!
- Made with only 8 ingredients, including real pumpkin
- Dunked in the chocolate of your choice
- A great make-ahead dessert
- Like little bites of fall
Behind the Recipe
Let me explain how I formulated today’s candy recipe. They’re pretty similar to this Oreo balls recipe, but I changed up a few things. In fact, the truffles you see here are actually my 4th try making them.
- First batch: I started with using gingersnap cookie crumbs in the filling—the sweet, spicy cookies overpowered the pumpkin.
- Second batch: I tried graham cracker crumbs—this was a more mellow base for the filling but the texture wasn’t very smooth and lush, like most truffles we know and love. I needed to add something velvety.
- Third batch: I increased the amount of pumpkin. Huge mistake! The truffle filling was wet and unworkable.
- Fourth batch: We have a winner! Unlike regular chocolate truffles filled with chocolate ganache, my pumpkin spice truffles are filled with pumpkin, graham cracker, and cream cheese. Melted white chocolate and a touch of confectioners’ sugar smooth out the filling, while pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon accentuate the pumpkin flavor.
Make sure you’re using pumpkin puree (canned is best) and if you have extras to use up, here are some recipes to make with leftover pumpkin puree.
Overview: How to Make Pumpkin Spice Truffles
These truffles come together quickly in just a few simple steps.
- Make the filling. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream all of the filling ingredients together. The mixture will be soft and thick.
- Chill the filling. This is the most important step! The truffle mixture is very soft, so it must be refrigerated for at least 1 hour (up to 1 day) before you can roll it into balls. Cold truffle filling is so much easier to work with.
- Roll the filling into balls. Use about 1 teaspoon per truffle.
- Chill the truffle balls. After rolling each truffle, chill them one more time. This time for only 30 minutes or so.
- Dip in chocolate. All my success tips below!
- Let chocolate set. Refrigerate the dipped truffles for 30 minutes or until chocolate has completely set.
Best Coating for Pumpkin Spice Truffles
Use your favorite chocolate! White chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate both taste amazing with the pumpkin filling. For best results, use pure baking chocolate or chocolate melting wafers—this makes dipping pumpkin spice truffles a breeze.
As always, I recommend a dipping tool for creating the most attractive truffles! I use and recommend these dipping tools, and you’ll use them many times over when making chocolate truffles, Oreo balls, rum balls, M&M truffles, and more. Place the pumpkin spice ball in the chocolate and lift it out with the dipping tool. Quickly flip it upside down on the lined baking sheet. You can see how I do this in my video for peanut butter balls.
If you don’t have a dipping tool, use a fork to lift the dipped ball out of the chocolate and use a toothpick (or another fork) to slide the ball off the fork onto the lined baking sheet. You can see how to do this in the video for peanut butter eggs.
Top with graham cracker crumbs or a cinnamon/sugar mixture!
I love making these treats part of a Halloween dessert display alongside decorated Halloween cookies, easy candy corn pretzels, and Oreo balls (add your favorite Halloween sprinkles!).
PrintPumpkin Spice Truffles
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
- Yield: 35 truffles
- Category: Candy
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Like most candy recipes, there isn’t room for ingredient substitution. I always recommend following the recipe as written. I find these truffles get even better—and the pumpkin flavor becomes more prominent—after a day or two in the refrigerator. Dip in white chocolate or dark chocolate for a fabulous fall treat!
Ingredients
- 2 ounces (57g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons (15g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/3 cup (72g) pumpkin puree
- 1 and 3/4 cups (175g) graham cracker crumbs (about 12 full sheet graham crackers)
- 1/2 teaspoon store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice*
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 ounces (113g) white chocolate, coarsely chopped and melted
Topping
- 10 ounces (283g) semi-sweet or white chocolate, coarsely chopped
- optional garnish: extra graham cracker crumbs or cinnamon/sugar
Instructions
- With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar together in a large bowl until creamy—about 2 minutes. Add the pumpkin and beat on high until combined. Add the graham cracker crumbs, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and melted chocolate. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until everything is combined. The mixture is supposed to be soft and thick. Cover mixture tightly and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 24 hours. Chilling is mandatory.
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Begin rolling chilled mixture into balls (about 1 teaspoon per ball) and place the balls on the baking sheets. You should have around 35 total. Chill balls in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
- During the last few minutes of the chilling time, begin melting the chocolate. You can melt the chocolate in a double boiler or the microwave. If using the microwave: place the chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. I like to use a liquid measuring cup. Its depth makes it easier for dipping the truffles. Melt in 30 second increments in the microwave, stirring after each increment until completely melted and smooth. Let the warm chocolate sit for 5 minutes to slightly cool before dipping. Alternatively, you can temper the chocolate. If tempering, do not place or store truffles in the refrigerator.
- Remove balls from the refrigerator and dip them in the chocolate using a dipping tool. When lifting the truffle out of the chocolate, remember to tap the dipping tool gently on the side of the bowl to allow excess chocolate to drip off. Top truffles with a sprinkle of graham cracker crumbs, if desired.
- Place balls back onto the baking sheet after you dip each one. Allow chocolate to completely set in the refrigerator before serving. Truffles are OK at room temperature for a few hours for serving.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Layer truffles between sheets of parchment or wax paper in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Double Boiler or Liquid Measuring Cup | Candy Dipping Tools
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: You can find pumpkin pie spice at most grocery stores or use this homemade pumpkin pie spice blend. If you don’t have either on hand and just want to use individual spices for this recipe, use a pinch each of ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and ground allspice.
obsessed with these!! my new favorite fall treat, they are dangerously addictive!
Hi Sally. Im planning to bake these for sending out as christmas treats. If i had to add some liquor to it, which one would you suggest? Brandy? Also how much should i add?
Hi Shilpa! I really wish I could help, but I’m unsure without testing the recipe myself. I actually love these coconut rum truffles if you want to try them instead.
Could I use a combination of graham cracker and ginger snap crumbs?
Yes, definitely!
Absolutely delicious! I let these chill overnight and the pumpkin flavour was perfect! Will definitely make again!
I just made these and they are amazing!!!! I only dipped in dark chocolate since I find white chocolate a little sweet. Such a fantastic recipe!
Hi Sally!! After a few of my complaints. I have to say. After 3 or 4 days if baking your chewy chocolate chip. They have held up so well and r still so soft. It’s just what I was looking for. And the dark chocolate date but truffles are also so so yummy. The trick for me is to leave them in the freezer. And take out and eat. I’m in Florida so things seem to get soft very quickly. And the Oreo choc Oreo ball are also very delious and the golden Oreo balls. And the pumpkin truffles ado like you said too die for. Like I said leave in freezer and take out as needs. Can wait till next year. To see more of your recipes. Thanks . I just wish those salt chocolate chip worked out. There one of my favorites. And was so Looking to share them with family and neighbors.Â
HHi, I will be making this for Thanksgiving, but I will shape it like a pumpkin to be more festive. So, to make it easier I will be using orange candy melt, but I am afraid to make it too sweet, do you have any suggestions? Can I take the confectioners sugar out? Is there a brand of white chocolate that you prefer? Or less sweet? Any thoughts? Help pleaseÂ
I just made these today and they’re delicious! When I mixed everything together I wasn’t quite satisfied with the texture though, so I added another ounce or so of cream cheese and 1/4 a cup of milk and it made it perfect! It also made much more than 35 truffles for me, and that was with balls bigger than a teaspoon. Can’t complain about that though! Thanks so much for the recipe, I will for sure be making these again!
Can you make these without the white chocolate in the filling? Will it set-up right without it?
Hi there! I’m planning on trying these next week. It will be my third or fourth time making truffles (previously just the kind made from cream cheese and ground Oreos) and all of those times I’ve had an issue with chilling & dipping the truffles, then within about 10 minutes the chocolate cracks on the bottom and an ugly blob of filling oozes out. I figured it was a result of the filling warming and expanding after being chilled for a long time, so I told myself not to chill the truffles before dipping next time if I could avoid it. Since it’s mandatory with this recipe, do you have any insight on how I could prevent or minimize this problem?
Hi Sally – I made the filling which turned out perfectly. However, when I tried to melt the chocolate it just didn’t melt – it ended up all clumpy. I don’t have a microwave or a double-boiler, so I do what I normally do to melt chocolate: simmer a small amount of water in a pot and put a bowl over the top of the pot with the chocolate in it. I don’t know what went wrong! Thanks.
Do you think it’d be ok if I use vegan cream cheese?
I can’t see why not!
Hey there!
I am planning on making these this weekend for our family Thanksgiving. My question is about the pumpkin puree – Did you use canned pumpkin? If so, was it the pure pumpkin or the pie filing puree?
Thank you so very much!
Jillian
Pure canned pumpkin, not the pie filling. Enjoy!
Hi Sally, I’d like to make these for a Thanksgiving party but I’m living in Singapore and can’t get graham crackers or crumbs here! Is there a reasonable substitute, like digestive biscuits perhaps? Or should I find a different pumpkin recipe until I stock up on my next trip home?Â
Hi Sara, great question. I’ve had readers use digestive biscuits instead with great success 🙂
I made these for a party a couple of weeks ago and the were a hit! Everyone who tasted them had wonderful things to say and I’ve been asked for the recipe by nearly everyone that was there! I bought a dipping tool set off of Amazon (very inexpensive) and used the spiral tool for the truffles. I have been making chocolate covered peanut butter balls at the holidays for years and struggled with toothpicks! Why did I not know about this tool? It made the process so much easier and I will be using this tool at Christmastime for sure!
I am planning to make these for a friend’s wedding a few weeks, but I’ll need to make them ahead of time and pop them in the freezer until the wedding. I see your make head tip, but I am wondering if you would recommend coating them in chocolate and freezing the complete truffles, or freezing just the balls and then coating them in chocolate the day before the wedding. Not sure if it matters or not, but I’d appreciate your thoughts!
Hi Mollie– you can go about it either way. Appearance-wise, I would freeze the plain balls and then coat in chocolate the day before. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
These have made me the hit of many a party! They are so original and delicious! I’ve loved making oreo truffles for years, but I love fall flavors even more. Nothing to improve on this recipe!
These were delish & different to the Oreo truffles I’m always making.  Thanks for sharing. 🙂
These are so amazing, and so simple to make! My father in law went crazy for the white chocolate covered truffles, and my husband loves them coated in semisweet chocolate. I can’t decide which I like better! I had so much fun making them, and I have asked for both of your cookbooks for Christmas. Thanks for so many great recipes!
Glad you made them and that they were loved! Hope you enjoy my books too– lots of truffle recipes in my 2nd book!
OH MY GOODNESS! Â A friend of mine just made me a batch after reading your site to go with a meal she made for me after I just had a baby a couple of weeks ago. Â If you are not sure you will like them…MAKE THEM! Â YUM YUM YUM!
I always love how delicious your recipes are!! I just made a batch of these and let me tell you they were SERIOUS crowd pleasers! Also easy recipes always win my heart | carmelapop.com
Hi Sally! I just bought the dipping tools you recommended and I was wondering which one you liked most for this recipe? I’m so excited to try these. I love cooking/baking for my classmates (indirectly, because I’d be dead if I ate the entire batch so what better than to bring some to share?) I was also wondering how long the truffles would take to harden if I used tempered chocolate. I’ve been trying to do that recently (used the instructions in your candy cookbook!) and the last time I tried, I ended up sticking them in the fridge anyway because they just would not harden! Since I like to bring them, how long would you recommend they be out of the fridge with tempered chocolate?Â
Hey Jaclyn! If you tempered chocolate is taking forever to set, it could be because the chocolate got a little too hot while you were working with it. If your thermometer read the correct stated temperature, just know that it might be 1 or 2 degrees too hot. So, go for 1-2 degrees less next time. Anyway, tempered chocolate will take awhile to completely harden no matter what– is it hot or humid where you live? Sticking in the fridge (for just a little!) is ok. Not too long though!
I always use the spiral looking tool for dipping truffles. The one pictured at the bottom of this post.
These are so good! I just made them with the semi-sweet coating! I’ll defenitly try them with white chocolate next!
Hi Sally – the combination of pumpkin & chocolate is a favorite of mine – just not white chocolate. Can you tell me what would happen if I left out the melted white chocolate in the filling or what purpose the melted white chocolate in the filling serves? I really wnat to make these! Thanks!
Lynne, white chocolate makes the truffle center creamy, smooth, and binds it all together. Without it, the filling isn’t quite as rich and is a little more “wet” (rather than creamy) and difficult to coat. I don’t recommend leaving it out.
I just made these and your pumpkin spice coffee creamer right now. AMAZING!!! I cannot thank you enough. My fridge is bursting its seams with pumpkin-y stuff, so I have to go clear that up.
Thanks! 🙂
Sally, you’ve really outdone yourself- these look spectacular! I was just wondering, when making these truffles in the dark chocolate version, am I supposed to switch out the white chocolate in the ingredient list for the balls with dark chocolate? Or do I leave it as white chocolate and simply use dark chocolate for dipping purposes? Thanks!
Yep, there is always melted white chocolate in the filling. Enjoy Mica!