Festive Pistachio Cointreau Truffles – Boozy Holiday Dessert

Indulge in a taste of luxury this season: these Festive Pistachio Cointreau Truffles are rich, creamy, and infused with the irresistible combination of dark chocolate, orange liqueur, and salty pistachios – a decadent holiday truffle that’s perfect for gifting or serving at your festive gatherings.

Hey, folks – I hope you’re all doing well and embracing the holiday spirit!

Are you ready for something utterly naughty and delicious? These elegant Festive Pistachio Cointreau Truffles are everything a Christmas or New Year’s dessert should be: indulgent, simple, and incredibly delicious. They come together with just a handful of ingredients, making them a luxurious yet effortless addition to your holiday dessert table. Whether you serve them after Christmas dinner or wrap them up as edible gifts, they’ll impress every chocolate lover.

Why You’ll Love These Festive Pistachio Cointreau Truffles

• Festive: The orange liqueur and pistachio combination brings a sophisticated holiday flair – perfect for Christmas or New Year’s Eve celebrations.
• Luxurious texture: Silky-smooth ganache coated in crunchy pistachios for a decadent bite every time.
• Make-ahead friendly: These truffles can be prepared days in advance, ideal for stress-free entertaining.
• Giftable: Pack them into small boxes or jars tied with ribbons for homemade edible Christmas gifts.
• Versatile: Try different coatings like cocoa powder, coconut flakes, or crushed freeze-dried raspberries for festive variations.

Boozy Pistachio Cointreau Truffles: Flavour and Texture Profile

These holiday truffles are pure decadence: creamy, velvety ganache infused with bright orange liqueur, enveloped in a crunchy pistachio shell. The balance between sweet, nutty, and citrus notes makes them perfect for winter celebrations. They pair beautifully with coffee, dessert wine, or even a glass of sparkling rosé.

Ingredients You’ll Need for This Recipe

• Dark chocolate: Choose a combination of dark and extra dark chocolate for a deep, rich flavour. Chop it finely so it melts smoothly.
• Whipping cream: Brings the ganache together and gives the truffles their creamy texture.
• Cointreau (orange liqueur): Adds a beautiful citrus note that balances the richness of the chocolate. Other triple sec or orange liqueurs work too.
• Butter: Adds smoothness and a touch of shine to the ganache.
• Honey: Gently sweetens and helps create a glossy texture.
• Salted pistachios: Provide flavour, texture, and that classic festive green hue. Half are ground finely for the truffle mixture, and half are chopped for coating.

How to Make Festive Pistachio Cointreau Truffles

Start by preparing the pistachios. Using a food processor, pulse about half of them into a fine powder – this will give the truffle filling a nutty richness and a lovely green hue. The remaining pistachios can be roughly chopped later for the coating. Finely chop your dark chocolate (a mix of dark and extra-dark works best) and place it in a medium heatproof bowl along with butter and honey. The smaller the chocolate pieces, the more easily they’ll melt into a smooth, glossy ganache.

In a small saucepan, bring the whipping cream and Cointreau to a gentle boil, then pour about half over the chocolate mixture. Let it stand briefly before stirring, then add the remaining hot cream and mix again until the ganache is silky and shiny. If it looks slightly lumpy, simply set the bowl over a double boiler for a minute or two to fully melt it. Stir in the Cointreau and the ground pistachios to create a luxurious, boozy chocolate mixture that smells like pure holiday indulgence.

Cover and refrigerate the ganache for a couple of hours until firm but scoopable. If it hardens too much, let it soften at room temperature for 10–15 minutes. Scoop small portions with a spoon or melon baller and roll them between your palms to form truffles. Finally, coat each one in the chopped pistachios for that irresistible crunch and festive green sparkle. Store the truffles in the fridge for up to a week – they’re the perfect make-ahead dessert for your Christmas table or a thoughtful edible gift for any holiday celebration.

More Boozy Holiday Desserts

Are you looking for more fun, festive and boozy desserts for the winter holidays, just like these Festive Pistachio Cointreau Truffles? Be sure to check them:

• Easy Holiday Candied Chestnuts – Quick Festive Treat
• Irish Cream Chocolate Dessert – Easy Holiday Treat
• Christmas Gingerbread Tiramisu – Festive Holiday Dessert
• Festive Pistachio Panettone Trifle – Easy No-Bake Dessert

I’d love for you to try these Festive Pistachio Cointreau Truffles. If you give the recipe a go, please share your results in the comments, message me on Instagram, or post your photos with the hashtag #havocinthekitchen. I look forward to seeing your creations and hearing your thoughts!

Cheers!

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Festive Pistachio Cointreau Truffles – Boozy Holiday Dessert

Recipe by Ben | Havocinthekitchen

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: Christmas, Boozy Desserts and Treats, Festive Christmas Desserts, Chilled and No-Bake Desserts

Servings

22-26

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Chilling time

2

hours

Dark chocolate, pistachios, and Cointreau come together in these Festive Pistachio Cointreau Truffles – a boozy, elegant holiday dessert.

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup whipping cream (35%)

• 400 gr. dark chocolate (I used the combination of dark and extra dark), finely chopped (Otherwise, it might not melt well)

• 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp. Cointreau or other triple sec liquor

• 200 gr. salted pistachios, divided

• 60 gr. (4 and 1/4 tbsp.) butter, cut in small cubes

• 2 tbsp. honey

Directions

• Process (using a food processor)100 gr. pistachios until fine powder.
• Place the chopped chocolate, butter, and honey in a medium bowl. Please note the chocolate must be finely chopped, otherwise it might be more challenging to melt the chocolate until smooth and homogeneous ganache.
• Bring the whipping cream and 1/3 cup orange liquor in a small saucepan to a boil.
• Pour roughly 1/2 of the boiling cream mixture over the chopped chocolate. Let stand about 30 seconds then gently combine with a spatula, few seconds. Pour over the chocolate the remaining cream mixture. Let stand about 60 seconds then combine with a spatula. Add in the remaining 1 tbsp. Cointreau. The mixture should be smooth and shiny. If the chocolate has not melted fully and the ganache is lumpy, you can easily fix it by using a double boiler, few minutes of steaming should be enough to fully melt the chocolate. Stir in 100 gr. pistachios from the step 1.
• Cover and chill for a couple of hours, until firm enough (Dark and extra dark chocolate will firm up faster than semi-dark.) If it has firmed too much, simply remove it from the refrigerator and let it soften 10-20 minutes.
• Scoop out some chocolate ganache (It’s easy to do with a small scoop like a melon spoon), then using your hands, shape it into the balls. Depending on size, you should get between 25 and 35 truffles.
• Process the remaining 100 gr. pistachios until roughly chopped.
• Roll the truffles in the chopped pistachios. Keep refrigerated for up to 5-6 days. Enjoy!