These violet truffles with lemon and cashews are delicate no-bake treats made with vanilla wafers, roasted cashews, lemon, and crème de violette. Finished with white chocolate, candied violet petals, and fresh lemon zest, these vanilla wafer truffles are rich and nutty yet wonderfully fresh and aromatic.
Hey folks – I hope you all are doing well!
Today I’m sharing another easy truffle recipe with an unusual flavour twist. These violet truffles combine a simple vanilla wafer and cashew base with fresh lemon and crème de violette for a delicate floral note. And while the centres require no chocolate at all, a little white chocolate drizzle makes them extra lovely and provides the perfect finishing touch for candied violets and lemon zest. So, let’s dive into these luscious crème de violette truffles!
What Are Wafer Truffles?
Wafer truffles are a type of no-bake confection made by finely grinding wafers and combining the crumbs with other ingredients that provide flavour, richness, and enough moisture to form a soft, rollable mixture. Filled wafers are particularly well suited to this style of dessert because their filling already contributes sweetness and fat, while ground nuts can add richness, flavour, and a more substantial texture.
You can think of wafer truffles as part of the broader cookie truffle family. Unlike traditional chocolate truffles, however, they do not rely on ganache for their soft centres. Instead, finely ground wafers and nuts form the base, while ingredients such as liqueur, citrus juice, or another binder bring everything together.
A Different Kind of Truffle
The terminology around truffles, cookie truffles, wafer truffles, and dessert balls can be confusing because these names are sometimes used interchangeably. There are no strict universal definitions, but a few distinctions help explain where this recipe fits.
- Traditional truffles. These are generally chocolate confections, most often made with a ganache centre and finished with cocoa, nuts, or another layer of chocolate.
- Cookie truffles. Finely ground cookies form the base and are mixed with enough of a moist ingredient to produce a soft mixture that can be rolled into balls.
- Wafer truffles. These follow essentially the same idea as cookie truffles but specifically use crushed or ground wafers. Filled wafers contribute some of their own fat, sweetness, and moisture.
- Bliss or energy balls. Although similar in shape and preparation, these are more commonly made with ingredients such as nuts, dried fruit, oats, or seeds and are generally positioned as snacks rather than confections.
- Truffles versus balls. Both terms can describe similar no-bake sweets. However, “truffle” usually suggests a richer dessert-style confection, whereas “ball” is a much broader term referring primarily to the shape.
So, these violet truffles are essentially cookie or wafer truffles: vanilla-filled wafers and roasted cashews create the centre, while crème de violette and lemon provide flavour and enough moisture to bind everything together. They are quite different from classic ganache truffles, even though the finished shape and presentation are similar.
Why You’ll Love These Violet Truffles with Lemon, Cashews and Vanilla Wafers
There is more to these violet truffles than simply being an easy no-bake dessert. The combination of filled wafers and roasted nuts creates an interesting alternative to traditional chocolate truffles, while crème de violette and lemon transform a familiar cookie-truffle base into something more distinctive.
Vanilla Wafers and Cashews Make the Base
Vanilla-filled wafers provide most of the structure for these vanilla wafer truffles. Once finely ground, the crisp wafer layers become fine crumbs, while the filling contributes sweetness and richness and helps the mixture come together.
Roasted cashews make up another substantial part of the base. Their mild, buttery flavour works particularly well here because it complements vanilla, lemon, and violet without competing with the more delicate floral notes. They also give the centres a richer, nuttier texture and temper some of the sweetness from the filled wafers.
Together, the wafers and cashews create soft, substantial centres without ganache, cream cheese, condensed milk, or melted chocolate. This also makes the basic formula quite adaptable: the amount of liquid can be adjusted according to the particular wafers you use.
Crème de Violette Meets Lemon
Crème de violette gives these truffles their most distinctive flavour. The liqueur is sweet and delicately floral, with an aroma that works naturally with vanilla and mild nuts such as cashews.
Lemon is important for balance. Its acidity cuts through the sweetness of both the filled wafers and violet liqueur, while the zest contributes a fresher and more concentrated citrus aroma. As a result, these lemon violet truffles taste floral without becoming perfumed and sweet without feeling excessively heavy.
And don’t be concerned if the amount of crème de violette seems relatively generous. I ultimately used around four tablespoons in my batch because the wafers were quite dry. Even with this amount, the violet flavour remained delicate rather than overpowering, and there was no pronounced alcoholic warmth.
Violet Truffles with Lemon, Cashews and Vanilla Wafers: Flavour and Texture
The flavour starts with mellow vanilla and roasted cashew, followed by fresh lemon and a subtle violet aroma. The white chocolate drizzle adds a creamy sweet note, while the final scattering of lemon zest and candied violet petals reinforces the citrus and floral flavours without overwhelming the centres.
Texture-wise, these violet wafer truffles are soft, dense, and cohesive, with a slightly crumbly and nutty quality from the finely ground cashews and wafers. They are not silky or creamy like ganache truffles; instead, they have the substantial texture characteristic of cookie and wafer truffles.
White Chocolate and Violet Finish
White chocolate is used only as a finishing element rather than as part of the truffle base. A light drizzle adds enough creamy sweetness to complement the lemon and violet while still allowing the flavour of the cashew-wafer centres to remain prominent.
It also gives the garnishes something to adhere to. Adding crushed candied violet petals and finely grated lemon zest while the chocolate is still wet creates a simple but elegant finish and gives each truffle an extra hint of violet and citrus.
Ingredients You’ll Need for Violet Wafer Truffles
The ingredient list for these violet truffles with wafers and cashews is quite short, but each ingredient plays an important role in creating the right balance of flavour and texture.
- Vanilla-filled wafers. These form the main structure of the truffles while also contributing sweetness and vanilla flavour. If possible, choose wafers that are not excessively sweet. Lemon-filled wafers would also be an excellent alternative.
- Roasted cashews. Cashews add richness, body, and a mellow nutty flavour that pairs particularly well with lemon and violet.
- Crème de violette. This fragrant violet liqueur provides the signature floral note while also supplying some of the moisture needed to bind the mixture.
- Lemon. Both juice and zest are important here. The juice balances the sweetness and helps bind the mixture, while the zest provides a brighter citrus aroma. You will also need a little extra zest for garnish.
- Salt. Just a pinch helps balance the sweetness of the filled wafers, liqueur, and white chocolate.
- White chocolate. Used for drizzling rather than incorporated into the centres. It adds a creamy sweet accent without turning these into white chocolate truffles.
- Candied violet petals (optional). Crushed petals make an elegant finishing touch and reinforce the delicate violet flavour.
Tips for the Best Violet Truffles
These vanilla wafer truffles are easy to make, but the exact consistency can vary depending on the wafers you use. In particular, different brands contain different amounts of filling, so it is better to treat the liquid quantities as a guide and adjust them as needed.
- Choose less-sweet wafers. Filled wafers tend to be quite sweet already. If you have several options, look for a brand with a more restrained sweetness so the crème de violette and white chocolate do not make the finished truffles overly sweet.
- Add the liquids gradually. Start with a smaller amount of crème de violette and lemon juice, then add more until the mixture is moist enough to hold together when pressed.
- Expect the amount to vary. The vanilla wafers I used were relatively dry, so my batch ultimately needed around four tablespoons of crème de violette and two tablespoons of lemon juice. Wafers with a more generous or softer filling may require considerably less liquid.
- Keep some dry ingredients aside. If the mixture becomes too moist, add a little more finely ground cashews or wafers. Extra cashews are particularly useful because they absorb moisture without introducing additional sweetness.
- Adjust the violet flavour carefully. Crème de violette remains quite subtle in this combination. You can start with less and increase it according to taste, keeping in mind that any additional liqueur will also soften the mixture.
- Use zest for more lemon flavour. If you want a stronger citrus note, increase the lemon zest rather than the juice. This boosts the flavour without making the truffle mixture wetter.
Possible Additions and Variations
The combination of vanilla wafers, cashews, lemon, and crème de violette is delicate and well balanced in these violet truffles, so I would keep variations relatively simple rather than adding too many competing flavours.
- Lemon-filled wafers. These would be my first alternative to vanilla wafers. They would naturally emphasize the lemon while still working beautifully with crème de violette.
- Pistachios. Replace some or all of the cashews with pistachios for a slightly more pronounced nutty flavour. Violet, lemon, and pistachio are an especially lovely combination.
- Almonds. Almonds are another mild alternative that would preserve the delicate character of these violet liqueur truffles.
- More lemon. Add extra finely grated zest to the centres or garnish rather than significantly increasing the lemon juice.
- Dark chocolate. For a less sweet and more pronounced contrast, drizzle the truffles with dark chocolate instead of white. However, white chocolate is my preference because its mild flavour allows the violet and lemon to remain more noticeable.
- Pistachio garnish. Finely chopped pistachios can replace the candied violet petals or be used alongside them for extra colour and texture.
How to Make Violet Truffles
Finely grind the roasted cashews and vanilla-filled wafers, then combine them with the lemon zest and a pinch of salt. Gradually add the crème de violette and lemon juice, mixing until the mixture is moist and cohesive enough to hold together when pressed. If necessary, adjust the consistency with a little more liquid or finely ground cashews or wafers.
Shape the mixture into small balls and chill until firm. Melt the white chocolate and drizzle it over the truffles, then immediately sprinkle with crushed candied violet petals and finely grated lemon zest before the chocolate sets.
How to Store Violet Truffles
Keep these violet truffles refrigerated in an airtight container. For a softer texture and more pronounced flavour, let them sit at room temperature briefly before serving rather than serving them straight from the refrigerator.
You can also prepare and shape the centres ahead of time and refrigerate them before decorating. The white chocolate drizzle and garnishes can be added later, which is particularly useful if you want the lemon zest and candied violet petals to look their freshest when served.
More Violet Desserts
If you enjoy the delicate floral flavour of these crème de violette truffles, be sure to explore some of my other violet desserts. Crème de violette pairs particularly well with citrus, berries, honey, vanilla, and creamy desserts, while violet petals can add a subtle floral touch of their own.
- Violet Trifle with Shortbread and Mascarpone
- Violet Affogato with Crème de Violette
- Crêpes Suzette with Crème de Violette and Lemon
- Violet Tiramisu with Crème de Violette and Lemon
- Violet Iced Coffee with Ice Cream and Crème de Violette
- Violet Coffee Cocktail with Dark Rum and Crème de Violette
- Violet Shortbread Cookies with Candied Violets
I’d love for you to try these violet truffles with cashews, lemon, and violet liqueur. If you give it 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!
Violet Truffles with Lemon and Cashews
Violet truffles made with vanilla-filled wafers, roasted cashews, lemon, and crème de violette, finished with white chocolate, candied violet petals, and fresh lemon zest.
These truffles are perfect for breakfast on the go or post workout. I love the edible flowers.