Truffles and bonbons get used interchangeably in shop windows, but they're not the same thing. The difference matters for what they taste like, how long they last, and whether you can fly home with them. Here's how a chocolatier thinks about the distinction.
A truffle is a ball of ganache (cream, chocolate and sometimes butter) rolled or dipped in chocolate and finished with cocoa powder, chopped nuts or a thin chocolate shell. Soft, melt-in-mouth, short shelf life — usually 7 days. The name comes from the resemblance to the wild truffle mushroom.
A bonbon is a chocolate shell — moulded, painted, sometimes glossy — filled with a ganache, caramel, jelly or praliné. Harder bite than a truffle, longer shelf life (10–14 days), more visual variety. The painting on the shells is partly aesthetic and partly a flavour cue.
Truffles are creamier, richer, less sweet. The chocolate flavour dominates the cream. Bonbons are more theatrical: the shell snap gives way to a contrasting interior. A good bonbon is a two-act flavour; a good truffle is a slow exhale.
Truffles for: someone you'll see in the next 48 hours, a celebratory dinner, a fresh-eaten weekend. Bonbons for: gifts, postal delivery, hand-luggage, hotel guests. If you're flying with chocolate, choose bonbons; if you're walking it home, choose truffles.
Truffles are typically 10–20% cheaper per piece than bonbons because the moulding and painting work for bonbons is more time-intensive. At our shop a truffle is (by inquiry); a bonbon is (by inquiry) A twelve-piece mixed box (six of each) costs (by inquiry)
A truffle is a ball of ganache dipped or rolled in chocolate, with a short shelf life (7 days). A bonbon is a chocolate shell filled with ganache, caramel or praliné, with a longer shelf life (10–14 days) and a harder bite.
Truffles taste creamier and less sweet but spoil fast. Bonbons are firmer, more visually elaborate and travel better. For fresh eating, choose truffles; for gifting or delivery, choose bonbons.
Cream truffles soften at room temperature and don't survive flights longer than three hours. Choose bonbons or solid bars for any long flight.