Lemon Truffles (With Golden Oreos)
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Sweet, creamy lemon truffles made with fresh lemon and lemon zest are wrapped in white chocolate for the most delicious no bake lemon dessert. These easy lemon truffles made with cream cheese and Golden Oreos are the perfect sweet treats for spring parties, summer BBQ’s, Easter, a baby shower or as gifts!
Table of Contents
Why We Love Lemon Truffles
- Sweet Creamy Truffle Treat Packed With Fresh Lemon Flavor– No imitation lemon here, the creamy center of these truffles are full of bright sweet lemon flavor. The perfect dessert for lemon lovers!
- No Bake Recipe– This fun treat doesn’t require any baking, this lemony treat feels fancy when you’re done!
- Great For Spring And Summer Parties– This is a delicious dessert recipe I reach of to use for spring parties, Easter, a baby shower, summer BBQs and end of the school year gifts!
Ingredients For Lemon Truffles
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions below in the recipe card.
- Golden Oreos or other crunchy vanilla cream cookies
- cream cheese softened to room temperature
- fresh lemon zest plus more for optional garnish, can be from the same lemons used for juice, just zest the lemons before juicing them
- lemon juice – or juice from 1 1/2 lemons large lemons, fresh lemon juice will taste best
- white chocolate chips 3 1/4 cups
- coconut oil optional – see notes in the full recipe at the bottom
How To Make Lemon Oreo Truffles
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place cookies in food processor and mix until cookies turn into fine crumbs. See notes in the recipe card at the bottom of the page of how to make this recipe by hand if you don’t have a food processor.
- Zest then juice the lemons.
- Add lemon juice, lemon zest and cream cheese to the cookie crumbs. This step is be done by hand in a bowl with a silicone spatula.
If you mix the entire truffle mixture in the food processor, the cream cheese mixture can become too liquidy. It is easy to over-mix the dough, so it is best to mix everything together by hand.
- Roll the lemon truffle dough balls, about one tablespoon of dough per truffle. I have a few cookie scoops, but I like to use this cookie scoop set. A cookie scoop makes all of your truffles equal in size. For this recipe you’ll need the smaller cookie scoop which is a #60.
- Place each truffle on the parchment paper lined baking sheet so they are not touching. Freeze the truffles for at least 15 minutes.
- Add the white chocolate and coconut oil (optional) to a heatproof bowl. Place the bowl in the microwave and heat for a minute at half power, then stir. Continue heating the white chocolate in thirty-second increments until it forms a smooth white chocolate sauce.
- Remove truffles from the freezer. Place truffle balls into the creamy white chocolate one at a time to coat, using a fork so excess chocolate can drip off. Place each white chocolate-coated ball on parchment paper so they are not touching each other.
- Drizzle the top of each truffle with a little more white chocolate then top with lemon zest immediately. Place the pan in the freezer for 15 minutes to help the chocolate to fully harden, then enjoy!
If you love lemon, you’ll also love the soft lemon sugar cookies packed full of bright fresh lemon flavor.
What Can I Use In Place Of Golden Oreo Cookies?
You can use any hard vanilla or lemon cookie in this recipe. Shortbread, vanilla sandwich cookies, lemon sandwich cookies or butter cookies can all be substituted for the golden oreos.
The Golden Oreos make about 2 1/2 cups of crumbs when you process them. Depending on the size of the cookies you swap into the recipe, you may need to add a few extra cookies to the food processor to make sure you have enough cookie crumbs.
What Can I Use In Place Of White Chocolate?
White chocolate comes in a couple of different varieties at the grocery store. Try a couple of these options
Candy melts– These come in white with a vanilla flavor, but you can also find them in yellow. I’ve also seen lemon-flavored candy melts.
Almond Bark– Almond bark is a type of white melting chocolate you often find at the grocery stores near the holidays but can be seen year-round. You can use almond bark in place of white chocolate in this recipe. Almond bark tastes best when you use it to give a sweet a chocolate coating, like in this dessert.
Dark Chocolate– Dark chocolate and lemon go together so deliciously well! For a super chocolatey taste, skip the milk chocolate and go for the dark chocolate. You can use milk chocolate also, but dark chocolate really shines with lemon.
Can I Add Lemon Juice To The Chocolate?
You can’t add lemon juice directly to the chocolate and the liquid will cause the chocolate to seize. This means the chocolate will become hard and grainy.
Lemon juice can be added to ganache though which is chocolate melted into warm cream, which you may have seen in other lemon and chocolate dessert recipes.
Can I Substitute Lemon Extract For Lemon Juice?
You can use lemon extract as a substitute for lemon juice, but I find that it is tougher to get a good sweet lemon taste. Lemon extract will taste slightly more artificial than fresh lemon does.
For the three tablespoons of lemon juice, substitute a full tablespoon of lemon extract.
The lemon zest gets trickier because it provides a lot of flavor. I recommend starting with an extract teaspoon of lemon extract in place of the zest, then taste the mixture. Add more lemon extract as needed.
Lemon extract and lemon oil are not the same product, and lemon oil should not be substituted.
Do Truffles Need To Be Refrigerated?
Yes, these simple lemon truffles do need to be refrigerated because of the cream cheese in the center. Lemon truffles will easily last a week in the refrigerator. Store truffles in an airtight container with layers of freezer paper, wax paper or parchment between the truffles.
Can Lemon Truffles Be Frozen?
Most of my truffles don’t make it to the freezer but yes you can freeze these nobake truffles. Freeze between layers of freezer paper in a freezer-safe zip-top bag. I like to freeze desserts on a cookie sheet first so they don’t stick together, and then place them in a bag.
Lemon truffles can be stored in the freezer for up to a month for the best freshness.
To eat the truffles, let them defrost on the counter or overnight in the refrigerator before serving and they are ready for any special occasion.
Other Dessert Recipes You’ll Love
Easy No-Bake Brownie Truffles (With Brownie Mix)
Easy Pretzel Turtles (3 Ingredients!)
Lemon Bars (With Shortbread Crust!)
Strawberry Cheesecake Dip
Lemon Truffles (With Golden Oreos!)
Ingredients
- 36 Golden Oreos or other crunchy vanilla cream cookies, 14.3 ounce package
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest plus more for optional garnish
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice juice from 1 1/2 lemons large lemons
- 18 ounces white chocolate chips 3 1/4 cups
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil optional, see notes
Instructions
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place cookies in food processor and mix until cookies turn into fine crumbs. See notes if you don't have a food processor.
- Zest then juice the lemons. Add lemon juice, lemon zest and cream cheese to the cookie crumbs. This step is be done by hand in a bowl with a silicone spatula. If you mix truffle mixture in the food processor, the cream cheese mixture can become too liquidy.
- Roll the lemon truffle doughballs, about one tablespoon per truffle. I like to use this cookie scoop set, for this recipe you'll need the small cookie scoop. Place each truffle on the parchment paper lined baking sheet so they are not touching. Freeze the truffles for at least 15 minutes.
- Add the white chocolate and coconut oil (optional) to a heatproof bowl. Place the bowl in the microwave and heat for a minute at half power, then stir. Continue heating the white chocolate in thrity second increments until it forms a smooth white chocolate sauce.
- Remove truffles from freezer. Place truffle balls into white chocolate one at a time to coat, using a fork so excess chocolate can drip off. Place each white chocolate coated ball on parchment paper so they are not touching each other.
- Drizzle the top of each truffle with a little more white chocolate then top with lemon zest immediatly. Place the pan in the freezer for 15 minutes to help the chocolate to fully harden, then enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This?
I would love to see it! Share your thoughts with me in the comments below!
Fun to eat and fun to make. Needed more chocolate but will make again!
Love this recipe! I actually did 1/2 a batch with golden and 1/2 a batch with lemon oreos and both were delicious!! The lemon oreos got voted the best out of the 2 from all the Ladies at my office and my kids. But both are so incredibly delicious!!!
Can these be frozen and for how long
Yes they can be frozen, I often store them in the freezer. They taste best when eaten within 3 months when frozen.
Can you substitute vanilla instead of the lemon and how much would you recommend ? Also possibly make them with coconut- and the coconut flavoring ? I don’t like lemon.
Hi Pam, I have not made these in a coconut flavor. You can substitute vanilla for lemon flavor, but I don’t know how much coconut you would need to give them a good coconut flavor. You might want to check out my strawberry shortcake oreo balls or chocolate oreo balls for some other flavor ideas that are not lemon.
Looks absolutely delicious!!! I can’t wait to try it!!!😋
Hope you enjoy!
I really enjoy your posts!
Thanks, so glad to have you here!
About to make these, how long can they sit out at a party before they taste or look bad? Also, when crushing the Oreos in the food processor, is it just the cookie part of the oreo or the whole oreo including the crème filling?
Thanks!
Hey Cornia, According to the FDA cream cheese can be left out for about two hours safely before it needs to be refrigerated, and there is cream cheese in this recipe. If you freeze them solid, I imagine they could be left out a little longer, but I haven’t tested exactly how long they would last. The whole oreo is crushed, no need to scrape out the creme filling. Hope that helps!
How many truffles does the recipe make?
About 36 pieces, it’s included in the recipe card at the bottom of the article also. Hope you enjoy!
Can you just use lemon Oreos and omit lemon juice? Or is it better with vanilla cookies and lemon juice? Thanks
You can, but I find it gets a more fresh lemon taste when you use lemon juice. Hope they are deicious!
Can you substitute limes for the lemons??
Yes you could for sure substitute lime juice. I would taste after mixing to see if it has enough lime flavor. You can add a little juice or you can also add a little lime zest to the batter a teaspoon at a time if it needs any extra flavor punch. I haven’t tried it so I’m not sure if the ratios are exactly the same to get the same flavor, but most likely it’s the same ratio or pretty close. Let me know if you try it! -Kristy
My husband had his Birthday this week, and he told me he wanted something with lemon 🍋. I found this recipe, and had to try. I did choose the lemon oreos, after having a discussion with a lady who grabbed the lemon ones. I really like lemon flavor, so decided to use the same lemon juice, and zest this recipe calls for. After mixing a little and a quick taste test, I was worried it was to much. The husband loved them! I sent the rest to work with him, and they didn’t last 10 minutes. Thank you so much for this! Will be made many more times!
You’re very welcome, I”m so glad these truffles were enjoyed for your hubby’s birthday. Sounds like you made them extra lemony, I’m glad they were just right for you and were a hit! -Kristy
They were delicious! Thanks for the recipe! How should they be stored?
So glad you enjoyed them Jessica! These lemon truffles need to be stored in the fridge because of the cream cheese, but are also delicious straight from the freezer. Hope that helps! -Kristy
The flavor was delicious but mine did not want to sat up. When I make again I will use a few more cookies. Possibly I got too much lemon juice
Hi Teri- Did you by chance mix the entire dough in the food processor? I’m hearing from a few people who mix everything for the dough in the food processor (not just make the crumbs in the food processor) that this is happening. I think it is accidentally overmixing, I think that is what is causing this issue. If you overmix, the dough becomes too loose from whipping. I am going to edit the recipe to mix by hand because that provides consistent results that you can’t overmix. Thanks! -Kristy
Why not use lemon Oreos? That is what I will use when I make these.
Not everyone has access to lemon Oreos, but most people can find some kind of vanilla sandwich cookie whether it’s Oreo brand or another brand. Also, the flavor is just more lemony and brighter when you use fresh. You can use lemon Oreos though, enjoy. -Kristy
Could you add fresh blueberries in dough?
You totally could. I haven’t tried it with blueberries just yet but I have with fresh strawberries chopped up. I imagine blueberries would work similarly though you may want to chop them up a little. I used half a cup of chopped strawberries in my mix. Let me know how it goes!
These were absolutely delicious!