These Buttercream Candies are soft, sweet, and totally melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The filling is smooth and like a thick buttercream frosting dipped in a rich chocolate shell. You’ll love making your own homemade candies, with no fancy tools required, for all the holidays!
When you’re looking for a homemade candy that’s easy to make, and quick to impress – these homemade buttercream candies are it! They taste just like you’ll get from the chocolate shop, but without the preservatives, and maybe even better.
Perfect for gifting during the holidays, adding to treat plates, or enjoying a couple when your sweet tooth hits. These are sugary, sweet, and perfect for all the holidays – especially Christmas and Easter! You can try different flavor varieties by adding extracts, freeze dried fruit, or shredded coconut.
Just dip in melted chocolate and each one will totally melt in your mouth! You’ll also love my Chocolate Dipped Maraschino Cherries Recipe, Best Chocolate Covered Caramels, or Chocolate Pretzels for Christmas.
Why you’ll love these
- Only 8 ingredients
- Quick and Easy: No tricky tools, no candy thermometer. Only a few ingredients, a little chilling time, and these are easy to shape, easy to dip, and even easier to eat 😉
- Customizable Flavor: Try different flavors depending on your mood, or who you’re sharing these with! Try different sprinkles, flavors, etc.
- Great for Gifting: So perfect for the holidays, serving on a cookie plate, or a DIY chocolate box.
Ingredients Needed
This is a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this Buttercream Candy Recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
- Unsalted Butter – Gives the base a rich flavor, and creamy texture
- Powdered Sugar – Sweetens and thickens the filling
- Heavy Cream – Softens and smooths out the texture of the filling
- Vanilla Extract – For the classic buttercream flavor
- Almond Extract – Optional if you like the flavor
- Salt – Just a pinch to balance the sweetness
- Chocolate – Use a high quality chocolate bar found in the baking aisle, like Baker’s or Ghiradelli. You don’t want to use chocolate chips because they contain extra ingredients and won’t melt as well. Semi-sweet chocolate is best so your candies aren’t too sweet.
- Vegetable Oil – Just a little to smooth out the chocolate and make it easier for dipping.
Buttercream Candy Flavors
- Coconut Buttercreams: Replace the almond extract with coconut extract and add 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut, pulsed in a food processor.
- Lemon or Orange Buttercreams: Replace the almond extract with lemon extract, or orange extract.
- Berry Buttercreams: Pulse 1/2 cup of freeze-dried raspberries or strawberries in a food processor until its a fine powder. Replace 1/4 cup of the powdered sugar with the berry powder.
- Mocha Buttercreams: Replace 1/4 cup of the powdered sugar with unsweetened cocoa powder, and add 1 to 2 teaspoons of espresso powder.
- Peppermint Buttercreams: Replace the almond extract with 1 teaspoon peppermint extract.
How to make Vanilla Buttercream Chocolates
Step 1: Make the Buttercream Filling. This base is similar to a vanilla buttercream frosting, but with different amounts to make a thicker filling. You’ll beat butter until it is smooth, then mix it with powdered sugar until combined. Add in the cream, vanilla, almond, and salt and mix for a couple minutes until its smooth and creamy.
Step 2: Chill and Shape. Cover the buttercream filling with plastic wrap and chill for about 1 hour. Scoop the mixture into 1 Tablespoon portions and roll them into smooth balls. Place onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and chill again for 1 hour.
Step 3: Melt the Chocolate. Chop up chocolate bars into small pieces. Add the chocolate pieces and vegetable oil to a double boiler over water and melt over medium low heat, stirring until the chocolate is smooth and melted through. Remove from the heat once it is melted.
Step 4: Dip into the Chocolate. Dip one candy at a time into the melted chocolate. Use a spoon to cover completely if the chocolate doesn’t full coat the candies. Lift the candy out of the chocolate with a fork, and tap on the side of the bowl to help the extra chocolate drip off. Transfer the candy to the parchment paper using another fork or toothpick to slide it off the fork. Decorate if desired.
Tips and Tricks
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Let your butter warm up at room temperature for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Don’t Skip Chilling: You have to chill the mixture before shaping it into balls. Without chilling for at least 1 hour your mixture will be too soft to form into balls.
- High Quality Ingredients: Use a good-quality chocolate, and butter for the best flavor.
- Use White Chocolate: Chop up a few white chocolate bars instead of semi-sweet chocolate, just melt in the same way, and dip as usual. The candies will be sweeter, and richer, but still delicious.
Storage Instructions
Store the candies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months, just thaw them in the fridge overnight when you’re ready to enjoy them again.
These Buttercream Candies are a perfect treat when you want something sweet, creamy, and chocolatey. Perfect for just yourself or for sharing, I promise you’ll want to make these every chance you can!
More Candy Recipes
- Snowman Cookie Dough Balls
- Chocolate Non Pareils
- Eggnog Caramels
- White Trash Recipe
- Hard Tack Candy
- Pecan Pie Balls
- Fantasy Fudge Recipe // Like Mother Like Daughter
- Crockpot Candy // Like Mother Like Daughter
- Microwave Fudge // Like Mother Like Daughter
If you try these Vanilla Buttercream Candies, please leave a 🌟 rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Buttercream Candies
Ingredients
For Buttercream Filling:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 TBS heavy cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1 pinch salt
For Dipping:
- 16 oz chocolate bars
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
Instructions
For Buttercream Filling:
- Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer for a couple of minutes until it is creamy. 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- Add in the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time. Beat until totally combined. 4 cups powdered sugar
- Add in the cream, vanilla extract, almond extract and salt and mix until combined. Mix on high for about 3 minutes until creamy. 3 TBS heavy cream, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp almond extract, 1 pinch salt
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge to chill for at least 1 hour (up to 3 days).
- Scoop the buttercream filling into 1 Tablespoon sized portions and roll them into smooth balls.
- Place each onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Place the pan back in the fridge to chill for another hour.
For Dipping:
- Chop the chocolate into small pieces. 16 oz chocolate bars
- Add the chocolate and vegetable oil to the top of a double boiler with 1 inch of water in the bottom. Heat on medium low on the stove top, stirring regularly until the chocolate is melted and smooth. 1 tsp vegetable oil
- Drop one buttercream at a time into the melted chocolate, covering completely in chocolate with a spoon if needed.
- Using a fork lift the candy out of the chocolate. Tap the fork on the side of the bowl to help the excess chocolate drip back into the bowl.
- Use a toothpick or another fork to slide the buttercream candy back onto the baking sheet.
- Top with sprinkles, or let chocolates set for about 20 minutes and drizzle tops with additional melted chocolate if desired.
- Place pan in the fridge for chill for 30 minutes, or until chocolate is set, then enjoy.
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
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