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No-Bake Margarita Balls

No-bake margarita balls made as pale green lime-tinted truffles with a white chocolate rim studded with lime sugar crystals. The centers are chilled until firm, then dipped in white chocolate and rolled right after coating for a clean, crunchy finish.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Rest: 1 hour 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 24 balls
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mexican-American
Calories: 95
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chocolate truffle base
  • 8 oz white chocolate Finely chopped for the mixture.
  • 0.25 cup heavy cream Heated until steaming.
  • 3 tbsp tequila Added after the chocolate melts.
  • 2 tbsp triple sec Adds citrus-orange flavor.
  • 1 tbsp fresh lime juice For tang.
  • 1 tbsp lime zest Use half in the mix and half for the rolling sugar.
  • 1 drop green food coloring Optional, for a pale green tint.
White chocolate coating
  • 8 oz white chocolate For melting and dipping.
Lime-sugar rolling mixture
  • 0.25 cup superfine sugar Mixed with lime zest for rolling.
  • 1 tsp lime zest Added to the superfine sugar for rolling.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Make the lime-margarita truffle mixture
  1. Heat the heavy cream until steaming, then immediately pour it over the chopped white chocolate. Let sit 1 minute, then stir until completely smooth.
  2. Stir in the tequila, triple sec, fresh lime juice, and lime zest until the mixture is uniform. Add a drop of green food coloring if desired.
  3. Cool the mixture to room temperature. Refrigerate for 1 hour until firm enough to scoop.
Shape, coat, and roll
  1. Scoop the chilled mixture into 24 balls using a small cookie scoop or spoon. Work quickly so the mixture doesn’t warm up.
  2. Melt the remaining white chocolate for coating. Dip each ball to coat, then place on parchment paper immediately.
  3. Roll each freshly coated ball in the lime-sugar mixture while the chocolate is still wet. Refrigerate until set.
Store
  1. Store the margarita balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For best texture, serve chilled.

Notes

Pro tip: Dip and roll in the lime-sugar mixture right away—if the coating starts to set, the sugar won’t cling as well. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days; freezing is not recommended due to texture changes after thawing. For a no-alcohol option, use an alcohol-free triple sec-style orange extract and replace tequila with a small amount of lime juice (reduce by 1 tsp) to keep the flavor balanced.