Chocolate crispy pearls

Chocolate crispy pearls and crunchy balls add crunch and shine to cakes, drip cakes, cupcakes and desserts. The crispy pearls hide a crisp cereal centre coated in fine chocolate, so they stay crunchy even on ganache, buttercream or ice cream. Choose between XL crunchy balls and mini pearls, in gold, silver, copper, bronze and burgundy, in red, pink, light blue, pastel, rainbow and metallic mix. You will also find shiny chocolate dragées in gold, silver and multicoloured, Ruby and salted caramel crispy pearls and pearl mixes made of sugar and chocolate.

Ideas: showing off chocolate pearls

On a drip cake the pearls look especially elegant: let the glaze run over the edge, then crown the top with gold or copper XL crunchy balls. For weddings and celebrations, silver, white and gold work beautifully; for a children’s birthday, try the rainbow chocolate pearls, the multicoloured pastel XL balls or the colourful mini chocolate lentils in a 1 kg pack. At Easter, the colourful chocolate eggs with a hazelnut-milk centre and the pastel eggs with a nougat centre decorate cakes, muffins and Easter nests.

Tips for decorating with crispy pearls

• Sprinkle at the right moment: add the pearls to icing or couverture while it is still slightly wet – that way they stick reliably.
• On fondant and marzipan: press balls and dragées on gently; for placing single pearls precisely, use small kitchen tongs.
• Mix the sizes: combine XL balls with mini pearls and dragées in the same shade to create depth instead of a flat layer.
• Shiny meets matt: the matt multicoloured pearls next to glossy metallic balls give your cake a modern texture.
• Store cool: chocolate likes cool, dry conditions; keep opened packs tightly closed and away from heat.

What to look for when buying

First decide whether the pearls are mainly for looks or should add flavour too. The XL crunchy balls by Super Streusel have a neutral taste and create bold splashes of colour, while the crispy pearls bring chocolate and crunch. Ruby and salted caramel add a flavour of their own. For large surfaces or a dessert table, a bigger pack such as the 500 g multicoloured chocolate dragées is worthwhile. If you have allergies, check the ingredients list, as many mixes contain cereals, milk or soy.

Frequently asked questions about chocolate pearls

Do crispy pearls go soft on buttercream?

Thanks to their cereal centre, the crispy pearls stay crunchy for a long time, even on ganache, creams or buttercream. Still, they look best if you sprinkle them on the day you serve the cake.

How do chocolate dragées differ from crispy pearls?

Crispy pearls have a crunchy centre with a chocolate coating. Dragées have chocolate inside, wrapped in a thin coloured or shiny sugar shell – ideal for cake borders and patterns.

Can I mix different pearl colours?

Yes, that is half the fun. Gold, copper and bronze give a warm metallic look, while silver, white and light blue feel cooler. Ready-made mixes such as pink, silver and white or gold and black take the decision off your hands.

See also: Drip icing for the drip effect, more ideas in Chocolate decorations and the full range in Drip & chocolate decorations. For bakes to try, browse our cupcake recipes.