Bonbon

A small sweet, most often a bite-size piece of chocolate with a soft filling such as ganache, fondant or cream.

Bonbon: An assortment of glossy chocolate bonbons in different shapes, some painted with colored cocoa butter, one cut to show a soft filling
  • Chocolate, sugar and confectionery
  • France

Also called: bon-bon, chocolates

The word bonbon comes from French and simply means good-good, a name for small treats. Today it usually means a molded or dipped chocolate filled with ganache, caramel, nut paste, fruit cream or soft fondant. Making them involves tempering chocolate to form a shiny, snappy shell, filling it, and sealing it with more chocolate.

Bonbons are a centerpiece of chocolate shops and gift boxes. Chocolatiers decorate them with colored cocoa butter, transfer sheets, nuts or piped lines, and the variety of shapes and fillings is nearly endless. The word is also used more loosely for many small candies.

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Sources

Written by VanillaGoods in our own words from these sources. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.

  1. How Crispy is Your Bonbon?, MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering