Embodiments of a new approach for training a class of quantum neural networks called quantum Boltzmann machines are disclosed. in particular examples, methods for supervised training of a quantum Boltzmann machine are disclosed using an ensemble of quantum states that the Boltzmann machine is trained to replicate. Unlike existing approaches to Boltzmann training, example embodiments as disclosed herein allow for supervised training even in cases where only quantum examples are known (and not probabilities from quantum measurements of a set of states). Further, this approach does not require the use of approximations such as the Golden-Thompson inequality.