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Four-ingredient Nutella Truffles are an easy, rolled dark chocolate truffle made from a fast and simple Nutella truffle recipe! Make these flavorful truffles as an easy dessert or a gift!
You know I take my chocolate desserts very seriously. The perfect chocolate dish can make any occasion. I love decadent, rich hot chocolate on a cold day; deep, intense chocolate pound cake with whipped cream to end a festive meal; or a scoop of my silky, decadent chocolate ice cream in the Summer. These easy dark chocolate Nutella truffles make the perfect end to Valentine’s Day dinner, a casual or fancy dinner party or easy passed dessert!
Four ingredients, one whisk about the bowl and a little patience bring you these balanced Nutella truffles. The dark chocolate and a little kosher salt temper the sweetness of the Nutella without dampening the flavor! We all came for the Nutella, amiright?! These are an easier Nutella flavor hit than my chewy Nutella chocolate chip cookies. Though, no one is saying you can’t have both.
These truffles are rolled in cocoa powder and crushed hazelnuts but you could also dip them in chocolate for a beautiful enrobed truffle. Just follow my YouTube video for How to temper dark chocolate using the ice bath method! Once you realize how easy candy-making can be, you’ll find yourself making easy pecan pralines, homemade toffee…the sky’s the limit!
Table of Contents
What makes these the best Nutella truffles?
My professional advice overall is that it is all about balance. In this Nutella truffle recipe, the kosher salt and dark chocolate balance out the sweetness of the Nutella or hazelnut paste, which is typically very sweet. The 50:50 dark chocolate ganache particularly with hazelnut paste makes for a perfectly smooth and silky texture.
Quick tips for the perfect ganache
- Heating the cream: Bring the heavy cream just to a boil.
- Melting the chocolate: Allow the heat from the cream to do all the hard work.
- The type of whisk: Use specifically a French-style whisk.
- The direction: Whisk in one direction only just until the ganache emulsifies.
Ingredients in Nutella Truffles
- Dark Chocolate: I like to use a chocolate that has at least 54% cocoa solids but up to 65%. I also like to make sure it has a medium fluidity. This is just the measure of how much cocoa butter is in the chocolate. Oftentimes it isn’t listed on small individual packaging. Chopping bar chocolate is a better bet than chocolate chips.
- Heavy Cream: I would suggest using a full-fat (40%) heavy cream in this Nutella truffle recipe because it doesn’t break as easily as lighter whipping creams.
- Kosher Salt: Kosher salt is lass salty than table salt and a teaspoon weighs less than other finer ground varieties. It heightens the flavor here and will keep your truffles from tasting dull or flat.
- Nutella: I am partial to the flavor of Nutella but you can use any chocolate hazelnut spread of your choice!
- Hazelnut Flour: I rolled my truffles in hazelnut flour because I couldn’t find hazelnuts anywhere in NYC. Chopped, roasted hazelnuts would be awesome here and provide a little crunch!
- Cocoa Powder: I use Dutch-processed cocoa powder, which just means it has been treated with an alkaline solution. This neutralizes the acidity, which means it will not react with baking soda or baking powder. It has a rich, deep flavor and a darker color.
- Amaretto: Amaretto is optional but the Italian hazelnut liquor will bump the flavor to the next level! It also makes them feel just a smidge more special. And when we’re talking Valentine’s Day Desserts, it should be special!
Substitutions
- Chocolate: I used a 55% dark chocolate in this Nutella truffle recipe but you can use whichever chocolate you like. Using chocolate with a lower percentage of cocoa solids makes these truffles too sweet for my taste personally.
- Heavy Cream: Full fat (40%) heavy cream works best in this Nutella truffle recipe because it breaks less easily than light whipping cream. You can substitute for a lighter fat version but whisk very carefully.
- Coating: Rather than coating the truffles in hazelnuts and cocoa powder, you could be fancy and enrobe them in dark chocolate! I show you how to enrobe in dark chocolate in this YouTube video!
Frequently Asked Questions
Store rolled truffles in the refrigerator in an airtight container or ziptop baggie for up to 4 weeks.
Chocolate truffles will keep for one month refrigerated or 10 days at room temperature.
You can freeze truffles; however, I find that it changes the texture and flavor of the chocolate. They will keep for several months frozen.
You can make as many chocolate truffles as your heart desires! They are easy to prepare ahead of time, so why not make extra for sweet treats later!
Dark Chocolate Nutella Truffles
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chopped
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup Nutella or chocolate hazelnut paste
- 1 tablespoon Amaretto optional
- hazelnut flour or crushed toasted hazelnuts, for finishing
- cocoa powder for finishing
Instructions
- Place chocolate and salt in a bowl set on a kitchen towel. The towel will help to retain the heat from the cream in the bowl, which helps melt the chocolate.
- In a small pot, bring heavy cream to a boil and pour over the chocolate. Shake the bowl gently to distribute the chocolate under the cream.
- Allow the chocolate to sit undisturbed for 2 minutes. This allows the cream to melt the chocolate and minimizes the amount of whisking necessary for the emulsion.
- Using a French whisk (straight rather than curved) begin whisking gently in the center until the chocolate starts to emulsify. It will look smooth and silky. Then gradually work your way out towards the edges of the bowl until the whole bowl is one smooth ganache! Be sure to only whisk in one direction to minimize the risk of the ganache breaking.
- Add the Nutella and amaretto, if using, and whisk gently to combine.
- Pour onto a rimmed baking dish lined with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Chill 2 hours or until firm.
- Scoop onto a lined baking sheet and chill again. Roll into balls and drop in a bowl filled with desired coating. Roll them around and voilà! Beautiful truffles! Chill before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Before You Go!
Check out our other delicious, chef-developed Dessert Recipes!
