This Nutella tart tastes exactly how it looks: lush. It’s a Nutella ganache of sorts, cooked on the… I’m sorry, wait. Did you read that just now? NUTELLA GANACHE. Like regular chocolate ganache, but even better.
Ok so a Nutella ganache cooked on the stovetop in a matter of minutes and poured into a toasted hazelnut crust. It’s rich, but not quite as rich as you would guess. Who am I kidding, the ingredients are heavy cream and Nutella. It’s exactly as rich as you would guess.
While this is essentially a foolproof recipe (I swear it’s easy), I have a bunch of step shots for you so you can understand exactly what you’re doing with both the crust and the filling. I’ll put all of the step shots below the recipe since there’s quite a few.
But here’s what you need to know right now:
- All of the filling’s flavor comes from Nutella. I was tempted to put chopped up chocolate in the filling as well, but didn’t want anythingโeven plain chocolateโto take away from Nutella’s own chocolate flavor.
- You’ll only need 5 ingredients for the Nutella filling. And they’re all basic ingredients like cream, cornstarch, Nutella, vanilla, and salt.
- The crust is wonderfully crunchy and a delightful complement to the smooth Nutella filling it holds. Where are all my texture loving friends out there? This dessert is for us.
- Taking a few minutes to toast the chopped hazelnuts beforehand intensifies their flavor, which clearly pairs well with chocolate hazelnut spread!
- Make the crust in your food processor. Just wait until you smell everything coming together. Those toasted hazelnuts are unbelievably dreamy.
- You don’t need to bake the filling! Just spread it inside the pre-baked crust and refrigerate.
- Since this recipe sets up in the fridge, your oven is clear for other Thanksgiving pies. We all really need this!
Also: make ahead recipe alert! Since this tart sets up in the refrigeratorโand tastes best coldโyou can essentially make it days in advance and let it hang out in the fridge until you need to serve it. You’ll love that!
Have leftover Nutella? Try my Nutella brownies or Nutella crinkle cookies next!
This recipe is part of Sally’s Pie Week, an annual tradition where I share a handful of new recipes that fit into the pie/crisp/tart category. Join the community below!
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Nutella Tart with Toasted Hazelnut Crust
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours, 30 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 servings
- Category: Tart
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This unbelievably rich and creamy Nutella tart is complete with a toasted hazelnut crust. The perfect make ahead, irresistible dessert!
Ingredients
Toasted Hazelnut Crust
- 1 cup (120g) chopped unsalted hazelnuts
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 Tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 3 Tablespoons (45ml) ice water
Nutella Filling
- 2 Tablespoons (14g) cornstarch
- 2 cups (480g) heavy cream
- 3/4 cup (225g) Nutella
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- I encourage you to check out the step-by-step photos below this recipe before beginning.
- Preheat the oven to 300ยฐF (149ยฐC). Spread chopped hazelnuts out onto a parchment paper or silicone baking mat lined baking sheet. Toast until slightly darkened, about 5-7 minutes. Allow to cool down for 5 minutes. Turn the oven up to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC)
- For the crust: Using a food processor, pulse 3/4 cup of the toasted hazelnuts, the flour, sugar, and salt together until it reaches the consistency of coarse meal. (Reserve 1/4 cup of the nuts for topping.) Add the cubes of cold butter and pulse until the mixture turns intoย pea-sized crumbs.
- Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Using a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, slowly stir in 3 Tablespoons of ice water. You only want to add enough water to bring the dough somewhat together. Using floured fingers or the bottom of a flat and lightly floured measuring cup, press the dough evenly into a 9-inch tart pan. You want it extremely tight in the pan.ย You’ll need to use pie weights for the next step, so line the crust with aluminum foil or parchment paper and add pie weights.
- Bake (with pie weights) for 18-20 minutes.ย Remove from the oven and place on aย wire rack so it can slightly cool as you prepare the filling.
- For the filling: Whisk the cornstarch and 1/2 cup of the heavy cream together in a small bowl. (You want a little cream mixed with the cornstarch to avoid white cornstarch lumps in your filling.) Combine the cornstarch mixture, the rest of the heavy cream, Nutella, and salt into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk to combine all of the ingredients and bring to a boil. While constantly whisking, allow to boil for 3 minutes as it thickens. Remove from heat, whisk in the vanilla, then pour into the crust, swirling the top for a pretty pattern (if desired!).
- Chill in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours or until set. Top with remaining hazelnuts.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: This is the perfect recipe to make ahead of time, especially when you are entertaining. You can prepare the entire dessert, cover tightly, and keep in the refrigerator for 3 days before serving.
- Special Toolsย (affiliate links): Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper |ย Food Processor | Glass Mixing Bowls | Silicone Spatula or Wooden Spoon | 9-inch Tart Pan |ย Pie Weights | Whisk
- Smaller Tarts: To make smaller, individual size tartsโsimply press crust into small tart pans. It will make about 8-10 depending on the size you’re using. Pre-bake crust until golden brown on the edges and spread in the filling.
- Adapted from Food Network.
The crust is made from hazelnuts, flour, a little sugar, salt, cold water, and cold butter. Remember the cardinal rule for making pie/tart crust from scratch? Cold is best. The chopped hazelnuts are toasted before you mix them with the other ingredients. And by “mixing” I’m referring to your food processor. You want to break down those hazelnuts into a crumb-like texture, pulsing them with a few of the other crust ingredients as well as the butter.
Transfer the crust dough to a large mixing bowl, then slowly mix in ice cold water. You’ll only need about 2-3 Tablespoons, no more. It will still be a little sandy, but that’s ok. It will come together when you press it into the pan.ย The next step is to pre-bake the crust. You’ll need a 9-inch tart pan. Here is the tart pan I own and love, if you don’t have one yet! If you ever want to make my spiced pumpkin tart, cranberry curd tart, or lemon blueberry tart, you’ll need one. You can also make small individual tarts if you’d like. See my recipe note above. ๐
To press the crust into the tart pan, use a floured flat-bottomed measuring cup. This is the best trick I learned! You can really pack the crust down and around the edges, especially if you keep your measuring cup floured.
Perfect!
Bake the crust for about 20 minutes. You’ll need pie weights (or dried beans!) for this step.The reason? The added weight on the dough ensures that the crust holds its shape, does not shrink down, and remains firmly planted in the pan.
As the crust cools, begin the Nutella filling. This is the easiest part!
Combine all of the filling ingredients except for the vanilla extract. Whisk and bring to a boil. Stir in the vanilla.
There, you’re done.
Spread into the crust and put the refrigerator to work!
A few hours later, dig in.
Reader Comments and Reviews
After baking with pie weights, I found that the edges were done, but the middle was very doughy. I removed the pie weights and put it back in the oven for a few minutes, which didn’t really help. How could I fix that for next time?
Hi Tris, you can certainly bake the crust longer next time, covering the edges with foil so they don’t burn. It will firm up when chilling before serving, though.
Obviously this is a question for later, but – I accidentally made this less than three hours before I hoped to serve it. Can I speed up the setting time by putting it in the refrigerator for a bit, then the freezer for a bit, or will that negatively affect the texture?
Hi Maria, we wouldn’t allow it to set in the freezer, since it will chill unevenly.
Sally. you have this listed as a recipe for Passover but it uses both flour and cornstarch, two prohibited ingredients. What would be the best substitutes?
Hi Allison, thank you for bringing this to our attention! We aren’t sure why it’s appearing in the search results if you search “Passover” because it’s not tagged as such on the back end. We are looking into it! In the meantime, you can browse all our Passover-friendly recipes here. Sorry for the confusion, we will get it fixed!
Ive got to say, these mini Nutella tarts are absolutely delightful! The rich, creamy Nutella filling pairs perfectly with the subtle, earthy notes of Old Man Salt Bush. The tart crust adds just the right amount of crunch, creating a wonderful contrast in texture. The touch of salt bush adds an unexpected depth of flavor that really elevates the classic Nutella experience. Perfectly balanced, not too sweet, and with a unique twist theyโre a must-try for any Nutella lover
This tart came out exceptionally well and tastes so good. I made it for Christmas dessert and it definitely exceeded my expectations. I used the weighed measurements and the crust didnโt need any water at all, if anything it seemed too easily combined and wet with just the butter so I was worried but it still worked out really well. I did bake the crust for 5 more mins without the weights.