Wonderfully rich with a melt-in-your-mouth texture, gianduja can easily be made at home with just three ingredients: hazelnuts, chocolate and powdered sugar. It is the perfect chocolate hazelnut treat that can be enjoyed plain or melted and used in desserts.
Contents
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Ingredients
- Hazelnuts: You’ll need raw, shelled hazelnuts. We’ll start by toasting them in the oven to enhance their flavor. It will also make it easier to remove the skin which is slightly bitter. If you want to speed up the process, you can buy dry roasted (without oil), unsalted hazelnuts (skinless).
- Powdered sugar (icing sugar): You can use as much or as little as you’d like depending on the desired sweetness. When mixing the hazelnuts in the food processor, you can add the sugar from the beginning or once the hazelnuts have formed a paste.
- Chocolate: I’m using milk chocolate with at least 40% cocoa solids in this recipe. It’s best to use couverture chocolate which has a higher percentage of cocoa butter and less sugar.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Toasting the hazelnuts
- Spread the hazelnuts evenly in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake in the middle of a preheated oven (180°C/356°F, conventional setting) for about 8-10 minutes, stirring them once halfway through baking (for even browning).
It’s done when:
- The hazelnuts are fragrant.
- They are lightly browned. When cut in two, the inside of the hazelnut is golden brown.
- They are easy to peel.
Peeling the hazelnuts
- Place the hot nuts in the center of a clean kitchen towel. Tip: Use a dark kitchen towel (or an old one) in case it gets stained.
- Fold the towel to contain the hazelnuts and set aside for a few minutes to cool down.
- Use one hand to hold the towel closed and rub with the other one to release the skin.
- Carefully unfold the towel and transfer the skinless hazelnuts to the food processor bowl. Note: If hot, cool for a bit longer before transferring to the bowl. Tip: Use your fingers to rub off any remaining skin, if desired. It’s okay if you can’t get it all out. Keep an eye out for shells which can sometimes sneak into the pack.
Mixing the hazelnuts and sugar
- Process the toasted hazelnuts and sugar until a runny paste forms (about 10-15 minutes).
The more you mix, the smoother the gianduja will be. Stop mixing occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Note: If your food processor gets hot at any point, let it cool down for 5-10 minutes before proceeding.
You’ll initially get a powdery mixture. As you keep mixing, a thick paste will form which will eventually become runny.
Adding melted chocolate
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave in short increments (about 20 seconds), stirring in-between until fully melted.
- Set aside for a few minutes to cool down slightly then mix with the hazelnut paste until fully combined. Tip: Scrape down the sides of the bowl well so you don’t end up with streaks of hazelnut paste in the chocolate.
- Use immediately if desired. Alternatively pour (or pipe) into silicone molds (or in a pan lined with parchment paper). Gently bang against the kitchen counter a few times to get rid of air bubbles (I place my silicone mold on a baking sheet). Cover and chill for at least 2 hours or until easy to unmold. Enjoy as is or melt required amount if using in a dessert.
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Hazelnut Gianduja Recipe
Wonderfully rich with a melt-in-your-mouth texture, gianduja can easily be made at home with just three ingredients: hazelnuts, chocolate and powdered sugar.
Course: DessertCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy
Yield
300
gramsPrep time
30
minutesCooking time
10
minutesIngredients
100 g raw, shelled hazelnuts (3.5 oz., about 3/4 cup)
70 g powdered (icing) sugar (2.5 oz., 1/2 cup and 2 Tablespoons)
130 g milk chocolate (40% cocoa) (4.6 oz.), coarsely chopped
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F, conventional setting). Spread the hazelnuts evenly in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake in the middle of the oven for about 8-10 minutes, or until fragrant and lightly browned, stirring them once halfway through baking (for even browning).
- Place the hot nuts in the center of a clean kitchen towel. Fold the towel to contain the hazelnuts and set aside for a few minutes to cool down. Tip: Use a dark kitchen towel (or an old one) in case it gets stained.
- Use one hand to hold the towel closed and rub with the other one to release the skin. Carefully unfold the towel and transfer the skinless hazelnuts to the food processor bowl. Use your fingers to rub off any remaining skin, if desired. It’s okay if you can’t get it all out. Keep an eye out for the odd shell. If you’re having trouble peeling the hazelnuts, you probably need to bake them a bit longer. Note: If the hazelnuts are still hot, cool for a bit longer before transferring to the food processor bowl.
- Process until a paste forms (about 5 minutes). Add the powdered sugar and mix until you get a runny paste (about 10 more minutes). The more you mix, the smoother the gianduja will be. Stop mixing occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Note: If your food processor gets hot at any point, let it cool down for 5-10 minutes before proceeding.
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave in short increments (about 20 seconds), stirring in-between until fully melted. Set aside for a few minutes to cool down slightly then mix with the hazelnut paste until fully combined. Tip: Scrape down the sides of the bowl well so you don’t end up with streaks of hazelnut paste in the chocolate.
- Use immediately if desired. Alternatively pour (or pipe) into silicone molds (or in a pan lined with parchment paper). Gently bang against the kitchen counter a few times to get rid of air bubbles (I place my silicone mold on a baking sheet). Cover and chill for at least 2 hours or until easy to unmold. Enjoy as is or melt required amount if using in a dessert.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Make-ahead tips: Gianduja will keep for several weeks in an airtight container in a cool place (ideally in the fridge) away from light and strong odors.
- Food processor: This recipe will yield about 300 g (10.6 oz.) of gianduja. I use a small food processor with a capacity of 830 ml (28 fl. oz.) which is ideal for this quantity. If the quantity is too small for your food processor, you might want to increase the amounts.
- Hazelnuts: You’ll get the best flavor if you toast the hazelnuts yourself. However, if you want to speed up the process, you can buy dry roasted (without oil), unsalted hazelnuts (skinless).
- Powdered sugar: You can use as much or as little as you’d like depending on the desired sweetness. When mixing the hazelnuts in the food processor, you can add the sugar from the beginning or once the hazelnuts have formed a paste. Both methods work but I manage to get a slightly smoother paste when mixing just the hazelnuts first.
- Chocolate: It’s best to use couverture chocolate which has a higher percentage of cocoa butter and less sugar. Regular milk chocolate might yield a gianduja that is overly sweet. You can tweak the amount of chocolate added to suit your liking, depending on the flavor you are after.
- Consistency: The gianduja is runny when it’s warm but firms up when it cools down.
- Texture: How smooth the gianduja is will depend on how long you mix it and how powerful your food processor is.
- Cup measurements: Please note that these measurements are approximate. For best results, I’d recommend weighing the ingredients.