It’s Thanksgiving week, and what better way to celebrate than with a tart? This chocolate hazelnut tart uses Pan Di Stelle’s rich chocolate hazelnut spread for a glossy, intensely flavored filling that’s simple to make and impossible to resist.
If you love that spread as much as I do, you’ll understand why I could eat it by the spoonful. It’s often a seasonal item in the United States, so pick up a jar while you can. You can bake this tart in a traditional removable-bottom tart pan for a pretty presentation, but a shallow pie pan, springform pan, or even a lined cake pan will also work.
This tart’s filling is straightforward and doesn’t rely on heavy cream, cocoa powder, or chocolate chips. The main ingredients are toasted hazelnuts, eggs, sugar, the Pan Di Stelle chocolate hazelnut crema, ground hazelnuts, melted butter, and a touch of vanilla. Because the filling is intentionally simple, I made the crust a bit more interesting by adapting Pierre Hermé’s pâte sablée, swapping almond flour for hazelnut meal. The result is a tender, nutty crust that pairs perfectly with the creamy filling.
What’s in this chocolate hazelnut tart?
The filling is rich but simple: chocolate hazelnut spread, melted butter, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, and ground hazelnuts. The crust is a buttery hazelnut pâte sablée made with room-temperature butter, powdered sugar, hazelnut meal, egg, flour, and a pinch of salt. Together they create a crisp, tender shell and a smooth, nutty filling.
How to make the hazelnut crust
Unlike many pie doughs that require very cold butter and ice water, this pâte sablée-style crust uses room-temperature butter creamed with powdered sugar. Add ground hazelnuts and an egg, then fold in the flour and a pinch of salt, mixing just until combined. Chill the dough for 10–20 minutes so it’s easier to handle. The dough is forgiving and can be pressed directly into a greased tart pan instead of rolled. Freeze the shaped crust for 20–30 minutes or use pie weights when blind-baking to help it hold its shape.
How to make the chocolate hazelnut filling
The filling comes together quickly while the crust bakes. Melt the chocolate hazelnut spread with butter until smooth. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with brown sugar for 2–3 minutes, then add the melted chocolate-butter mixture and vanilla. Stir in ground hazelnuts and pour the mixture into the partially blind-baked crust. Return to the oven to finish baking until the filling is set but still slightly wobbly in the center.
Pro Tips
- Toast hazelnuts first and remove the skins for a cleaner, brighter nut flavor. Reserve a few toasted nuts for garnish and pulse the rest in a food processor to make ground hazelnuts for the crust and filling.
- Freeze the shaped crust for at least 20–30 minutes and/or use pie weights while blind-baking to prevent the crust from slumping.
- For an extra-crispy crust, fully blind-bake the tart shell before adding the filling.
- Place the tart pan on a baking sheet when pouring and baking the filling to catch any spills and make handling easier.
- Let the tart cool completely before slicing. Use a hot, clean knife and wipe it between slices for neat pieces.
This chocolate hazelnut tart is impressive but straightforward—perfect for the holidays or any time you want a special dessert. If you make it, tag @baranbakery on Instagram so we can see your creation and maybe feature you. Happy baking!
Love, B
Pies & Tarts
Chocolate Hazelnut Tart Recipe
1 hour 30 minutes
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Ingredients
Crust
- 10 Tbsp (5oz) butter, room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar, spooned and leveled
- 3/4 cup ground hazelnuts
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- pinch of salt
Filling
- 1 cup chocolate hazelnut spread
- 1/4 cup (2oz) butter, melted
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup ground hazelnuts
Method
Crust
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Beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the ground hazelnuts and egg and mix until incorporated. Add the flour and salt and mix just until combined.
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Refrigerate the dough for 10–20 minutes until firm enough to work with.
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Press the dough into the bottom of a greased 9″ or 10″ tart pan with a removable bottom (or use a shallow pie pan or springform pan). Freeze for 20–30 minutes until solid, or use pie weights if you skip freezing.
Filling
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Melt the chocolate hazelnut spread with the butter and stir until smooth.
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Beat the eggs and brown sugar for 2–3 minutes. Add the melted chocolate mixture and vanilla and mix until combined.
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Stir in the ground hazelnuts and pour the filling over the partially baked crust.
Bake
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Preheat oven to 350°F/177°C convection (or 325°F/162°C conventional). Dock the dough with a fork and bake the crust for 15 minutes.
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Remove the crust from the oven, pour in the filling, and bake for another 30 minutes.
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Allow the tart to cool completely before slicing.
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Top with extra chocolate hazelnut spread and toasted hazelnuts if desired.
Nutrition
Thank you for supporting Baran Bakery and the brands that make this possible. This post was sponsored by Pan Di Stelle. All opinions are my own.