This Nutella Pie lives up to its name. Chocolate and hazelnut is everywhere. Toasted hazelnuts are in the pie crust. There’s a layer of dark chocolate ganache with chunks of hazelnut throughout, and to top it all off, there’s a light mousse-like Nutella filling. Sweet and delicious, this is everything you could ask for in a Nutella Pie.
Last week, my niece and nephew decided to make cookies without a recipe. One of the ingredients in those cookies? Of course it was Nutella. So when I asked what kind of pie they’d like to see, I was met with one word. Yep, you guessed it: Nutella.
I love this pie for three main reasons: the hazelnut pie crust, the crunchy layer of chocolate ganache and hazelnuts, and the sweet and smooth Nutella mousse that rounds it all off. Basically, I love every component of this pie. I can’t lie, it was very difficult to keep from eating the Nutella mousse layer with a spoon.
One note: the hazelnuts in the crust should be more finely chopped so that you can roll the dough out thinner while the hazelnuts in the ganache layer should be much larger. You really want that crunch from the ganache. The texture adds to the flaky crust and the smooth mousse and really amplifies the Nutella flavor in this pie.
The layers in this pie look inviting, and they taste even better.
This pie will have you drooling. The crust is buttery and flaky with finely chopped toasted hazelnuts throughout, there's a layer of dark chocolate ganache with even more toasted hazelnuts for a much needed crunch. It's all topped off with a creamy, light Nutella mousse layer to fulfill all our chocolate and hazelnut dreams.
Yields: 10-12 slices
| Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Cook Time | 30-40 minutes |
| Passive Time | 4-8 hours |
| Servings |
slices
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Ingredients
Hazelnut Pie Crust
- 300 grams all purpose flour
- 1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 170 grams unsalted butter cold and cubed
- 80 grams blanched hazelnuts toasted and finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp vodka
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- ice water as needed, 1-2 Tbsp at a time
Hazelnut Ganache Crunch
- 130 grams dark chocolate chips or chopped into small pieces
- 65 mL heavy whipping cream
- 120 grams blanched hazelnuts toasted and chopped into coarse pieces
Nutella Mousse
- 225 grams cream cheese softened (8 oz)
- 100 grams powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 400 grams Nutella (or chocolate hazelnut spread of choice)
- 360 mL heavy whipping cream
Ingredients
Hazelnut Pie Crust
Hazelnut Ganache Crunch
Nutella Mousse
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Instructions
Hazelnut Pie Crust
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cubed pieces of butter into the bowl. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until you're left with pea-sized pieces of butter covered in flour. Toss in the chopped hazelnuts until incorporated.
- Using the tip of a knife or your fingertips, mix in the vodka and apple cider vinegar. The dough will begin to form large clumps. Add in the ice water 1 Tbsp at a time until you can press the dough into a ball, pinching any remaining dry pieces into the ball. Sprinkle with water to incorporate if necessary.
- Flatten the dough into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 30 minutes to 1 hour before rolling out.
- Lightly grease a 9" pie dish (1.5"-2" deep) and set aside.
- Lightly flour your work surface and roll the dough out, turning as you roll. You want the dough to be about 1/4" thick and 1-2 inches larger that your pie dish. Roll the dough over a flour rolling pin and lift it into the pie dish, gently press the dough into the bottom edges being careful not to pull the dough. Trim any excess around the top and crimp as desired. Chill the dough in the freezer for 30 minutes or in the fridge for about an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and place a large baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven.
- Remove the chilled crust and dock the bottom with a fork. Crumple up a piece of parchment paper. Line the pie crust with the piece of parchment paper and weigh the crust down with baking beans, dried beans, or rice to keep the crust from puffing or falling in the oven.
- Place the pie dish on the preheated baking sheet. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 25-30 minutes until the crimped part of the crust begins to brown slightly. Remove the parchment paper and the weights, return the pie dish and the baking sheet to the middle rack of the oven and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until the crust is fully baked through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
Hazelnut Ganache Crunch
- Pour the chocolate chips or chopped up chocolate in a small bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm up the heavy cream until it begins to simmer. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Give the bowl a shake to evenly distribute the cream. Let rest for 1-2 minutes. Using a whisk or a rubber spatula, begin to stir the ganache starting at the center of the bowl until the chocolate is fully melted.
- Stir in the chopped toasted hazelnuts until completely covered in chocolate. Spread over the bottom of the cooled pie crust. Chill the filled crust until the ganache is firm.
Nutella Mousse
- In a medium bowl using a wooden spoon or a hand mixer (this can also be done in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment), beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar and beat until you have the consistency of a loose cheese cream frosting. Stir in the vanilla. Beat in the Nutella or chocolate hazelnut spread until fully incorporated. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, whisk the heavy cream until it reaches stiff peaks. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold half of this whipped cream into the Nutella mix until fully combined. Fold in the second half of the whipped cream until fully incorporated, being careful not to beat too much of the air out.
- Pour the Nutella Mousse mixture over the layer of ganache. Use a rubber spatula to evenly smooth the top. Chill for 2-4 hours until the mousse is solid and holds its shape. Slice and serve with a dollop of whipped cream if desired. Store chilled and covered with foil.
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