Hazelnut Chocolate Bar Recipe
This Hazelnut Chocolate Bar recipe features a silky chocolate shell filled with a rich, crunchy hazelnut kataifi filling. Every bite is packed with smooth chocolate, a crispy texture, and deep hazelnut flavor. With just 20 minutes of prep time, these homemade chocolate bars are perfect for holiday dessert trays, DIY gifts, or satisfying your chocolate craving.
Save This Post!
We’ll email this post to you so you can find it later.
🍽️ Recipe Name: Hazelnut Chocolate Bars
⏲️ Ready In: 1 hour 20 minutes
👥 Serves: 10–12
🔥 Calories: 240 per serving (estimated)
🥕 Ingredient Highlights: Toasted hazelnuts, crispy kataifi, and silky chocolate
📖 Dietary Info: Vegetarian; contains gluten, dairy, tree nuts, and sesame.
👩🍳 Difficulty: Easy
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- Rich Chocolate and Hazelnut Flavor: Creamy milk chocolate and a toasted hazelnut filling create a combination that’s rich, nutty, and absolutely irresistible.
- The Perfect Crunch: Crispy toasted kataifi adds a light, crunchy texture that pairs perfectly with the smooth chocolate shell.
- A Fun Twist on Dubai Chocolate: If you’ve been wanting to try the viral Dubai chocolate bars, this recipe puts a delicious hazelnut spin on the trend with an even nuttier filling.
- Easy to Make at Home: With just a handful of ingredients and about 20 minutes of prep time, you can make gourmet-style chocolate bars right in your own kitchen.
If you love easy homemade candy, you have to try my Strawberry Truffles next. Kit Kat Fudge and Chocolate Bark are two more sweet treats worth adding to your list. They are all great for adding to your holiday gifting tray.
Chocolate Hazelnut Bars Ingredients
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and exact measurements.
- Semisweet chocolate chips: These create the rich chocolate shell that surrounds the filling. I like semisweet because it balances the sweetness without overpowering the hazelnut flavor.
- Tahini: A small amount of tahini adds richness and gives the filling a smooth, creamy texture. If you don’t have any on hand, melted butter is a simple substitute.
- Coconut oil: Mixing a little coconut oil into the chocolate helps it set with a smooth finish. Vegetable shortening would also work.
- Hazelnuts: Roasted hazelnuts are blended into a creamy filling that’s packed with nutty flavor. They give these bars their delicious twist on the classic Dubai chocolate bar.
- Powdered sugar: Powdered sugar sweetens the hazelnut filling while keeping it silky smooth. It blends in much better than granulated sugar.
- White chocolate chips: White chocolate adds a touch of sweetness and helps make the hazelnut filling extra creamy and sturdy enough to hold its shape.
- Kataifi pastry: This shredded phyllo pastry is toasted until golden brown, adding the signature crispy crunch that makes every bite so satisfying.
- Butter: Butter is used to toast the kataifi until it’s crisp and full of buttery flavor before it’s folded into the filling.
- Salt: Just a pinch of salt brings out the chocolate and hazelnut flavors while balancing the sweetness throughout the bars.
Substitutions and Variations
- No kataifi? If you can’t find kataifi pastry, crushed shredded wheat cereal makes a great substitute and adds a similar crunch.
- Choose your favorite chocolate: I love using semisweet chocolate because it balances the sweetness of the filling. If you prefer a richer flavor, use dark chocolate. For a sweeter treat, milk chocolate works well too.
- Finish with a drizzle: A drizzle of melted chocolate over the top gives these bars a beautiful homemade candy shop look and adds an extra layer of chocolatey goodness.
How to Make a Homemade Hazelnut Chocolate Bar (Step-by-Step)
STEP 1: Prepare the Mold. Line a small loaf pan with parchment, leaving overhang for easy lifting. Chocolate bar molds work great too.
STEP 2: Make the Kataifi Crunch. Toast chopped kataifi in butter with sugar and salt until golden. Let it cool, then stir in chopped hazelnuts.
STEP 3: Make and Build the Bottom Layer. Melt semisweet chocolate chips with a little oil and tahini until smooth. Pour into the mold and freeze about 10 minutes until set.
STEP 4: Make the Hazelnut Cream. Blend toasted hazelnuts, powdered sugar, tahini, vanilla, salt, and melted white chips until creamy. Stir most of the kataifi crunch into the cream.
STEP 5: Build the Middle Layer. Spread the hazelnut cream over the chilled chocolate base. Sprinkle the remaining kataifi on top and press gently, then freeze 10 minutes.
STEP 6: Add the Top Layer and Chill. Melt the remaining chocolate and pour it over the hazelnut layer, smoothing the top. Refrigerate 1 hour, then lift out and slice into bars.
Tips for Making This Chocolate Hazelnut Bars Recipe
- Work quickly with the chocolate: It sets fast in the fridge, so have your mold ready before you start.
- Toast the kataifi until deep golden: Under-toasted strands turn chewy instead of staying crisp inside the bar.
- Don’t skip the freezer steps: Chilling each layer briefly keeps the layers distinct instead of blending together.
- Use room temperature hazelnuts: They blend into a smoother cream than nuts straight from the fridge.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Making Hazelnut Chocolate Bars
- Skipping the chill time between layers: Rushing causes the layers to blend together instead of staying distinct.
- Blending cold hazelnuts: Nuts straight from the fridge leave the cream grainy instead of smooth.
- Overheating the chocolate: Microwaving too long can cause it to seize and turn grainy instead of glossy.
- Skimping on the parchment overhang: Without enough overhang, the bars are hard to lift out cleanly.
How to Store
- Storage: Keep the bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Freezing: Freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months, with parchment between layers.
- Thawing: Let frozen bars sit in the fridge overnight, then come to temperature before serving.
- Room Temperature: These bars soften fast, so serve them straight from the fridge for the best snap.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these bars chilled with coffee, or add them to a dessert table for a party. They also make a rich finish after a savory dinner like Artichoke Chicken Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce or Crescent Roll Garlic Bread. A glass of Homemade Limeade balances the rich chocolate nicely too.
Hazelnut Chocolate Bars FAQs
Yes, a small parchment-lined loaf pan works great and gives you a classic bar shape.
Look in the freezer section of Middle Eastern or international grocery stores, or order it online.
Pistachios are the traditional choice, but almonds or cashews work well too.
This usually happens from overheating. Melt the chocolate slowly in short bursts and stir often.
Other Chocolate Recipes to Try
- If you love chocolate, try this Easy Chocolate Lava Cake for a warm, gooey dessert.
- These Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies are soft, fudgy, and topped with gooey marshmallow.
- This Flourless Chocolate Torte is rich, dense, and naturally gluten-free. The whole family will love it.
- These Copycat Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookies are giant, soft, and taste just like the famous bakery.
- This Crockpot Chocolate Cake is a hands-off dessert that turns out warm, fudgy, and is great for feeding large groups.
Hazelnut Chocolate Bar Recipe
Ingredients
Chocolate Layers
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips divided
- 1 tablespoon tahini or melted butter
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil vegetable oil, or melted butter
Homemade Hazelnut Cream Layer
- 1 cup hazelnuts shelled
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons coconut oil or melted butter or neutral oil
- 1 tablespoon tahini or melted butter;
- ½ teaspon vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
- ⅓ cup white chocolate chips or vanilla almond bark
Kataifi Crunch
- ½ -1 cup kataifi pastry
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- Pinch salt
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped hazelnuts optional
Instructions
Prepare the Pan.
- Line a small loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang on the sides to easily lift the bars out later. If you prefer, you can use a chocolate bar mold or another small rectangular container instead. Set aside.
Toast the Kataifi.
- Break the kataifi pastry into short pieces.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then stir in the kataifi, sugar, and salt.
- Cook, stirring often, until the pastry is golden brown and crispy.
- Transfer it to a plate and let it cool completely. If using chopped hazelnuts, stir them into the cooled kataifi.
Melt the White Chocolate.
- Combine the white chocolate chips and ½ teaspoon coconut oil in a small microwave-safe bowl.
- Microwave in 15 to 20-second intervals, stirring after each, until smooth.
- Set aside for the decorative drizzle.
Make the Bottom Chocolate Layer.
- In a separate microwave-safe bowl, combine 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or melted butter), and the tahini, if using.
- Microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring well after each, until smooth and fully melted.
Build the First Layer.
- Drizzle the melted white chocolate over the bottom of the prepared pan for a decorative effect, if desired.
- Freeze for 2 to 3 minutes until set.
- Pour the melted semisweet chocolate over the top and spread it into an even layer.
- Gently tap the pan on the counter to remove air bubbles, then freeze for 10 minutes.
Make the Hazelnut Filling.
- Add the toasted hazelnuts, melted white chocolate, powdered sugar, tahini, vanilla extract, salt, and 2 tablespoons oil to a food processor.
- Blend until smooth and creamy, adding a little more oil if needed.
- Fold about two-thirds of the cooled toasted kataifi into the hazelnut cream, reserving the remaining kataifi for the next layer.
Add the Filling.
- Spread the hazelnut mixture evenly over the chilled chocolate layer.
- Sprinkle the remaining toasted kataifi over the top and gently press it into the filling with the back of a spoon.
- Freeze for 10 to 15 minutes.
Make the Top Chocolate Layer.
- Combine the remaining semisweet chocolate chips, 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or melted butter), and the tahini, if using, in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring until the chocolate is completely smooth.
Finish the Chocolate Bar.
- Pour the melted chocolate over the hazelnut filling and spread it into an even layer.
- Gently tap the pan on the counter to smooth the surface.
Chill and Serve.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until the chocolate is completely set.
- Lift the bar out of the pan using the parchment paper, slice into bars, and serve.
Notes
- Slice with a warm knife. Run a sharp knife under hot water, wipe it dry, and slice the bars for clean, neat edges. Wipe the knife between cuts for the best presentation.
- Spread each layer evenly. An offset spatula or the back of a spoon helps create smooth, even layers for a professional-looking finish.
- Chill between layers. Don’t skip the freezer or refrigerator time between layers. It keeps the chocolate and hazelnut filling from mixing together and creates clean, distinct layers.
- Line the pan with parchment paper. Leaving an overhang makes it much easier to lift the chocolate bars out without breaking them.
Nutrition Information
Hungry for more?
Follow me on Pinterest and make sure to comment below!
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a homemade candy that’s just as impressive as it is delicious, these Hazelnut Chocolate Bars are sure to become a favorite. With layers of silky chocolate, creamy hazelnut filling, and crispy toasted kataifi, every bite is rich, crunchy, and completely irresistible. Whether you’re making them for the holidays, gifting them to friends, or simply treating yourself, this easy no-bake recipe is one you’ll want to make again and again.
