Nutella Chocolate Pie Recipe

Toast and grind hazelnuts

If hazelnuts are not pre-toasted, spread 0.5 cups hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast at 350°F (175°C) for 8–10 minutes until fragrant and lightly browned. Cool, then rub in a towel to remove skins and pulse in a food processor until finely ground but not pasty.

Combine dry ingredients: in a medium bowl, whisk together 1.5 cups flour, 0.25 cups powdered sugar and 0.25 tsp salt. Stir in the 0.5 cup ground toasted hazelnuts.

Cut in butter: add 0.5 cup cold cubed unsalted butter and 0.5 tsp vanilla. Use a pastry cutter or fingertips to work butter into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces.

Form crust: press the mixture evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch (23 cm) pie pan (or tart pan) using the back of a spoon or measuring cup. Make sure edges are compacted and thickness is even.

Chill and blind-bake: chill crust in the refrigerator 20–30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line crust with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 12–15 minutes, remove weights and parchment, then bake another 6–8 minutes until golden and set. Allow to cool completely on a rack.

Warm the cream: in a small saucepan, heat 1 cup heavy cream over medium heat just until it begins to simmer and small bubbles form at the edge; do not boil.

Combine chocolate and Nutella: place 6 oz chopped semisweet chocolate, 1.5 cups Nutella and 2 tbsp unsalted butter in a heatproof bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate mixture and let sit 2 minutes to soften.

Emulsify: gently whisk the mixture from the center outward until smooth, glossy and fully combined. Stir in 0.25 tsp kosher salt and taste; adjust salt if desired.

Fill crust: pour the warm Nutella-chocolate ganache into the cooled hazelnut crust, smoothing the top with a spatula. Tap the pan gently on the counter to remove any air bubbles.

Set: refrigerate the pie on a flat surface until the filling is set, about 2–3 hours (or 1 hour in a freezer if short on time).

Prepare toasted milk flavor (optional): to add toasted milk note, place 0.25 cup whole milk (plus the 1.5 cups heavy cream) in a small saucepan and cook over medium-low, stirring frequently, until it develops a light caramel/toasted aroma and a pale tan color, about 8–12 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely. If you prefer not to cook, skip and use cold dairy; you can add 1 tsp toasted hazelnut oil or 1 tsp finely ground toasted hazelnuts for flavor instead.

Chill equipment: place mixing bowl and whisk or paddle in the freezer for 10 minutes to help the cream whip more easily.

Whip cream: combine 1.5 cups chilled heavy cream, the cooled toasted milk (or 0.25 cup whole milk if not toasted), 2 tbsp granulated sugar and 0.5 tsp vanilla in the chilled bowl. Whip on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Taste and add toasted hazelnut oil or a small pinch of ground toasted hazelnuts to taste, then whip to stiff peaks, taking care not to overwhip.

Pipe or dollop: when the pie filling is set, either dollop or pipe the toasted milk & hazelnut whipped cream on top in decorative swirls, leaving some of the ganache visible if desired.

Make crumb: in a small bowl combine 2 tbsp milk powder, 0.5 cup roughly chopped toasted hazelnuts, 0.5 cup crushed graham crackers (or cookie crumbs), 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp melted butter and 1/8 tsp sea salt. Toss until mixture is evenly moistened and crumbly.

Toast crumb (optional): spread crumb mixture on a small baking sheet and toast in a 325°F (160°C) oven for 6–8 minutes, stirring once, until fragrant and slightly crisp. Cool completely.

Finish pie: sprinkle the toasted milk & hazelnut crumb over the top of the whipped cream and around the edge of the pie. Optionally shave a few curls of chocolate or drizzle a thin line of Nutella warmed (10–15 seconds in microwave) for extra garnish.

Chill briefly then serve: chill the finished pie 15–20 minutes to let toppings settle. Slice with a warm knife (wipe between cuts) and serve chilled or at cool room temperature.