Turn a jar of Nutella into a luxurious dessert with this easy Nutella tart recipe. It combines a gluten-free toasted hazelnut tart crust with a silky chocolate hazelnut ganache filling. A fluffy layer of whipped cream on top finishes it off with an effortless touch!
If there's anything I love more than an extra-chocolatey recipe, it's an extra-chocolatey recipe that also happens to be incredibly easy to make. My 15-minute chocolate pudding is unequivocal proof of that, as is this stunner of a Nutella Tart. It's rich, it's heavy on the chocolate, it has a distinctly hazelnutty flavor, and it's crazy simple to make.
No single element of this recipe takes more than 15 minutes to prep, nor does any of it require advanced kitchen skills, and yet it looks impressive enough to have come straight from a bakery or high-end restaurant. And although it contains Nutella, it's not overly sweet, thanks to the addition of toasted hazelnuts, real chocolate, and an airy, light layer of whipped cream to balance things out.
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3 reasons to love this tart recipe
- It's so easy to make! You only need about 35 minutes of hands-on prep time to make this chocolate hazelnut tart. The crust comes together quickly in a food processor, and the no-bake filling is a simple ganache with the addition of Nutella. A cloud of whipped cream and a sprinkle of hazelnuts on top finish it off with an easy-yet-elegant flair.
- It can be made ahead. When it comes to dessert - especially if you're feeding a crowd - I firmly believe in prepping things in advance. You can make the crust and filling for this tart a day ahead if you'd like, and add the whipped cream up to a few hours before serving.
- It's luxuriously rich - perfect for chocolate lovers! My favorite trick for making an easy but indulgent tart is to use ganache as the filling; this is the same trick I use for my raspberry chocolate tart. The filling only takes about 10 minutes to make, but because it's made with just chocolate, cream, and (in this case) Nutella, it's incredibly silky and rich, with an intense cocoa flavor.
Ingredients
If you're fully on board with making this Nutella tart now, here's what you'll need (organized by grocery aisle to make it easy)!
Amounts are listed in the recipe card.
Baking ingredients: Hazelnut flour/meal, gluten-free all-purpose flour with xanthan gum, granulated sugar, brown sugar, confectioner's sugar, espresso powder (optional but recommended!), salt, baking powder, and vanilla extract
Eggs and Dairy: One egg, plus salted butter and heavy cream
Miscellaneous: Semisweet chocolate, Nutella (or a similar chocolate hazelnut spread), and hazelnuts
Notes and substitutions:
You can likely find hazelnut flour at a specialty grocery store, but it's also available online. Or, you can make your own by grinding skinned hazelnuts in a food processor. Almond meal is a very common substitute that would also work here, but will obviously change the flavor of the crust.
If you don't have salted butter, you can use unsalted and add an extra ⅛ teaspoon of salt to the crust.
Use a chocolate baking bar for the filling - not chocolate chips - to make sure it turns out silky-smooth.
Instead of garnishing this tart with toasted hazelnuts, you could also use chocolate curls or shavings.
Instructions
We're breaking this Nutella tart down into three simple components: hazelnut crust, chocolate filling, and whipped cream garnish. Feel free to do the work in chunks; there's no rush with this recipe!
For the crust:
Step one - Toast the hazelnut flour: This will help bring out all of it's naturally rich, nutty flavor. To do this, spread it out in a shallow layer on a skillet, set over medium-low heat. As it cooks, stir it often, until it turns golden-brown and smells fragrant. At this point, immediately remove it from the heat and let it cool before moving on to step two. While you're waiting, preheat your oven to 350ºF.
Step two - Make the crust: Add the cooled hazelnut meal along with your other dry ingredients (flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, espresso powder, salt, and baking powder) to a food processor fitted with the steel blade attachment. Pulse them together until everything is evenly combined. Add cubed butter and pulse it in just until the pieces are pea-sized - you still want to see those little bits of butter in the mixture. Finally, add an egg and vanilla extract, pulsing those in just until the mixture looks evenly moistened and starts to clump together. Add a tablespoon of ice water if needed to make this happen.
Tip: Anytime you're dealing with cold butter - particularly for pies, tarts, galettes, and scones - you'll want to be careful not to overwork your batter or dough. The goal is retain those small bits of cold butter in your mixture, so that they don't melt until they hit the heat of your oven.
Step three - Bake: Press the crust mixture evenly into the bottom and sides of your tart pan. Use a paring knife to trim the excess off the top edge, and pierce the bottom of the crust multiple times with a fork. (This helps keep air bubbles out of the crust as it bakes.) Bake it in the preheated oven for 10-13 minutes, until it's starting to turn golden. Then, let it cool completely before you move on to the filling.
For the filling:
Make the ganache: Pour heavy cream into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave it until it's just about to boil (60-90 seconds). Carefully add the chopped chocolate, making sure it's fully submerged, and let it sit for about 5 minutes while the chocolate melts. Stir it until smooth, and then whisk in a heavy dose of Nutella to finish it off. Pour the filling into your prepared crust and let it chill in the refrigerator until it sets (at least an hour).
For the garnish:
Step one - Make the whipped cream: In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using a bowl and handheld electric mixer, beat the heavy cream on medium speed until it starts to thicken. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and keep beating just until stiff peaks form.
Tip: When you lift your beaters from your whipped cream, the cream should form small peaks that hold their shape - hence the term "stiff peaks". This also applies to beating egg whites or meringue.
Step two - Finish and garnish: Spread the whipped cream over the ganache filling with an offset spatula. No need to make it a perfectly smooth layer - feel free to add some swoops and swirls! Sprinkle the top with toasted hazelnuts and keep the tart refrigerated until you're ready to dig in.
Recipe tips and FAQ:
By far the easiest way to make the crust for this Nutella tart is with a food processor. But, if you don't have one, make it in a large bowl instead. Whisk together the dry ingredients, and then cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, or grate it in with a box grater. Whisk the egg and vanilla extract together and fold them into the mixture with a spatula. Use your hands if needed to finish bringing the crust together. (This is very similar to the process I use when making my galette crusts.)
I recommend serving this tart on the same day that it's garnished, while the whipped cream is very fresh. That being said, leftovers will keep well for about a week when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
More recipes using chocolate and hazelnuts:
- While you have hazelnut flour and chocolate in your pantry for this tart, I highly recommend making these hazelnut financier cupcakes too! This recipe also uses ganache - in this case, a whipped ganache - and it happens to be gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free.
- These flourless Nutella chocolate chip cookies are made in one bowl, no mixer required! Because they're flourless, they're naturally gluten-free, and incredibly rich and fudgy.
- Speaking of one-bowl recipes... this Nutella chocolate chunk skillet brownie is almost TOO easy to make. Just add some vanilla ice cream and you've got yourself one very indulgent (and extra comforting) dessert.
- When Easter rolls around, you can make these incredibly easy Nutella brownie Easter egg nests. They're filled with marshmallow creme and topped with chocolate eggs. This recipe is very kid-friendly, but let's be real - you'll love them too.
If you try this Nutella tart recipe (or any recipe of mine!) it would mean the world to me if you took the time to leave a rating and review at the bottom of the post. Snap a photo and tag me on Instagram too! I love seeing them and will be sure to re-share.
PrintRecipe Card
Easy Nutella Tart {gluten-free}
Turn a jar of Nutella into a luxurious dessert with this easy Nutella tart recipe. It combines a gluten-free toasted hazelnut crust with a silky, no-bake chocolate hazelnut ganache filling. A fluffy layer of whipped cream on top finishes it off with an effortless touch!
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes (plus chill time)
- Yield: one 9.5" tart 1x
- Category: pies and tarts
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Toasted Hazelnut Crust:
- 1 cup (4 ounces) hazelnut flour
- ¾ cup, spoon and level (3 ⅛ ounces) gluten-free all-purpose flour with xanthan gum
- 1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon espresso powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- 6 tablespoons cold salted butter, cut into chunks
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon ice water, if needed
Nutella Ganache Filling:
- ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon (6 ¾ ounces) heavy whipping cream
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
- ⅔ cup (7 ounces) Nutella or other chocolate hazelnut spread
Whipped Cream & Garnish
- 1 cup (8 ¼ ounces) heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- toasted hazelnuts, chopped, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Toasted Hazelnut Crust:
- Toast the hazelnut flour: Place hazelnut flour in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring often, until golden-brown and fragrant (about 5 minutes). Immediately remove from heat and allow to cool completely before using (20-30 minutes). Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Make the crust: Combine cooled hazelnut meal with the remaining dry ingredients in a food processor fitted with the steel blade attachment, and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse in until pea-sized. Add the egg and vanilla extract and pulse just until the ingredients are evenly moistened and start to clump together, adding the ice water if needed.
- Bake: Transfer mixture to a 9.5” round tart pan and press evenly into the bottom and sides. Trim excess dough along the top border to form a clean edge. Use a fork to prick the bottom of the crust multiple times. Transfer to preheated oven and bake for 10-13 minutes, until just starting to turn golden. Allow to cool completely (about 1 hour) before making ganache filling.
Nutella Ganache Filling:
- Make the ganache: Add cream to a medium, microwave-safe bowl and microwave until just beginning to boil (about 60-90 seconds). Submerge chocolate into cream and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Whisk in the Nutella until smoothly incorporated. Pour filling into the prepared crust and chill in the refrigerator until set (about 1 hour).
Whipped Cream & Garnish
- Make the whipped cream: Using a bowl and electric mixer, beat the cream on medium speed until starting to thicken. Add the confectioner’s sugar and vanilla extract and continue to beat just until stiff peaks form.
- Finish and garnish: Use an offset spatula to spread the whipped cream over the top of the tart. Garnish with toasted hazelnuts. Chill until ready to serve.
Notes
Substituting hazelnut flour: If you don't have hazelnut flour, you can use whole, toasted hazelnuts and grind them into a flour yourself using a food processor. Make sure to measure the hazelnuts by weight, or measure the flour after grinding it to make sure you have 1 cup.
For the chocolate:Use a chocolate bar, not chocolate chips.
Storage and shelf life: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator; keeps for about one week.
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Vivi
I’ve made this three times - but substituted 1/2 of the semisweet chocolate for bittersweet to tone down the sweetness. It’s a household favorite :)
alexandra
Thank you so much for the glowing review! I'm so glad this recipe has become a favorite in your home!
Annie L.
This is a fantastic recipe! Thanks so much!
Mahy
This recipe reminded me that I haven't had a decent dessert in quite a while. Love how yummy this tart looks!
Beth
This looks amazing and so yummy! I can’t wait to make this! So excited!
Heidy
This Easy Nutella Tart recipe sounds like a keeper! My husband and kids are all excited to try this new fabulous recipe ASAP. I hope you have a great week, and we are all looking forward to your new recipes!
Nathan
I don't think I knew hazelnut flour was a thing, very cool to learn about that. And this recipe just looks absolutely phenomenal (or dangerous, more like). Can't wait to try it out!
Jamie
That nutella ganache sounds absolutely amazing! I'm saving this to make with my niece this weekend!