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The holidays wouldn't be complete without a slice of gooey, homemade hazelnut chocolate pie. Similar to pecan pie, this dessert is oozing with toasted hazelnuts, sweet morsels of chocolate, and a buttery flaky crust.
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What makes this recipe special
For the longest time, the only pie I ever had was apple pie. I knew there were other pie flavors but I decided that apple was the best. Thankfully, I've opened my mind and have tasted and fallen in love with many other variations. Most recently, it's been this hazelnut chocolate pie. Imagine a pecan pie with hazelnuts and chocolate chips and that's basically what you have here. It's a great twist on the classic dessert!
If I had to rank my favorite nuts, hazelnuts would be very high on the top. Don't get me wrong, I love pecans too. But there's something about toasted hazelnuts, especially with chocolate that makes me swoon. And so I just couldn't resist but transform traditional pecan pie into chocolate hazelnut pie.
Ingredients
- Butter: The butter helps make the pie crust flaky while adding flavor and moisture to the pie filling.
- Eggs: An important ingredient in the pie filling, helping it bind together the ingredients and providing structure.
- Light corn syrup: A sweet syrup made from cornstarch that contributes to the gooey smooth texture of the pie filling. It also helps retain moisture in the pie.
- Light brown sugar: Sweetens the pie filling while giving a light caramel flavor. You can also use dark brown sugar for a deeper flavor.
- Bourbon: The whiskey adds a hint of sweet and smoky flavor. You can omit it if you prefer.
- Molasses: A thick, dark syrup with a robust, bittersweet flavor. For a deeper flavor, you can use dark molasses.
- Hazelnuts: The small round nuts have a sweet, nutty flavor. You can substitute the hazelnuts for another nut such as walnuts or pecans.
- Bittersweet chocolate chips: With a higher cocoa percentage, bittersweet chocolate provides a rich, intense chocolate flavor with a slightly bitter undertone. For a sweeter pie, you can use semisweet chocolate chips.
How to make hazelnut chocolate pie
Step 1: Toast nuts
If you ever made pecan pie, this version should be a breeze. One of the most important steps to making this dessert is toasting the nuts. When you toast nuts, you bring out the flavors and make them more intense. If you taste a raw nut and then try a toasted one, you'll immediately notice the difference.
For hazelnuts, it's especially important to toast them beforehand because it makes it easier to remove the skins. While the nuts are warm, wrap them in a clean kitchen towel and rub them until the skins come off.
Chop the nuts and set them aside while you prepare the rest of the pie. You can also prepare the hazelnuts several days in advance.
Step 2: Make pie crust
Now I'll be frank. I'm terrible at shaping pie crust. However, I have learned a couple of tricks through much trial and error. The most helpful advice I can share is to make sure the dough is properly chilled. Make sure the ingredients are cold before you make the dough and make sure to chill it after shaping it. This will help the shell hold its shape even while baking.
Line the pie crust with parchment paper and fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Then, bake the crust for 15 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and weights and continue to bake for another 10 minutes or until light golden brown. I know that many pecan pie recipes don't require you to par-bake the pie crust. However, when I didn't par-bake it, I found that the crust was underbaked.
Step 3: Prepare the filling
While the crust is cooling, make the filling. Fortunately, this step is easy to follow. Mix everything together, fold in the hazelnuts and chocolate and that's it! Doesn't get any easier than that.
Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake the chocolate hazelnut pie for about 50 minutes. The edges of the pie should be set but the center will still be a bit jiggly. If the pie is completely set, it's overbaked.
If your crust starts to get too dark while baking, you can cover just the crust with foil.
Remove the dessert from the oven and let it cool for at least 3 hours. As tempting as it is to dig into the pie, it's important that you let it cool. The pie will be too runny if you serve it immediately.
Before I even tasted the chocolate hazelnut pie, I knew it would be delicious. How can it not be with hazelnuts, chocolate, and a buttery crust? The pie is perfectly gooey and crunchy at the same time. A wonderful finish to any meal!
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can use a store-bought pie crust to save time. Ensure it's a 10-inch crust to fit the pie dish or you will have extra filling.
Yes, toasting hazelnuts enhances their flavor and boosts the overall flavor of the pie. You can buy toasted hazelnuts if you would like to skip the step.
Yes, you can make the pie a day ahead. Let it cool completely, cover it, and refrigerate. Bring it to room temperature before serving or warm individual slices in the oven.
Yes, you can freeze the baked and cooled pie. Wrap it well in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and it should keep for up to 2-3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
More hazelnut recipes
Looking for more dishes featuring hazelnuts? Try these:
Recipe
Hazelnut Chocolate Pie
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (185 grams)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cold butter, cut into small chunks (113 grams)
- 3-4 tablespoons ice cold water
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- ¾ cup light corn syrup (250 grams)
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar (133 grams)
- 3 tablespoons bourbon
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups toasted chopped hazelnuts (275 grams)
- ¾ cup bittersweet chocolate chips (168 grams)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Make pie crust. Combine flour with salt and cold butter using a pastry cutter until every piece of butter is covered in flour. The mixture should resemble coarse sand. Slowly add ice cold water one tablespoon at a time until a dough comes together. Shape into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Let chill in the fridge for at least one hour or overnight.
- Lightly dust a clean work counter with flour. Roll out pie dough into a 14" circle. Transfer to a 10-inch pie dish and trim edges to leave a 1-inch overhang. Fold overhand under and crimp edges. Transfer to fridge to chill for another 30 minutes.
- Line pie dough with parchment paper and fill with baking weights. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and remove parchment paper and baking weights. Bake for another 10 minutes or until center is light golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
- Make pie filling. Whisk together eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, bourbon, melted butter, molasses, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Stir in chopped hazelnuts and chocolate chips. Pour filling into pie crust. Bake for 50 minutes - 1 hour or until golden brown and edges are set. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 3 hours. Slice and serve.
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