Hazelnut Strawberry Butter Cup

What do you get when you give the classic peanut butter cup a makeover? A delectable hazelnut strawberry butter cup! Filled with homemade hazelnut butter and strawberry cream filling, this treat is sure to delight both kids and adults.

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Recipe

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Hazelnut Strawberry Butter Cup

Yields 12 butter cups

Total Time2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: dessert bars

Servings: 12

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Hazelnut butter

• 1 ¼ cups toasted hazelnuts, skins removed (300 grams)
• ⅓ cup powdered sugar (43 grams)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Strawberry cream

• 6 ounces strawberries, sliced
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons heavy cream
• ¼ cup powdered sugar (32 grams)

Remaining ingredients

• 1 cup dark chocolate chips (240 grams)
• ¼ cup avocado oil (62 ml)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

• Line a cupcake pan with muffin liners and set aside.
• Place hazelnuts in a food processor and process for 7-8 minutes or until smooth. Pour hazelnut butter into a medium bowl and add vanilla. Slowly add powdered sugar to the nut butter, stirring constantly until well incorporated. Scoop 2 teaspoon-sized portions and shape them into a ball. Flatten each ball into a small disc and chill in the freezer until ready to use.
• Make strawberry cream. Combine sliced strawberries with sugar in a medium saucepot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and continue to cook until strawberries are softened. Remove from heat and puree strawberries until smooth. Let cool completely.
• Whip heavy cream with ¼ cup powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Add whipped cream to strawberry puree, folding in the whipped cream until combined. Chill in the refridgerator until ready to use.
• Combine chocolate chips with avocado oil and vanilla in a medium bowl. Heat in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring every 30 seconds until chocolate is melted. Pour 2 teaspoons of melted chocolate into each muffin liner, gently tapping the pan to evenly spread the chocolate. Place one hazelnut disc per muffin, lightly pressing it down into the chocolate. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes or until chocolate is set.
• Remove from the freezer and pour 2 teaspoons of strawberry whipped cream filling per muffin. Return to the freezer and chill for another 20 minutes or until strawberry filling is set.
• Remove from the freezer and top each butter cup with the remaining chocolate, about 2 teaspoons per muffin. Return to the freezer and chill for 1 hour or until completely set. Remove from the freezer and enjoy.

Notes

You can make the hazelnut butter filling and strawberry whipped cream the day before.

These hazelnut strawberry butter cups are best served straight from the freezer or the fillings will start to melt.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Prepare hazelnut butter

To create the rich and creamy hazelnut butter for these delectable hazelnut strawberry butter cups, begin by adding toasted hazelnuts to a food processor and blend until a smooth and velvety butter forms. If you don't have a food processor, use a high-power blender.

If you only have raw hazelnuts, you can toast them in the oven until they turn a golden brown hue. Once toasted, remove them from the oven and rub off the outer skins using a clean towel. Don't worry if you can't remove all of the skin.

Next, combine the hazelnut butter with a touch of vanilla extract and gradually incorporate powdered sugar, stirring diligently until the ingredients are well combined.

The butter should thicken into a paste once all the sugar is incorporated.

Shape the hazelnut butter mixture into small discs and firm in the freezer while preparing the other components.

Step 2: Make strawberry cream filling

While the hazelnut butter is firming, make the strawberry cream filling. This luscious filling adds a burst of fruity sweetness, complementing the hazelnut butter.

Start by simmering sliced strawberries with a hint of granulated sugar in a saucepot until they become tender and fragrant. Once the strawberries have softened, remove them from the heat and puree them in a blender until smooth.

Allow the strawberry puree to cool completely.

Meanwhile, whip heavy cream together with powdered sugar until it reaches stiff peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled strawberry puree, creating a light and airy strawberry cream. Refrigerate the mixture until it is ready to be used.

If strawberries aren't in season, you can use frozen strawberries instead. However, you may need to adjust the amount of sugar depending on how sweet the frozen berries are.

Step 3: Putting it all together

Now it's time to assemble the hazelnut strawberry butter cups. Melt dark chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl along with avocado oil and vanilla extract, stirring at regular intervals until the chocolate becomes smooth and glossy.

Make sure to check the chocolate every 30 seconds to make sure the chocolate doesn't overheat.

When the chips are almost melted, simply stir the chocolate until the rest of the chips melt.

Line a cupcake pan with muffin liners and pour 2 teaspoons of the melted chocolate into each liner, ensuring the bottom is evenly coated. I like to gently tap the muffin pan to spread the chocolate.

Place a hazelnut disc on top of the chocolate in each liner, gently pressing it down. Then, pop the pan in the freezer for the chocolate to set.

After about 15 minutes, remove the pan from the freezer and spoon 2 teaspoons of strawberry whipped cream filling onto each hazelnut layer. Return the pan to the freezer, giving the strawberry filling ample time to set.

Once set, remove the pan and crown each butter cup with another layer of melted chocolate. Return the pan to the freezer for a final round of chilling, ensuring that the butter cups are completely set before serving.

When it's time to serve these heavenly treats, remove them from the freezer and serve them immediately. You can also let them sit for about 5 minutes to soften the chocolate shell before enjoying them.

I was a little nervous about how these hazelnut strawberry butter cups would turn out. Would the layers be too thick or too thin? Was it too rich? Fortunately, they were a hit! My friends enjoyed the layer of flavors, and the combination of hazelnut with strawberry and chocolate worked wonderfully. It's just a magical combination!

Make-ahead and storage

• Make-ahead: Since the dessert needs time to set, it's best to prepare it the day before serving.
• Store: Wrap tightly or store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month.

More hazelnut dessert recipes

Looking for more desserts featuring hazelnuts? Try these: