Hazelnut Chocolate Bars
These crispy hazelnut chocolate bars come together with just 5 ingredients in 20 minutes. They make a great healthyish, midday snack.
Guilt-Free Sweet Snack
If you are looking for something healthyish to snack on during a busy day then this hazelnut chocolate bars recipe is for you. The base of these bars is honey and sesame. Both of these ingredients are used to make Greek pasteli (Gr:παστέλι) which is a sesame seed candy mixed with honey and pressed into a bar. It often contains nuts, such as almonds, peanuts and pistachios and the texture may vary from chewy to crisp. You can find my recipe for Honey Sesame Pistachio Pasteli here. This time I combined hazelnuts and dark chocolate for a sweet but balanced treat with a lot of crunch.
Ingredients for Hazelnut Chocolate Bars:
- Honey: Honey is the key ingredient since it binds the rest of the ingredients together. Choose a good quality natural honey without additive sugars. I used Greek thyme honey which is a very strong honey with intense aromas and herbal flavor.
- Hazelnuts: Both hazelnuts and sesame seeds have a nice nutty flavor. By toasting them slightly they provide an earthy note that pairs great with the honey. Be mindful, not to toast them together as the sesame seeds need less time than the hazelnuts.
- Chocolate: Everyone agrees that chocolate with hazelnuts is one of the best flavor combinations for desserts. Milk chocolate is typically the way to go, but in this recipe dark chocolate balances out the overall sweetness from the honey. I used a 70% chocolate bar for a rich chocolaty result.
How to make Hazelnut Chocolate Bars
Firstly, lightly toast the sesame seeds and then toast the chopped hazelnuts until golden. Then, heat the honey and add both of the toasted nuts while stirring. Incorporate salt and continue stirring until the mixture has thicken. Remove from heat and mix in the chopped dark chocolate bar. Spread in a pan lined with parchment paper and let it cool down. Cut into bars or squares.
FAQS
Hazelnut chocolate bars will keep well stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 weeks.
I recommend storing hazelnut chocolate bars at room temperature.
Other nuts you may use are peanuts, almonds and pistachios.
These hazelnut chocolate bars are perfect for snacking. They are crispy, nutty and not overly sweet. If you decide to give this recipe a try, leave us a comment below sharing your feedback. Happy baking!
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Hazelnut Chocolate Bars
Equipment
- 1 8×8 inch baking pan
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Sesame Seeds
- 2 cups Hazelnuts chopped
- 1 cup Greek Thyme Honey
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 4 oz Dark Chocolate Bar finely chopped
Instructions
- Line an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Over medium-high heat, toast the sesame seeds in a non-stick pan for 2 minutes until golden, stirring constantly with a spatula.
- Remove from heat and place in a bowl.
- Toast the chopped hazelnuts for 2-3 minutes until golden.
- Remove from heat and place in the bowl with the toasted sesame seeds.
- Lower heat to medium and pour honey. As soon as the honey starts foaming, add the toasted nuts and stir continuously.
- Add salt and continue stirring as the mixture thickens up for about 10 minutes. If the mixture starts getting too brown too quickly, lower heat to low.
- Remove from heat and add the finely chopped dark chocolate. Stir until fully incorporated.
- Spread the mixture into the lined baking pan and let it cool for at least 1 hour before cutting into bars or squares.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- The cooling time will differ depending on the pan you use. A thicker layer will take longer time to cool than a thin one.
- Storage Instructions: Hazelnut chocolate bars will keep well stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 weeks.
- Have any questions about the recipe or want to ask for substitutions? Please contact us.