Chocolate Hazelnut Macarons

Chocolate Hazelnut Macarons – These chocolate macarons are filled with a Nutella ganache, and topped with a drizzle of melted chocolate and chopped hazelnuts. The PERFECT macarons for Nutella lovers!

Chocolate Hazelnut Macarons

If you’re a big Nutella fan, these macarons are for you!

These chocolate macarons are soft, fudgy, packed full of hazelnut flavour, and filled with a rich Nutella ganache. Topped with a drizzle of melted chocolate and chopped hazelnuts for added crunch.

This recipe will guide you step-by-step on how to make these super finicky cookies, and achieve beautiful, full macarons.

Looking for more Nutella goodness? Check out my Nutella Mug Cake, Nutella Stuffed Double Chocolate Muffins, and my Nutella Brownies.

Ingredients you’ll need

Here’s a list of ingredients you’ll need to make these macarons. You can find my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list with their amounts.

For the Macarons

• Hazelnut flour: NOT hazelnut meal or ground hazelnuts. Hazelnut flour is much finer than hazelnut meal and made from blanched, skinless hazelnuts.
• Icing/powdered sugar
• Cocoa powder: I love and use Dr. Oetker Fine Dark Cocoa Powder.
• Caster/granulated sugar
• Egg white powder: Optional, but helps create a stable meringue and achieve fuller shells.
• Egg whites

For the Filling

• Double/heavy cream
• Chocolate/chocolate chips: Good quality chocolate, coarsely chopped. You can use milk, dark, or semi-sweet, but I wouldn’t go over 50% cocoa as this can overpower the Nutella. I prefer using milk chocolate here.
• Nutella

How to make Chocolate Hazelnut Macarons

To make these macarons, simply grab a medium mixing bowl and whisk together the hazelnut flour, icing sugar, and cocoa powder. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and egg white powder.

In a large heat-proof mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar mixture and the egg whites until combined.

Fill a saucepan 1/3 of the way with water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Place the heat-proof bowl on top and whisk until the sugar has dissolved completely – about 1 – 2 minutes.

Remove from the heat.

Using a hand or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip until very thick, glossy, and stiff meringue peaks form – about 10 – 15 minutes. Start slow and gradually increase to medium speed.

Sift in the hazelnut mixture.

Using a spatula, gently fold in until no dry ingredients remain.

Start scraping the batter up the sides of the bowl to deflate air bubbles (this helps to prevent hollow macarons), then bring it all back to the centre.

Repeat until the batter flows slowly off of the spatula without breaking, and ribbons back into the bowl.

NOTE: The ribbons should hold their shape for about 20 – 30 seconds before the edges relax back into the batter. If it takes longer, keep mixing. If the batter is runny and takes less than 10 seconds, you have over-mixed.

Pour into a piping bag fitted with a round tip (I used Wilton #12). Pipe 1.5 inch rounds onto baking trays lined with silicone mats, teflon, or parchment paper, keeping them about 1-inch apart.

Tap the trays on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. If you see little air bubbles on top of the macarons, use a toothpick to gently deflate them.

Let the macarons sit at room temperature for 30 – 60 minutes (this can take much longer in humid weather), or until matte and dry to the touch. You should be able to lightly brush the tops with your finger.

Bake the macarons, one tray at a time, on the middle rack for 20 – 25 minutes. Your bake time will depend on the size of your macarons. They are done when the tops and feet are firm to the touch, and they do not jiggle side-to-side. They shouldn’t move at all.

Allow them to cool completely before removing from the tray – at least 30 minutes.

To make the ganache, fill a saucepan 1/3 of the way with water and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Add the cream and chocolate to a heat-proof bowl and place on top of the saucepan. Mix until melted and combined, then remove from the heat.

Add the Nutella and whisk until smooth and combined.

Refrigerate for about 1 hour or until the ganache becomes a spreadable consistency.

Scoop the ganache into a piping bag fitted with a round tip (I used #808). Pipe the filling along the edges of a macaron, fill with a little Nutella, and sandwich with another macaron.

Repeat with all of the macarons.

Top with a drizzle of melted chocolate and chopped hazelnuts, if desired.

Eat right away, or cover and refrigerate for 12 – 24 hours so the macarons can mature. Bring to room temperature before serving.

The printable recipe card with the FULL list of ingredients and instructions can be found at the bottom of this post.

NOTE: For best results, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup measurements.

Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough, and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.

These Chocolate Hazelnut Macarons are:

• deliciously soft and fudgy
• packed full of chocolate and hazelnut flavour
• filled with a rich Nutella ganache
• PERFECT for Nutella lovers!

How long will these macarons last? These macarons can be kept in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Can I freeze these macarons? Yes, cooled macaron shells and assembled macarons also freeze well for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature before filling or serving.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram and hashtag it #simplybakeblog. I’d love to see!

Try these chocolate cookies!

• Chocolate Orange Brownie Cookies
• Peanut Butter Stuffed Chocolate Cookies
• Chocolate M&M Cookies
• Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

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