Chocolate and hazelnut are a match made in heaven. This gluten free chocolate hazelnut tart marries the two perfectly.
Admission: this no-bake tart is my last dessert for a while. I'm all sweetenered out! I really went down the rabbit hole of sweets, creating my dark chocolate pots de crème with marshmallow crème, then maca hot chocolate, then maple pecan bars, and finally this treat.
I'll be back to nourishing whole foods for the foreseeable future. After all, one can't live off of tarts and custards alone (and I never intended for this blog to be solely desserts)!
If we're going to wave goodbye to desserts for a bit, this chocolate hazelnut tart is an epic send-off. A basic, press-in mixture makes up the crust like I've used in the past for my mocha avocado cream pie. Then you pour in creamy hazelnut butter (which you can buy pre-made or make at home). Finally, top the whole thing off with a thick layer of silky chocolate ganache.

I'm sitting in my apartment with the patio door open. It's 32 degrees. Feels like spring! That likely sounds crazy to many of you, but in North Dakota it's downright warm for this time of year. The sun's beating down on me (it's overcast 92% of the time in the winter) and I'm cheerful. What a great way to spend the day! If we could actually just skip to spring, I'd be happy. I'll miss the winter light, but not the winter chill. I'm itching to grill outside again!

Okay, that aside was a bit random. Just wanted to share my excitement over the warm weather. Back to talking about food...
I created all these desserts for Valentine's Day, but I don't think much of the holiday. I actually don't think a holiday should be an excuse to faceplant into a whole mess of sweets, either. I mean, if you want chocolate, just eat it. Don't wait for a holiday and go hog wild. In a way, I'm disappointed that I immediately thought of desserts when I was thinking up Valentine's Day recipes. Obviously, you can make this chocolate hazelnut tart or any of my other recent recipes anytime, and you totally should!

Before we get to the recipe, I wanted to give a quick note: your crust will be darker than the crust in the pictures. I photographed this recipe before I was really happy with the crust, so it got a bit of the revamp. The crust in the picture used a little coconut oil and almonds with hazelnuts and dates, but I decided the recipe needed more hazelnut, so I took out the almonds and toasted the hazelnuts. Unfortunately for me, I hit on the winning crust when I was completely unequipped to remake the entire recipe and photograph it again (the frustrations of the sun going down at 5pm!) so I decided to run with the first pictures, which I'm pleased with anyway. Hopefully that doesn't cause you any confusion!

If you're a fan of the chocolate + hazelnut pairing, you're going to love this recipe. No baking involved. Entirely dairy free and gluten free. A rich, decadent dessert for you and your loves!
Chocolate Hazelnut Tart
Print📖 Recipe

Chocolate Hazelnut Tart
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: no bake
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 ½ cups hazelnuts
- 6 pitted medjool dates
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Filling:
- 2 cups hazelnut butter
- 4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
- 1 ¼ cups full fat coconut milk
- ½ cup virgin coconut oil
- ½ cup raw honey
- 6 tablespoons cocoa or cacao powder
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup hazelnuts, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread all hazelnuts (1 ¾ cup) out on a baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes. Reserve ½ cup of toasted hazelnuts for garnish.
- Place 1 ¼ cup hazelnuts, dates, and sea salt in a food processor and process for about 2 minutes, until the hazelnuts and dates form a meal. It should be somewhat moist, but not processed to the point of making a nut butter. Press crust into a tart pan or 9-inch springform pan. Place in the fridge until filling is ready.
- Chop the baking chocolate and add to a medium heat-safe bowl. Add coconut milk, coconut oil, honey, and cocoa powder to a pot. Whisk until combined. Set over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is steaming but not boiling.
- Pour over baking chocolate and let sit for a few minutes. With a rubber spatula, begin to stir slowly and steadily until the baking chocolate has melted completely and the mixture is shiny and smooth. Add vanilla and stir just to combine.
- Remove the crust from the fridge and add hazelnut butter, spreading out evenly over the bottom of the crust.
- Pour the filling into the prepared crust. Let set for at least 2 hours at room temperature or 1 hour refrigerated. Garnish with additional toasted hazelnuts, then slice and serve.
Notes
To make your own hazelnut butter, toast 2 additional cups of hazelnuts as directed in step 1. Add the toasted hazelnuts to a high-powered blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
For an alternative filling, you can pour half of the chocolate filling into the crust, then add the hazelnut butter. Finish it off with the rest of the chocolate filling, then use a knife to swirl the hazelnut butter and filling together.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
Keywords: Chocolate Hazelnut Tart
Megan says
My lovely friend made this for my birthday and tonight I’m making it for my husbands.. This is the dessert you will dream about for the rest of your life!
I cook/bake lots and this is high end restaurant quality chocolate goodness with very little effort ❤️
★★★★★
Chelsea says
Thanks, Megan! I'm so glad to hear you enjoy the tart! It's one of my favorite treats, too. 🙂