Nutella. The name makes mouths water all over the world. Today’s Homemade Nutella Pudding utilizes ground hazelnuts to infuse the milk. You get all the flavor of the luscious nuts with all the creaminess you crave.
Pudding is pure comfort food. I’m sure most mothers often offer it to their children when they get home from school as a snack, after an especially long and trying day, or when you don’t feel well.
Using hazelnut flour is one of the easiest ways to get the nut flavor into the milk. No nuts to peel or chop, just pure flavor with none of the hassle. My favorite brand is Bob’s Red Mill which is gluten-free. If you can’t find it locally in your store, it is available online. Be sure you order in advance to allow for shipping time. You can also chop the nuts yourself, either by hand with a chef’s knife or in a food processor.
Making your own pudding from scratch lets you control the ingredients and if you’re gluten free or have other dietary issues, it lets you make sure you are serving safe food to your friends and family. Besides, it tastes so much better than anything you get in a jar, box, or can!
Bittersweet chocolate (about 70%) will give you the rich chocolate flavor you crave. With all the milk, anything less chocolatey won’t give the same level of satisfaction. But if all you have available is semisweet, you can use that.
One of my secret weapons in baking is vanilla bean paste. Do you use it? It is like having fresh vanilla pods without having to source or store them. It is vanilla extract with vanilla seeds in a sweet gel medium and is more intense than the extract. My favorite is Nielsen-Massey, but you can use whatever brand you prefer.
I love that this pudding should be made ahead and chilled. You can have it all done the day before your event, saving you the stress of having to make dessert along with everything else on the day of your party. Just cover with plastic and leave in the fridge until about 20 minutes before serving. Just enough time to whip cream if you want to garnish the tops.
This Homemade Nutella Pudding is the thing that dreams are made of. A dazzling dessert that is beautifully balanced with the luscious flavor of hazelnuts in every bite. I hope you give it a try and love it as much as The Artist and I do!
See you back here on Friday for another delightful savory treat just for you!
If you try this recipe, let me know! Please leave a star rating in the recipe card, comment below, and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it @theheritagecook on Instagram! Seeing your creations makes my day and I love hearing from you!
Ingredients needed for Homemade Nutella Pudding:
- Whole milk, half and half, vanilla paste or extract
- Hazelnut meal/flour, bittersweet chocolate, butter
- Extra-large egg yolks, cornstarch, sugar, salt
PRO Tip:
Bob’s Red Mill sells a very high quality hazelnut flour in bags that store well in the freezer or refrigerator. You can find it in many stores in the alternate flour section or online. I like to keep it on hand (along with almond meal/flour) to use in gluten-free baking. I love the flavor and texture it brings to cakes and cupcakes.
How to make Homemade Nutella Pudding:
- Stir together the milk, half and half, and vanilla in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the hazelnut flour and heat to scalding (steaming but just under a boil) over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and let it infuse the nut flavor for 20 minutes.
- Melt the bittersweet chocolate and butter over low heat in a small saucepan, stirring until smooth. Set aside.
- Place the egg yolks, cornstarch, sugar, and salt together in the bowl of your stand mixer or a large bowl if using a hand mixer. Beat until thick and pale yellow, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Pour the milk-hazelnut mixture into a strainer set over a bowl and then strain again into the egg yolks, 1/2 cup (118 ml) at a time, mixing after each addition. When you’ve added about 1-1/2 cups (3 additions; 355 ml), strain and whisk in the rest of the milk. Return the egg yolk mixture to the saucepan over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until thick and it just starts to bubble, about 3 minutes.
- Stir vigorously until all the milk has been incorporated. Whisk in the melted chocolate-butter mixture until there are no streaks. Scrape the sides and bottom of the pot.
- Optional: For the creamiest pudding, pulse it in a blender or food processor for about 30 seconds, until silky smooth and light.
- Spoon the pudding into small ramekins or dessert cups, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours or preferably overnight. This gives the pudding time for the flavors to meld and get rich and luscious. Top with whipped cream if desired. Serve cool.
PRO Tip:
If you can’t find the ground hazelnuts, you can use whole nuts (1-1/2 cups) instead. Toast them in the oven for about 10 minutes until you smell them. Remove from the oven, wrap in a towel and rub briskly to remove most of the papery covering. Place in a food processor and pulse until ground. Combine with the milk and steep to infuse the flavor following the directions in the recipe.
Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):
- Kitchen scale
- Chef’s knife
- Saucepan
- 1-quart saucepan
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Fine mesh strainer
- Ramekins
Gluten-Free Tips:
You will get the best results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Homemade Nutella Pudding (Gluten Free)
This Homemade Nutella Pudding is the thing that dreams are made of. A dazzling dessert that is beautifully balanced with the luscious flavor of hazelnuts in every bite.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (454g) whole milk
- 1 cup (227g) half and half
- 1 tbsp vanilla paste (preferred) or pure vanilla extract
- 1-1/2 cups (134g) hazelnut meal/flour (gluten-free if needed)
- 4 oz (113g) bittersweet chocolate (about 70%), coarsely chopped
- 3 tbsp butter, cut into slices
- 6 Extra-Large egg yolks (114g) [note the size!]
- 3 tbsp cornstarch, sifted
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 large pinch kosher salt
- Whipped lightly sweetened cream, optional
Instructions
- Make the Hazelnut-Infused Milk: Stir together the milk, half and half, and vanilla paste in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the hazelnuts and heat to scalding (steaming but under a boil) over medium-low heat stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and set aside to infuse for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.
- In a small saucepan, melt the bittersweet chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring until smooth and fully blended. Set aside.
- Make the Pudding: After the milk is infused, place the egg yolks, cornstarch, sugar, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer or a large bowl if using a hand mixer, and beat until thick and pale yellow, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Strain the milk-hazelnut mixture into a bowl using a fine wire mesh sieve, stirring and pressing it until all the milk has dripped into the bowl, and then if needed, strain again. Add 1/2 cup (118 ml) at a time to the egg yolk mixture, and beat after each addition until you've added about 1-1/2 cups (3 additions; 355 ml). Then beat in the rest of the milk.
- Pour the milk/egg mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the custard is thick and just starts to bubble, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Note that you will see small specs in the milk from the vanilla paste.
- Stir vigorously until all the milk has been incorporated. Whisk in the melted chocolate-butter mixture until there are no streaks. Scrape the sides and bottom of the pan with a spatula to be sure everything is incorporated.
- Optional, for the creamiest pudding, pour the pudding into a blender or food processor and process for about 30 seconds, until silky-smooth and light.
- To Serve: Spoon the pudding into small ramekins or dessert glasses, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours, preferably overnight. This gives the pudding time for the flavors to fully meld and become rich and luscious. Top with whipped cream if desired. Serve cool.
Recipe found at www.theheritagecook.com
Notes
You will get the best results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Adapted from a Food52 recipe
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 300Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 197mgSodium: 145mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 1gSugar: 6gProtein: 12g
The nutritional information for recipes on this site is calculated by online tools and is merely an estimate. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.
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