Chocolate Nutella Semifreddo is a soft-served combination of mousse, ice cream, and Nutella. It’s sweet and creamy.

I’ve already featured two different types of homemade nutella and four-ingredient Nutella cupcakes in honor of World Nutella Day, but trust me when I tell you I’ve saved the best for last.

Nutella Semifreddo is perhaps the best thing I’ve eaten so far this year. This may not seem like an earth-shattering statement, but in the last month I’ve created 16 new recipes for the candy site, made multiple baked goods for this here blog, and eaten my way through the patisseries of Boston and New York.

(Also, I have vowed to start eating well aaaaaaany day now…just as soon as I fi a diet that endorses Nutella and full-fat cheese.)

Semifreddo, if you’re not familiar with it, is an Italian word that means “half-frozen” and it can refer to any number of desserts, most of them in the sorbet/frozen mousse/ice cream tart category. This Nutella Semifreddo is perhaps most similar in taste and texture to a frozen mousse. Slightly warm and liquid Nutella is stirred into well-beaten eggs, then soft whipped cream is folded into this mixture to lighten the texture and round out the flavor. The final touch is stirring in shaved dark chocolate and chopped toasted pistachios, for pockets of bittersweet crunch sprinkled throughout.

This semifreddo can be made in a loafpan and served in slices (easy way) or spooned into individual glasses or serving dishes (bonus credit). I liked it best after it had sat out of the freezer for about five minutes. The edges start to soften, the way good ice cream gets melty along the edges, but the rest of the dessert holds its body when you put it in your mouth, silky-smooth and lighter than air, where it ever so gently melts with your body heat until all that’s left is the taste of chocolate and hazelnuts coating your tongue.

If you like mousse, you’ll love semifreddo.
If you like ice cream, you’ll love semifreddo.
If you like Nutella, you’ll love semifreddo.
If you don’t like any of these, you’ve probably come to my blog by mistake because you meant to type Death of Cake but got Cake or Death instead. I’m sorry. It happens. Perhaps some semifreddo will make you feel better.

Chocolate Nutella Semifreddo

5 from 1 vote
These Chocolate Nutella Semifreddos is the perfect combination of mousse, ice cream, and Nutella, so if you like any of those you’ll love these semifreddos!
Prep15 minutes
Cook8 hours
Total8 hours 15 minutes
Yields6

Ingredients

  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 13 ounce Nutella, (400 gram jar)
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon chocolate or hazelnut liqueur, (or vanilla extract)
  • 4 oz bittersweet chocolate, shaved
  • 2/3 cup pistachio nuts, roasted, coarsely chopped
  • Chocolate curls, (for decoration)

Instructions 

  • Line a mold of your choice with plastic wrap, taking care to leave about a 3 inch length hanging over the edge. I recommend a loaf pan about 8×4, or you can use individual serving cups and not worry about the plastic lining.
  • Gently whip the cream until it holds soft peaks. Be careful not to overwhip and cause the cream to break or become grainy.
  • Heat the Nutella in the microwave for about 20-25 seconds to soften it up. Set aside.
  • Place eggs and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Place mixing bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk until the eggs are warm, about 2 minutes.
  • Place the bowl in a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whip the eggs on high speed until pale and tripled in volume, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the softened Nutella and the chocolate or hazelnut liqueur, or the vanilla extract, to the egg mixture and mix on low speed until blended.
  • Gently fold in the whipped cream, half of the shaved chocolate and 1/2 cup of the chopped nuts.
  • Scrape mixture into the mold and spread evenly, or spoon into the individual serving cups. Top with the remaining shaved chocolate. Cover the top of mold with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 8 hours or overnight.
  • When you are ready to serve, unmold the semifreddo and flip it upside-down. Cut it into slices and top them with a few curls of chocolate and the remaining chopped nuts. Like ice cream, this would be bonkers with a warm chocolate (or chocolate-hazelnut?) sauce and/or whipped cream. But it’s pretty epic just the way it is.

Recipe Notes

Measuring Tips

Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.

Want to learn more about baking measurements and conversion?

Nutrition

Calories: 755kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 33g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 85mg | Potassium: 586mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 52g | Vitamin A: 810IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 140mg | Iron: 5.1mg
Tried this recipe?Snap a pic and hashtag it #SugarHero. We love to see your creations on our Instagram @elabau.

Meet Elizabeth!

Hi, I’m Elizabeth — a trained pastry chef, cookbook author, video instructor, and your new Baking BFF! I’m going to teach you everything you need to know to be a sugar hero. ❤️

Related Recipes

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate This Recipe!




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

11 Comments

  1. Ahh with all your posts I think I should just buy the wholesale sized jar of Nutella. This looks amazing!