This easy no-bake Chocolate Hazelnut Dessert in a glass is like a mini chocolate trifle, so simple but delicious. The recipe is made for two portions so it’s perfect for Valentine’s day! With only a few simple ingredients like mascarpone, chocolate, hazelnut spread and wafers anyone can make this dessert!
No-Bake Chocolate Hazelnut Dessert for two
This dessert is like a small-batch mini chocolate trifle that you can serve in a glass or mason jars. Made with 3 simple layers of hazelnut mascarpone mousse, chocolate ganache and some hazelnut wafers for the crunch.
The recipe makes enough for two very big portions (the glasses in the photos hold 500 ml). If you would like to make smaller portions, divide the ingredients into 4 glasses or mason jars.
If you make the recipe for Valentine’s day, you can share one big portion with your partner!
This chocolate hazelnut dessert in a glass is really easy to make and doesn’t really require baking skills, so anyone can make it and impress the guests with it!
Desserts in a glass are perfect for begginers because you don’t have to worry about the dessert hodling shape or cracking and you can easily make it look pretty and put together with some whipped cream and chopped nuts on top. If you like easy desserts in a glass you should check out also my Chocolate Dream Cake in a glass and Strawberry Eton Mess, both also perfect for Valentine’s day!
How to make an easy no-bake Chocolate Hazelnut Dessert
There are only 6 ingredients in this dessert of which all are pretty basic.
The ingredients you will need:
- Chocolate – you should use good quality chocolate that you love to eat with 55% – 80% cocoa content, depending on how dark you like your chocolate. I love using Callebaut.
- Mascarpone cheese– a good quality one.
- Whipping cream – or heavy/double cream with at least 32% fat content.
- Hazelnut spread – I used Loacker chocolate hazelnut spread, you could go with Nutella or your favorite hazelnut spread with cocoa. The higher the percentage of hazelnuts it has the better.
- Powdered sugar
- Hazelnut wafers – I use Loacker because they are seriously my all-time favorite, the taste and texture are just superior. You can use your favorite hazelnut wafers.
How to make chocolate hazelnut mousse layers:
- Prepare the chocolate ganache by simmering the cream and pouring it over the chocolate. Leave for 2 minutes and then stir until you get a nice, shiny, homogenous ganache.
- Prepare the hazelnut mousse by mixing the mascarpone cheese with powdered sugar until creamy. Add the hazelnut spread and combine well. Then pour in the cold cream while mixing the mascarpone with an electric mixer at medium speed. Mix the mousse only until it can slightly hold shape. Don’t over-mix the mascarpone and cream because this mixture can easily split.
- Crush the hazelnut wafers into smaller bits and set aside.
- Assemble the dessert in a glass or a mason jar by alternating between the ganache, mousse and wafers. Set in the fridge for 2 hours and then decorate with whipped cream and other toppings.
Tips for making the perfect layered chocolate dessert
Making this no-bake dessert in a glass is very easy and simple but a few extra tips will make sure that you get the result you are looking for.
- Be careful to not over-mix the mascarpone and cream as the mixture can easily split and get grainy. There is no saving that! Just mix it until slightly holding shape, making soft peaks.
- To pour the chocolate ganache into the glasses it’s best if you just pour it from a pouring jug or something similar.
- Use a piping bag (or a zip-lock bag even) to pipe the hazelnut mascarpone mousse into the glasses. To do that, just put the mousse into a piping bag and cut a small piece at the end to make a hole. Then, pipe the mousse on top of the chocolate ganache in an even layer.
- To make a simple but effective and impressive decoration, pipe some whipped cream with a piping bag and a star nozzle tip on top of the mousse. Sprinkle some chopped candied hazelnuts on top (or just finely chopped roasted hazelnuts). Pour some heated hazelnut spread (just to make it liquid, not warm) on top and finish with a chocolate-covered hazelnut wafer (I used Loacker) or chocolate curls.
- This dessert can be prepared one day in advance but it’s best to do it on the same day so that the wafers stay crispier. The longer this dessert waits in the fridge the more wafers bind water to themselves and lose the crispiness. If you make this one day in advance, leave the decorations to do before serving.
- I use Loacker wafers because it has been my favorite wafer brand since forever. The texture is so light and crispy, and the deep hazelnut flavor is the best I’ve tried in a wafer. Feel free to use your favorite hazelnut wafers if you can’t find Loacker.
- If you want to make this dessert boozy, replace a few tablespoons of the whipping cream in the ganache for Baileys Irish cream liqueur or any other liqueurs you fancy.
Check out other desserts in a glass here:
When you make this dessert, take a photo and tag me on Instagram @freakyblond, send it to my email, or attach the photo to the pin.
In any case, I’d love to see it, it makes my day! I’d also love it if you rate the recipe and tell me your experience in the comments so I can possibly make it even better for you 🙂
Chocolate Hazelnut Dessert in a Glass
Ingredients
Ganache
- 130 g whipping cream
- 100 g semi-sweet chocolate chopped, I use Callebaut 54.5%
Hazelnut mascarpone mousse
- 140 g mascarpone
- 70 g powdered sugar
- 75 g Loacker hazelnut spread or your favorite hazelnut spread
- 180 g whipping cream cold
- 80 g Loacker napolitaner with hazelnut cream or your favorite hazelnut wafers
Decoration
- whipped cream
- roasted hazelnuts
- hazelnut spread
- Loacker mini
Instructions
Ganache
- Heat up the whipping cream until simmering, remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate. Leave for a minute, then mix with a whisk or a spatula until you get a glossy, shiny, homogenous ganache.
Hazelnut mascarpone mousse
- Mix the mascarpone cheese with powdered sugar for about half a minute, until creamy.
- Add the hazelnut spread and briefly mix to combine.
- Pour in the cold cream while mixing the mascarpone with an electric mixer. Mix to soft peaks, until the mousse can lightly hold its shape. Pour the mousse into a piping bag or a zip-lock bag for easier layering, or use a spoon if you don't have a piping bag.
- Crush the Loacker wafers into small bits and set aside.
Assemble
- Prepare 2 – 4 glasses or mason jars. On the photo I used 2 glasses of 500 ml (17 oz).
- These instructions are for 2 glasses, if you are using more, split the ingredients accordingly. Pour some ganache in the glasses, then put a quarter of the crushed wafers in each glass.
- Pour some ganache on top just to cover the wafers.
- Now pipe in a layer of the mascarpone mousse, top with some ganache, then add the rest of the wafers.
- Cover with the ganache and then the mousse on top. Put in the fridge to set for at least 2 hours.
- Decorate with whipped cream, chopped roasted hazelnuts, hazelnut spread and a chocolate covered wafer. Enjoy 🙂
Notes
- Be careful to not over-mix the mascarpone and cream as the mixture can easily split and get grainy. There is no saving that! Just mix it until slightly holding shape, making soft peaks.
- To pour the chocolate ganache into the glasses it’s best if you pour it from a pouring jug or something similar.
- To use a piping bag or a zip-lock bag to pipe the mousse, just put the mousse into a piping bag and cut a small piece at the end to make a hole. Then, pipe it on top of the chocolate ganache in even layers.
- This dessert can be prepared one day in advance but it’s best to do it on the same day so that the wafers stay crispier. The longer this dessert waits in the fridge the more wafers bind water to themselves and lose the crispiness. If you make this one day in advance, leave the decorations to do before serving.
- If you want to make this dessert boozy, replace a few tablespoons of the cream in the ganache with Baileys Irish cream liqueur or any other liqueurs you fancy.
I ate most of it as soon as I made it, it was so yuuumii 🙂
So glad!