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Start off your holiday season with this irresistible homemade Ferrero Rocher recipe. You’ll love everything about it: It is crunchy, hazelnutty, chocolaty, and just like the one you’ve been enjoying for years!
While chocolates and candies are generally popular with the kids, Ferrero Rocher is loved by young and adults alike. The crispy, chocolaty outer layer, the soft, fudgy middle layer, and the hazelnut center create a textural delight that is simply irresistible.
And while they seem difficult to make at home, they are deceptively simple. Here’s a foolproof, no-bake version perfect for this holiday season!
Table of Contents
What is Ferrero Rocher?
It is a famous Italian chocolate praline truffle featuring toasted hazelnut-coated nutella ganache, a wafer layer, and finished with a crunchy, milk chocolate hazelnut layer. Its signature golden wrapper is the epitome of sophistication and class!
You might think it’s easier to just buy a pack of six Ferrero rocher balls off the rack to satisfy your chocolate-nutty cravings. But when the recipe is this simple, you’ll want to make it home!
- It’s vegan and gluten-free. With no added dairy or animal-origin products, this make-at-home recipe is perfect for a vegan lifestyle. Best of all, people with gluten sensitivity can enjoy it, too!
- It is pretty healthy! This recipe has no added sugar, preservatives, emulsifiers, or refined products. Who knew Ferrero Rocher could be this healthy?!
- No complicated ingredients. You only need seven simple ingredients to make your favorite chocolates at home.
- Money saver. No supermarket offer can compete with this homemade version! With this recipe, you’ll get 24 chocolate balls, and you can make fewer or more Ferrero Rocher chocolates by tweaking the measurements!
Ingredients Needed
One of my favorite things about this recipe is the tiny ingredient list. Here’s what you’ll need.
- Hazelnuts. Buy good quality, fresh, crunchy whole hazelnuts, as they are the integral components of this recipe. Avoid buying the ones that have gone soft! You’ll need a few roughly chopped, finely chopped, and 24 whole ones for this recipe!
- Cocoa/ cacao powder. Both cocoa and cacao powders work for this recipe. It’s really your choice!
- Vanilla extract. For the classic vanilla flavor.
- Coconut oil. It helps bind everything together.
- Maple syrup. I love how the natural flavor of maple syrup complements this chocolate.
- Water. To achieve the perfect dough consistency.
- Dark cooking chocolate. I prefer using about 70% dark chocolate for my recipes. If you like a sweeter coating, use a lesser percentage. If you love dark chocolate, use up to 90% dark chocolate.
How to make Ferrero Rocher
These homemade Ferrero Rochers make excellent home favors! Also, anyone with a refrigerator and a small stove or microwave can make it without complicated appliances/ overlooking. Here’s how you make them!
- Make the dough. Process together the hazelnuts, cocoa powder, vanilla, coconut oil, maple syrup, and water until combined. Refrigerate the mixture until hardened. Meanwhile, finely chop some hazelnuts.
- Make the Ferrero balls. Make 24 bite-sized balls from the refrigerated dough, and insert a whole hazelnut inside every Ferrero.
- Coat with melted chocolate. Melt the dark chocolate then dip each ball in it. Roll the chocolate covered balls in the chopped hazelnuts.
- Set them overnight. Refrigerate the Ferrero balls overnight to set them, and enjoy!
Recipe tips and variations
- Toast the hazelnuts. Use a combination of raw and toasted hazelnut to create layers of flavors.
- Adjust the dough consistency. If the dough becomes too oily or sticky, add a touch of cocoa powder to get the perfect rollable consistency.
- Don’t skip the chilling step. Chilling the Ferrero Rochers overnight is critical to get the perfect texture.
- Don’t overheat the chocolate. I prefer melting the chocolate using bain marie (double boiler or in the microwave. Do NOT boil your chocolate over direct heat, and don’t bring it to a boil. You need it just melted.
- Add a crispy element. One way to add a crispy layer is to roll the truffles in rice crispies before coating them with the chocolate layer.
- Double-coat your truffles. While I have stuck to one chocolate layer, you can repeat the coating step with tempered chocolate for a better snap!
Storage instructions
To store. When stored in a sealed container, these Ferrero Rocher bonbons keep well in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 weeks.
To freeze. Store these homemade Ferrero rocher balls in the freezer for three months.
More candy recipes to try
Frequently asked questions
Unlike most indulgent Ferrero Rocher recipes, this recipe is quite healthy! Loaded with hazelnuts, dark chocolate, coconut oil and free from added sugars and dairy, this recipe makes for a guilt-free snack.
While the traditional recipe is made with hazelnuts, if you’re allergic to them, please substitute them with peanuts, cashews, or almonds.
You may not have the exact golden wrapper, but you can dust the truffles with edible golden dust or paper or drizzle with melted white chocolate.
Ferrero Rocher Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups hazelnuts divided
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup water
- 24 whole hazelnuts
- 1 cup chocolate
Instructions
- In a food processor, add one cup of the hazelnuts, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, coconut oil and maple syrup and blend until mostly smooth. Add the water and blend once more until a smooth dough remains.
- Roughly chop the remaining one cup of hazelnuts and place them on a plate.
- Using lightly wet hands, roll 24 small balls using the dough. Insert a whole hazelnut in each one.
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave or stovetop. Moving quickly, dip each ball in the melted chocolate, then roll it in the crushed hazelnuts.
- Refrigerate the Ferrero rocher balls for 30 minutes to firm up.
Yum, I LOVE hazelnuts 🙂 And healthy nutella knockoffs– real nutella is not so great– mostly just chocolate frosting.
I love how close you and your sister are! My brother and I talk like once a year. We just have very little in common 🙁
Omg. Michelle. I just remembered something- You live in the city of RIBENA.
My sister and I are ironically closer the further apart we are- When together…not so much ha.
THESE LOOK SO GOOD. And so healthy too! These will definitely be added to my list of recipes to try asap!
Please do, Megan 🙂
I have been wanting to make ferrero rochers for the longest time – yours look scrumptious as always and great that it’s healthier, too!
Thanks so much, Abby 🙂
Dear Arman, Ferrero Rocher are my favorites. I love your take on these classic candies. I would love to have these with me now…I need a little mid-afternoon pick up soon and I’m craving one. Pinning for later. Have a wonderful holiday weekend dear friend!
Thank you so much, Catherine- Have a blessed one!