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Nutella Truffles knead chocolate hazelnut spread, butter, powdered sugar, and crushed pretzels into a fudgy dough that rolls straight into two bite candy, and the first rainy afternoon we made a batch the hardest step was guarding the bowl long enough to finish rolling. If my Oreo balls vanish at your parties, these are their hazelnut cousins with a salty crunch.
Four ingredients, one bowl, no oven, no candy thermometer, no excuses.
Nutella Truffles Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 0 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 15 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 1 dozen
- ⚡ Calories: 1611kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Fudgy chocolate hazelnut with buttery sweetness and salty pretzel crunch
- ✋ Difficulty: The easiest, one bowl and zero cooking, even simpler than my chocolate fudge
Quick Answer
Combine a half cup of chocolate hazelnut spread, two tablespoons of softened butter, a third cup of powdered sugar, and a half cup of finely crushed pretzel twists in a bowl and mix well, kneading a little if needed, until a cohesive fudgy dough forms. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls with your hands, and that is genuinely the whole recipe. Chill the finished truffles for firmer texture or eat them immediately, they need no baking and no candy thermometer.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- The spread is already half a truffle. Chocolate hazelnut spread brings chocolate, sugar, and fat in one jar, so the recipe skips melting, tempering, and every other fussy candy step.
- Powdered sugar is the structure. It thickens the soft spread into a dough that holds a rolled shape, cornstarch in the sugar helps it set without any chilling.
- Butter keeps the bite fudgy. Two tablespoons soften the texture so the truffles eat like ganache instead of stiff candy.
- Crushed pretzels are the plot twist. They bring salt and crunch that cut through the sweet hazelnut richness, the same trick that makes chocolate covered pretzels dangerous.
- Fine crush matters. Pretzel dust with some small bits mixes evenly through the dough, big chunks would break the truffles apart when rolling.
- Hand rolling warms the dough just enough. The heat of your palms smooths each ball glossy, no dipping or coating required.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Four ingredients and fifteen minutes, this is the dessert equivalent of a mic drop.
- Sweet, salty, fudgy, and crunchy in one two bite package.
- That sweet salty combo hits like my chocolate covered peanut butter pretzels in truffle form.
Key Ingredients
The entire shopping list is four items, and two are probably in your pantry.
- Chocolate Hazelnut Spread: The heart of the truffle. A half cup brings the chocolate, the hazelnut, and most of the sweetness.
- Butter: The texture insurance. Softened so it kneads in smoothly and keeps the centers fudgy.
- Powdered Sugar: The binder. It firms the spread into a rollable dough, sift it if it looks lumpy.
- Pretzel Twists: The crunch. Finely crushed so every bite gets salty little shards without breaking the truffle apart.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
The four ingredient base is begging for riffs.
- Chocolate dipped: Chill the rolled truffles, then dip them in melted chocolate and top with a pretzel piece.
- Rolled and coated: Roll the finished balls in cocoa powder, chopped hazelnuts, or extra pretzel dust.
- Espresso: Knead in a half teaspoon of instant espresso powder for a mocha hazelnut version.
- Cake style: Roll them in sprinkles like my cake truffles for birthday energy.
- Peanut butter swap: Use half peanut butter and half chocolate hazelnut spread for a fluffernutter adjacent truffle.
How to Make Nutella Truffles
- Combine the chocolate hazelnut spread, softened butter, powdered sugar, and finely crushed pretzels in a bowl and mix well. It will come together into a cohesive dough, knead it with your hands a little if it needs help combining.
- Roll the dough into 1 inch balls. That is it, devour immediately or chill for 30 minutes if you like a firmer truffle.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Crush the pretzels fine. A zip top bag and a rolling pin gets them to coarse sand with a few small bits, big pieces make the balls crumble.
- Soften the butter properly. It should dent easily with a finger, cold butter leaves streaks in the dough.
- Knead with your hands. A spoon gets the mix started but warm hands finish the dough faster and smoother.
- Too sticky? Add sugar. Too dry? Add spread. A tablespoon at a time either direction rescues any batch, this dough is forgiving.
- Use a cookie scoop for even balls. A small scoop portions identical truffles, then one roll between your palms smooths them.
- Chill before gifting. Thirty minutes in the refrigerator firms them up so they travel and stack without squishing.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Pile them in a small bowl with extra pretzel twists around the base and they look like you fussed, nobody needs to know it took fifteen minutes. Set them on a holiday tray next to squares of my mint fudge and watch both disappear.
They are holiday cookie box gold, tuck a few in mini paper candy cups between the cookies and they class up the whole box. My old fashioned fudge with nuts keeps the candy box classics covered.
For a party, stab each one with a fancy toothpick and call it a truffle pop platter, the sweet salty combo makes them the first empty plate. For one more no bake crowd pleaser, my brown butter rice krispie treats never survive the first hour.
And for lunchbox or after school duty, two truffles in a little container buys an afternoon of goodwill from any kid.
Nutella Truffles FAQs
These Nutella truffles use exactly four ingredients: chocolate hazelnut spread, softened butter, powdered sugar, and finely crushed pretzel twists. The spread brings the chocolate hazelnut flavor and fat, the powdered sugar firms it into a rollable dough, the butter keeps the texture fudgy, and the pretzels add a salty crunch that keeps the sweetness in check. No chocolate melting, no cream, no candy thermometer, just mix, knead, and roll.
Nutella truffles are fine at room temperature for a day or two thanks to the powdered sugar stabilizing the dough, but they keep best in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Chilling also firms the fudgy centers, which a lot of people prefer, and keeps the pretzel bits crunchier longer. Let refrigerated truffles sit out for about ten minutes before serving and they soften back to that perfect ganache like bite.
Yes, Nutella truffles freeze really well. Arrange them in a single layer on a small tray to freeze solid, then transfer to a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator or just eat them half frozen, which is legitimately delicious in summer. The pretzel crunch softens slightly after freezing but the fudgy texture and flavor hold up perfectly, making them a great make ahead holiday candy.
Sticky Nutella truffle dough usually means the ratio tipped toward the spread, brands vary in oiliness and a warm kitchen loosens everything further. The fix is simple: knead in more powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time until the dough pulls away from your hands, or chill the bowl for 15 minutes and roll the dough cold. Slightly damp hands also keep the dough from grabbing your palms while you roll.
You can, the base of spread, butter, and powdered sugar rolls into perfectly smooth Nutella truffles on its own. But you lose the sweet salty contrast that makes this version special, so consider a replacement crunch: crushed graham crackers, crisped rice cereal, chopped toasted hazelnuts, or crushed waffle cones all work in the same half cup amount. If you skip crunch entirely, add a small pinch of salt to the dough to keep the sweetness balanced.
Nutella truffles are a plan ahead dream. Make them up to 5 days before the party and store them airtight in the refrigerator, or up to 2 months ahead in the freezer. The flavor actually settles and improves after a day as the hazelnut and butter get friendly. Arrange them on the serving plate straight from the refrigerator about 15 minutes before guests arrive, they hold their shape for hours at room temperature.
Made these Nutella truffles? Leave a comment and a star rating below, and confess how many survived long enough to reach a plate!
Nutella Truffles
Ingredients
- 1/2 c. Nutella
- 2 tbsp. butter softened
- 1/3 c. powdered sugar
- 1/2 c. finely crushed pretzel twists
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. It will form a cohesive dough. You may need to knead it a little to combine the ingredients.
- Roll into 1-inch balls. That’s it!! Devour!
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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This look amazing! I’m having a sweet tooth attack and only have Nutella. I’m curious, I don’t have any powdered sugar-is there anything I can substitute it with? If I make them I’ll leave a comment. Thanks so much.
I love this, Nutella is the best way to get your chocolate fix without feeling guilty about it. I love chocolate covered pretzels so I am totally giving this a try the next time I go shopping. Right now we only have the Nutella on hand and will have the get the pretzels next week (our budget only allows for once a week shopping, and we have to stick to it, even if this recipe is calling my name). I totally had to pin this too, I can’t keep this one to myself. I also love how easy it looks, simple and easy is my thing!
This is just too easy!! I love it.
So pinning this! When I was at the store the other day I saw gluten free pretzels! These have my name written all over it! When I make truffles I make lots & store them in the freezer. They are so good when they are slightly defrosted and popped in my mouth! Yum!
Stopping by from Wake Up Wednesday because I couldn’t pass up this sweet treat, especially one with Nutella in it! Love the sweet & salty combo!
oh my gosh! Nutella with soft pretzels!? Now that is genius! I’m with you salty and sweet is delish! Love that you put them both into one perfect little bite!