Why Make Your Own Ferrero Treat?
Whenever I see a box of adorable Ferrero Rocher chocolates, the first thing that comes to mind is: Are Ferrero Rocher gluten free? Are they free from dairy, too? Unfortunately, they are not!
The well-known chocolate stands out with its distinctive gold and dark brown packaging, making it hard to ignore.
With all that feeling of being left out for not having tasted it, it’s time to make our own dairy and gluten free Ferrero Rocher chocolate balls.
Opting to make your own Ferrero Rocher can be incredibly rewarding. It allows individuals with dietary restrictions to control the ingredients, particularly gluten, dairy, and the amount of sugar.
Moreover, homemade chocolates make thoughtful gifts and special treats for gatherings and holidays.
To replicate Ferrero’s distinct taste and shape, let’s have a look at what’s inside these delicious chocolate balls.
What’s Inside the Ferrero Rocher Ball?
The Ferrero Rocher ball is famous for its layered structure; each ball contains a whole hazelnut encased in a milk chocolate filling, wrapped in a wafer shell, and coated with chocolate and hazelnut pieces.
Its complex texture and rich flavors make it a favorite among chocolate enthusiasts. Here’s a closer look at what each layer consists of, from the inside out:
Hazelnut Core. Each Ferrero Rocher contains a whole roasted hazelnut. They add a crunchy texture and nutty flavor essential to the chocolate’s signature taste.
Milk Chocolate Cream Filling. Surrounding the hazelnut is a smooth, creamy filling made from a blend of milk chocolate and hazelnut paste. Milk chocolate is not dairy free.
Wafer Shell. Encasing the chocolate hazelnut cream is a thin, crispy wafer shell.
Nut-Chocolate Outer Layer. The wafer shell is coated with melted milk chocolate and chopped hazelnuts to seal the layered chocolate balls.
Is Ferrero Rocher Gluten Free?
No. As mentioned above, Ferrero Rocher chocolates contain gluten due to the wheat flour in their wafer shells.
These wafer shells can be made gluten free industrially using functional gluten free flour mixes, but the manufacturer has no appetite for doing so.
How Do You Make Ferrero Rocher?
If you cannot eat gluten and/or dairy, the only way to enjoy this luxurious treat is to make a gluten—and dairy free version of it.
First, we’ll use 70-80% dark chocolate for filling and coating to eliminate the dairy. Second, let’s remove the wafer shell and instead replace it with roasted chopped (coarse) hazelnut to mimic the crispness.
And finally, coat the balls with melted dark chocolate and crushed (finer) hazelnut.
Ingredients Needed
- Dark Chocolate (70-80% cocoa): Most if not all dark chocolates are free from gluten and dairy.
- Dairy Free Heavy Cream: For the creamy ganache filling, I used neutral-flavored, non-dairy heavy cream.
- No-Sugar Hazelnut Paste: Making homemade hazelnut paste without sugar is easy. You can also find them in supermarkets.
- Roasted Hazelnuts: Essential for that authentic Ferrero Rocher crunch, used both as the core and in the outer coating.
The process involves making a dark chocolate ganache with dairy free cream and hazelnut paste without added sugar. This mixture forms the core of your chocolate balls, with a whole roasted hazelnut nestled at the center.
The ganache balls are rolled in chopped hazelnuts and then coated with melted dark chocolate mixed with finely crushed hazelnuts for a quintessential Ferrero Rocher finish.
Substitution Table
| Original Ingredients | Substitute With |
|---|---|
| Dark Chocolate 70-80% (GF/DF) | Lovo Oat Milk Chocolate |
| Flora Heavy Cream 31% fat | Silk or Califia Farm Heavy Cream (GF/DF) |
| Sugar-Free Hazelnut Paste | Hazelnut Praline Paste 100% Pure |
| Hazelnuts | Macadamia Nuts |
Process Steps
Making Chocolate Hazelnut Ganache
- Heat the cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it starts to simmer.
- Remove from the heat, add the chopped dark chocolate, and stir until smooth and fully melted.
- Mix in the hazelnut paste until well combined. Set aside.
Assembling the Chocolate Balls
- Prepare a dome-shaped silicone mold with a diameter of 2-3 cm. Fill each mold halfway with warm ganache, then place whole or half hazelnut in the middle. Freeze for at least 15 minutes.
- Remove the frozen ganache from the mold and place it on top of each other to form a 2-3 cm ball. Roll and press on the chopped roasted hazelnut. Insert a toothpick into each ball, then chill or freeze.
- If you don’t have a dome silicon mold, scoop a tablespoon of the chilled ganache and flatten it slightly in your palm. Place a whole hazelnut in the center and wrap the ganache around it, forming a 2-3 cm ball. Insert a toothpick on each ball then chill or freeze.
Coating, Wrapping and Storing
- Melt the chocolate and add the crushed hazelnuts. Hold the tip of the toothpick then dip the cold chocolate balls in the hazelnut-chocolate coating. Let the chocolate drip for a few seconds, then chill in the fridge.
- Wrap each chocolate with an 8.5×8.5 gold/silver foil sheets, then place it in a small golden chocolate truffle cups.
Dairy and Gluten Free Ferrero Rocher
Equipment
- Digital scale
- Semi sphere silicon mold 3 cm
- Gold foil sheets and chocolate truffle cups 25+25
Ingredients
Roasted Hazelnut
- 150 g hazelnuts whole
Chocolate Hazelnut Ganache
- 150 g chocolate 70-80% GF/DF
- 150 g heavy cream DF/GF
- 50 g hazelnut paste or praline
Chocolate Coating
- 250 g dark chocolate 70-80% GF/DF
- 50 g crushed hazelnut
Instructions
Roasted Hazelnut
- Preheat oven to 338°F (170°C) and then bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool down.
- Remove the skin by rubbing the nuts with both hands. Separate 25 whole hazelnuts and chop the remaining nuts.
Chocolate Hazelnut Ganache
- Heat the cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it starts to simmer.
- Remove from the heat, add the chopped dark chocolate, and stir until smooth and fully melted.
- Mix in the hazelnut paste until well combined. Set aside.
Hazelnut-Chocolate Coating
- Melt the chocolate then mix in the crushed hazelnuts.
Assembling the Chocolate Balls
- Prepare a dome-shaped silicone mold with a diameter of 2-3 cm. Fill each mold halfway with warm ganache, then place whole or half hazelnut in the middle. Freeze for at least 15 minutes.
- Remove the frozen ganache from the mold and place it on top of each other to form a 2-3 cm ball. Roll and press on the chopped roasted hazelnut. Insert a toothpick into each ball, then chill or freeze.
- If you don’t have a dome silicon mold, scoop a tablespoon of the chilled ganache and flatten it slightly in your palm. Place a whole hazelnut in the center and wrap the ganache around it, forming a 2-3 cm ball. Insert a toothpick on each ball then chill or freeze.
Coating, Wrapping and Storing
- Hold the tip of the toothpick then dip the cold chocolate balls in the hazelnut-chocolate coating. Let the chocolate drip for a few seconds, then chill in the fridge.
- Wrap each chocolate with an 8.5×8.5 gold/silver foil sheets, then place it in a small golden chocolate truffle cups.
Notes
- Stays fresh at room temperature for 3 days. Keep refrigerated of freeze for longer shelf life.
- For gifting, place the assembled chocolate ball in the truffle chocolate box and store in the fridge.
