High Fructose Corn Syrup Free Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Clusters
Toasted hazelnuts, rich dark chocolate, a whisper of cinnamon, and a pinch of flaky sea salt — these clusters are the kind of treat that feels far more indulgent than the ingredient list suggests. So many store-bought chocolate candies and snack bars are loaded with high fructose corn syrup as a cheap sweetener and binder, which makes finding a genuinely clean chocolate fix harder than it should be. Here, a high-cacao dark chocolate (70% or above) does all the heavy lifting, delivering deep, complex sweetness on its own without any added syrups or fillers. Toasting the hazelnuts before coating them is the move that takes these from good to great — it deepens their flavor and gives each cluster a satisfying crunch against the smooth chocolate shell. The double-boiler melt keeps the chocolate glossy and perfectly tempered, so the finished clusters look as good as they taste. A sprinkle of sea salt on top right before they set pulls everything together with that classic sweet-salty contrast. Make a batch, stash them in an airtight container, and try not to eat them all before they fully chill.
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Learn more →Ingredients
12 servings
- 1 ½ cups raw hazelnuts
- 8 oz dark chocolate (70% cacao or higher), roughly chopped
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp flaky sea salt
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread the hazelnuts in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and toast for 10–12 minutes, until the skins are cracked and the nuts are fragrant and golden beneath the skin.
- 2
Transfer the hot hazelnuts onto a clean kitchen towel, fold the towel over them, and rub vigorously for about 1 minute to remove most of the skins. Let the nuts cool for 5 minutes.
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