Nutella Freezer Fudge

If you’ve been around Fooduzzi, you’ll know that I studied abroad in Italy. I was there for about three months, taking in all of the sights, sounds, and sustenance the “motherland” had to offer.

While I was there, I was lucky enough to have my family (mom, dad, brother, grandma, pap, aunt, and uncle) join me for a week-long visit. They flew into Venice, where I greeted them with open arms. We had a marvelous feast that night and slept like kings knowing that the Peduzzi clan was back together again.

We awoke the following morning, still a little groggy from the celebratory wine and lemoncello shared the night before, to a glorious breakfast feast. The spread was complete with pillowy baked goods, gorgeous fresh fruit, creamy European yogurt, and rich fragrant espresso. The Italians sure know how to breakfast.

Once my dad eyed the homemade cornetti (aka. Italian-styled croissants), he was hooked. He paired a cornetto with Nutella every dang morning until they left 10 days later. Cornetti con Nutella was his new favorite foodie find, so I took it upon myself to surprise him with homemade cornetti for Father’s Day once I returned to the States.

I made my butter block. I mixed my from-scratch dough. I laminated my dough. I rolled my dough. And I woke up early Father’s Day morning, and popped those babies in the oven. My dad was overjoyed; they were flakey, buttery, and warm, just like he remembered from his Italian breakfasts. I’m pretty sure he ate five that day.

Today, dear father, I am bringing you a play on the second part of that Father’s Day brunch equation: Nutella. But not just any ol’ Nutella… Nutella Freezer Fudge. In the shape of mustaches. Because, Father’s Day. Oh, and it’s made with whole foods. So it’s, you know, healthy. A healthy Nutella Freezer Fudge…yep, this Father’s Day is gonna to rock.

So the ingredient list is actually pretty simple, which means that you have no excuse to make this Nutella Freezer Fudge for your loving papa! We’ll start with some hazelnuts, which we shall toast in the oven for a richer flavor. The only slightly annoying thing about this recipe is the fact that you’ll want to remove most of the hazelnut skins. Which is time-consuming. But oh-so worth it. This skin removal (ew…sorry) results in a creamier Nutella Freezer Fudge! Heck-to-the-yes!

Next, chocolate. I think that a dutch-process variety would be killer here, but I just used a plain, natural cocoa powder and it turned out quite delicious. We’ll also add some natural sweetener (I used maple syrup) and pure vanilla extract for some extra flavor! Note that maple syrup caused the mixture to seize a little bit while blending; however, the final product was still perfectly creamy.

Coconut oil is imperative here, as it causes the Nutella Freezer Fudge to solidify when cold. That being said, because of the coconut oil, this fudge should be stored in the freezer at all times. Unless you want to store it in the fridge like I do. In that case, prepare to be tempted with melt-in-your-mouth creamy Nutella deliciousness every.dang.time you open the fridge. There are worse things.

This Nutella Freezer Fudge recipe is sure to make the special dads in your life very happy this Father’s Day. And to Papa Fooduzzi, I hope you have fabulous Nutella-filled Father’s Day. I’m so excited to spend this special weekend with you. I think you are the swellest of all.