Chocolate Hazelnut Madeleines Recipe

Spoon batter into the molds about three-quarters full and tap the pan against the counter once. That sharp cracking sound when they come out means done. Madeleines should be firm at the edges, browned but not burnt—the color shifts from shiny to matte and that’s when you pull them.

Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Hazelnut Madeleines

Takes 50 minutes total. Forty for prep if you’re not rushing, ten in the oven. Not bad for something that looks like you spent all afternoon.

One-third of each shell gets dunked in dark chocolate. The toasted hazelnuts stick immediately. That roasted crunch against the almond flour crumb—it’s different from regular madeleines.

Almond flour lightens them. Makes the texture less dense, more tender all the way through. Not everyone does that.

They last three days in an airtight container. Second day tastes better, honestly. The flavors settle overnight.

The cinnamon isn’t obvious. It’s just there, underneath the chocolate, making you wonder what it is. Ground cinnamon works better than whole.

What You Need for Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Madeleines

Dark chocolate 70%. Not 85%, not 60%. The 70% has something going on—enough cocoa to taste real, enough sugar to not be harsh.

Unsalted butter. This matters because you’re not salting the batter separately. Salt the batter, you lose control.

All-purpose flour and almond flour. Both. The almond flour changes everything—lighter crumb, nuttier. Try it without and you get regular madeleines. Don’t do that.

Granulated sugar. Three large eggs. Two and a half milliliters vanilla extract. That’s precise but it works.

Baking powder is a half teaspoon. Ground cinnamon a quarter teaspoon. Salt a pinch. Not optional—they build the flavor quietly.

Tempered dark chocolate 70% for coating. This is separate from the batter chocolate. Keep it warm but not hot or it runs everywhere.

Toasted hazelnuts. Chopped. Not whole, not ground. The pieces need to stick to the wet chocolate immediately.

How to Make Chocolate Hazelnut Madeleines

Center oven rack. Preheat to 190°C—375°F if you’re using Fahrenheit. Butter the madeleine pans thoroughly. Every corner. Then dust with flour if you want, catches the stubborn ones that stick.

Melt the chopped chocolate and butter together. Simmering water underneath, or microwave in short bursts stirring constantly. Must be warm, not hot. Hot scrambles the eggs later. Set it aside to cool slightly.

Sift all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt into a bowl. Almond flour clumps. The sifting breaks it up so you get an even crumb. Don’t skip this.

Whisk the eggs and sugar hard for about three minutes. You want pale ribbons forming—that air is what makes them puff. Stop before you deflate it all.

Fold in the cooled chocolate mixture carefully. No rushing. Then fold the dry ingredients in batches, stopping the second it’s combined. Overmixing toughens the edges and deflates the whole thing.

How to Get Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Bites Crispy and Done

Spoon batter into the molds about three-quarters full. Leave room for them to puff and develop that signature hump. Tap the pan sharply against the counter once or twice to even the batter and release bubbles.

Bake nine to eleven minutes. Watch the edges and tips—they go from shiny to matte, firm to the touch. The madeleine shells should brown but not burn. That sharp cracking sound when you tap one means done.

Remove from the oven. Let them cool on racks for about an hour. Don’t rush this. Dipping warm madeleines ruins everything—chocolate melts off and the hazelnuts won’t stick.

Chocolate Madeleines Tips and Common Mistakes

Don’t overmix. It toughens the edges and deflates all that air you just beat into the eggs. Fold until barely combined. Looks rough. That’s right.

The molds need butter and flour, or the madeleines stick. Some people skip the flour. Don’t.

Almond flour reduces shelf life. Three days maximum in an airtight container. Second day tastes better. Third day they’re still fine but getting stale.

Tempered chocolate matters for the coating. Not tempered and it streaks as it sets. Warm but not hot, or it runs off and the nuts slide around. Takes practice to find the temperature.

The hazelnuts go on immediately while the chocolate is wet. Wait too long and they slide around or don’t stick at all.

Condensation dulls the chocolate finish. Room temperature setting is safest. Too cold and you risk that wet look.

Chocolate Hazelnut Madeleines Recipe

By Emma

Prep:

40 min

Cook:

10 min

Total:

50 min

Servings:

2 dozen

Ingredients

• 100 g dark chocolate 70%, chopped
• 90 g unsalted butter
• 85 g all-purpose flour
• 30 g almond flour
• 2.5 ml baking powder
• 1.5 ml ground cinnamon
• 1 ml salt
• 3 large eggs
• 75 g granulated sugar
• 2.5 ml vanilla extract
• 150 g tempered dark chocolate 70% for coating
• 40 g toasted hazelnuts, chopped

Method

1. Madeleines
2. 1 Position oven rack center. Preheat oven to 190 °C (375 °F). Butter two 12-cavity madeleine pans thoroughly; dust lightly with flour to prevent sticking if you want—this catches stubborn ones.
3. 2 Melt chopped chocolate and butter gently over simmering water or microwave in short bursts, stirring often. Must be warm but not hot, to avoid scrambling eggs later. Set aside to cool slightly while you prep dry ingredients.
4. 3 Sift together all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt into a bowl. Almond flour changes texture; expect lighter but nutty crumb.
5. 4 Whisk eggs and sugar vigorously for about 3 minutes until pale, ribbons form. This air whip traps gases making batter rise. Don’t overdo or you’ll deflate.
6. 5 Fold in cooled chocolate mixture carefully, no rush. Then gently fold dry ingredients in batches, stopping when just combined. Overmix deflates and toughens edges.
7. 6 Spoon batter filling molds about three-quarters full; allow space for the madelaines to puff and develop that familiar hump. Tap pan sharply against counter once or twice to even the batter and release bubbles.
8. 7 Bake 9 to 11 minutes. Watch edges and tips—they should be firm to the touch, browned but not burnt. Sharp cracking sound as you tap a shell means done. Color shifts from shiny to matte.
9. 8 Remove pans from oven. Let madeleines cool on racks about an hour. Don’t rush dipping warm or chocolate melts poorly and nuts won’t stick well.
10. Garnish
11. 9 Prepare baking sheet lined with parchment or silicone mat. Keep tempered chocolate warm but not hot—too runny dips too deep, too cool won't coat.
12. 10 Pour chocolate into a tall cup for easy dipping. Dunk only one-third of each madeleine, set on sheet. Immediately sprinkle chopped toasted hazelnuts on wet chocolate for that punch of roasted crunch.
13. 11 Allow dipped madeleines to set at room temperature for 45 to 60 minutes. Too cold and you risk condensation blurring edges and dulling snap. Too warm and chocolate streaks.
14. 12 Store finished madeleines in airtight container up to 3 days. Almond flour reduces shelf life slightly—sooner is better.

Nutritional information

Calories

210

Protein

4g

Carbs

18g

Fat

15g

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Frequently Asked Questions About Chocolate Hazelnut Madeleines

Can I use milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate 70%? Probably not. Milk chocolate is sweeter and softer—melts too fast, doesn’t set with that snap. It’s not the same thing.

What if I don’t have almond flour? Use more all-purpose flour. They’ll be denser, more like standard madeleines. Not worse, just different. Almond flour is better though.

How do I know when they’re actually done? Listen for the cracking sound. Tap the edge of a shell with your fingernail. That crack means the inside is set. Color shifts from shiny to matte too—you’ll see it.

Can I make these ahead? Bake them the day before. Store in an airtight container overnight. Dip them the day you serve. Dipped madeleines last three days, but they taste best the second day.

Why does my chocolate keep streaking? Temperature. Too hot and it runs thin. Too cold and it doesn’t flow smooth over the madeleine. Warm but not hot. Dip fast and let it set at room temperature, not the fridge.

Do I actually need tempered chocolate for coating? Yeah. Regular melted chocolate streaks as it sets and doesn’t have that snap. Tempered chocolate snaps when you bite it. It’s worth the extra step.