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Sometimes you want a little bite of rich, gooey chocolate. These Mini Chocolate Hazelnut Chess Pies will satisfy that craving, I promise you.

And since I ate about a dozen of these, you can trust me on that.

Mini Hazelnut Chocolate Chess Pies (3 of 11)w

Oh my gosh you guys. Have you been watching Grey’s Anatomy the last few weeks? Holy moly. Talk about tear city. I seriously cannot handle anything medical having to do with kids or babies. It’s just…wrong.

TV shows are supposed to make us happy. Sick babies and sad pregnant women? Are not happy.

The whole thing reminded me of when John Carter (on ER) and his wife lost their baby. I saw that episode about one month before I got pregnant but since I was already in the process of getting pregnant, it stuck with me. Every time Jordan stopped moving for 5 minutes I drank orange juice or ate chocolate to make her move.

Wait. She’s addicted to OJ and chocolate. #lightbulbmoment

So if you’ve been watching those tear-jerker episodes or if you’ve been dieting since January and need some chocolate, I’ve got a great recipe for you today: Mini Chocolate Hazelnut Chess Pies. They’re little pies that are super fudgy, rich, and chocolatey, and they’re filled with hazelnut flavor.

Pretty much if you’re craving the inside of a brownie, these pies are for you.

Mini Hazelnut Chocolate Chess Pies (11 of 11)

Most of the hazelnut flavor in these pies come from International Delight coffee creamer. I used the Fat Free & Sugar Free Toasted Hazelnut and wow, am I glad I picked some of that up at the store. It’s great in coffee but it’s even better in pie.

Over the last several months I’ve made lots of recipes using International Delight. I think what I love so much about using coffee creamer in dessert recipes is that it adds flavor in place of using milk. It’s such a versatile product because you can change the flavor of any recipe just by changing the flavor of the creamer.

Also? The new International Delight coffee creamers come Fat Free AND Sugar Free. That means I can add some sweetness without sacrificing calories. There are only 15 calories per serving! It’s kind of the perfect way to switch up your favorite recipes.

Like Chess Pie.

Mini Chocolate Hazelnut Chess Pies

Have you ever had a chess pie before? There are so many different kinds out there. Traditionally I think that chess pie is kind of like a baked custard pie. The base of the filling are eggs, sugar, and milk. Some recipes add flour and/or cornmeal, and some add vinegar. Some add lemon, and these? These add chocolate.

I love making mini pies because they are easy to serve. They’re kind of like cookies in that way; you can put out a platter at a party or you can freeze them and take out 1 or 2 (or 6) as you have a craving. Making these mini pies is super easy. You can use a homemade pie crust, but for this recipe I used a refrigerated crust from a pack of two.

To make your mini pies you just cut 2″ circles with a round cookie cutter (or glass). Press them into mini muffin pans and poof – you have mini pies. With re-rolling, each crust makes about 18-20 pies. I used one crust, but you could easily double this recipe to make more.

The filling whisks together in less than 5 minutes. I added cocoa powder to the eggs and sugar in the basic chess recipe. Then, instead of using milk, I substituted the Toasted Hazelnut International Delight Coffee Creamer. It adds some wonderful flavor! I also used some extra hazelnut extract, but that’s optional. The coffee creamer will give enough flavor, I promise.

And? If you don’t like hazelnut, you can use your favorite flavor coffee creamer! Vanillla, Chocolate Marshmallow, Almond Biscotti, you name it, ID has it. Make your favorite pie.

I added some chopped hazelnuts on top because it made it prettier. I know hazelnuts are expensive, so you can substitute almonds if you want.

It doesn’t matter how you make these – just make them. They’ll totally satisfy your chocolate craving!

Mini Hazelnut Chocolate Chess Pies (5 of 11)

Pie with a gooey chocolate almost brownie batter like filling. Is there anything better?

Stack of Mini Chocolate Hazelnut Chess Pies

Mini Chocolate Hazelnut Chess Pies

4.50 from 2 votes
A mini version of a chocolate chess pie filled with hazelnut. These pies are so easy to make and they are so chocolatey!
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 13 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Yield 20 pies

Ingredients
 

  • 1 refrigerated pie crust from a pack of two, or a homemade pie crust
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon hazelnut extract optional
  • 1/3 cup Hazelnut Coffee Creamer
  • 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts optional
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Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray mini muffin pans with cooking spray.
  • Unroll your pie crust and cut 2” circles. Press into the muffin pan. Re-roll as needed. You should be able to get about 18-22 mini crusts from one pie crust. Chill until filling is ready.
  • Whisk butter, sugar, cocoa powder, and egg until smooth. Whisk in extracts and coffee creamer. (The hazelnut extract is optional but adds extra hazelnut flavor.)
  • Place 1 tablespoon of filling in each crust. Top with a sprinkle of chopped hazelnuts. The chopped hazelnuts are optional because I know they are expensive, but totally worth it here. In a pinch you can use almonds instead.
  • Bake for 13-15 minutes until the crusts are slightly browned. The filling will puff up slightly as it bakes.
  • Cool completely before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to one month.
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate

See more of my coffee creamer recipes here!

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To celebrate the Fat Free & Sugar Free flavors, International Delight has created a fun (and crazy addicting) game, Hazelnut Blitz. Every game you play gives you a chance to win prizes! Plus, check out all the flavors, get some recipes, and more.

Mini Lemon Chess Pies

Mini Lemon Chess Pies (4 of 9)w

Peanut Butter Chess Pie

Peanut Butter Chess Pie (4 of 5)w

Easy Homemade Thick Chocolate Sauce

Thick Chocolate Sauce (8 of 9)

Hazelnut Caramel Apple Nachos

Hazelnut Caramel Apple Nachos (5 of 8)

Sweets from friends:
Homemade Chocolate Hazelnut Butter by Texanerin
Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies by Roxana’s Home Baking
Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake Bars by Mom on Timeout

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of International Delight. The opinions and text are all mine.



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

4.50 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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46 Comments

  1. They look scrumpt-diddly-icious! Anything mini makes me extra happy. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Have a great Wednesday!

  2. I started to read all of this, but then I saw “inside of a brownie” and it was OVER. We all know that is the best part.
    And then in a mini crunchy crust? I am SOLD.
    Pinned!

  3. Who wouldn’t pop 12 of these bad boys? Oh mine. Especially with everything on T.V. I gotta be honest, it’s Downton Abbey or Documentaries about Kangaroos for me these days, everything else just stresses me out and then I’ll just eat more chess pies. Hazelnuts are the best!!!!ย 

  4. I think I would eat about a dozen of these, too! I love the looks of these pies, Dorothy! And mini foods taste so much better, especially with hazelnuts. Pinned!

  5. I can’t watch sad family drama on TV anymore, not since having kids. I have to stick with comedy or something totally escapist. But ER…that brings back memories!
    Love these little pies. Pies are great, but mini pies are better. Especially hazelnut. Anything that reminds me of Nutella!

    1. Yes, I end up crying SO much ever since I had kids. I actually had to stop watching Law and Order SVU for that reason!!