Toasted Hazelnut Syrup
Recipe Guy
Real hazelnut infusion | Toasted nut flavor | Refrigerator recipe
A naturally flavored hazelnut syrup made by roasting, crushing, and hot-steeping real nuts for a warm toasted flavor in coffee, milk drinks, and desserts.
About This Recipe
Toasted hazelnut syrup is simple syrup infused with freshly roasted hazelnuts rather than flavored with an artificial color or imitation nut essence. Toasting develops the aroma, coarse chopping exposes more surface, and a covered hot steep extracts flavor without boiling the nuts until bitter.
Ingredient Notes
Hazelnuts
Use raw, unsalted hazelnuts so you control the roast and salt. This recipe is unsuitable for anyone with a hazelnut or tree-nut allergy.
Toasting
Roast only until the nuts smell pronounced and their skins begin to crack. Burnt nuts make an infusion taste acrid.
Skins
Removing most loose skin reduces bitterness, but a few stubborn patches do not need to be scraped away.
Brown sugar
One tablespoon adds a faint caramel note that supports the toast without masking the nut flavor.
Vanilla
A small off-heat addition rounds the aroma; more can make the syrup read as vanilla instead of hazelnut.
Toasted Hazelnut Syrup Recipe
A naturally flavored hazelnut syrup made by roasting, crushing, and hot-steeping real nuts for a warm toasted flavor in coffee, milk drinks, and desserts.
Yield: About 1 to 1 1/4 cups, or approximately 20 tablespoons Serving size: 1 tablespoon
Yield note: Hazelnuts absorb and hold a variable amount of syrup, so the practical yield is 1 to 1 1/4 cups. The nutrition estimate uses 20 tablespoons; a smaller recovered yield will contain more sugar per tablespoon.
Shopping List
Nuts
- raw unsalted hazelnuts
Pantry
- granulated sugar
- light brown sugar
- fine salt
- vanilla extract
Useful Equipment
- fine-mesh strainer
- cheesecloth
Ingredients
Hazelnuts
- 1 cup (140 g) raw unsalted hazelnuts
Syrup Base
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon (13 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) water
- 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
Finish
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 F. Spread the hazelnuts in a single layer on a small rimmed baking sheet.
- Roast for 10 to 12 minutes, shaking the pan after 6 minutes, until the nuts smell deeply toasted and the skins begin to split. Check often during the final 3 minutes.
- Tip the hot nuts into a clean kitchen towel, fold the towel over them, and let them steam for 2 minutes. Rub firmly through the towel to remove most of the loose skins.
- Cool the skinned nuts for 5 minutes, then chop them coarsely. Avoid grinding them fine, which releases more oil and makes the finished syrup muddy.
- Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, water, and salt in a medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the sugars dissolve, then bring to a gentle simmer.
- Add the chopped hazelnuts and simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring once. Do not boil hard.
- Remove from the heat, cover, and steep for 45 minutes. Taste a cooled drop after 30 minutes; end the steep early if it is already strongly toasted or beginning to taste tannic.
- Set a fine-mesh strainer lined with damp cheesecloth over a heatproof bowl. Pour in the mixture and drain for 10 minutes. Press the nuts only lightly so excess oil and fine sediment stay behind.
- When the syrup has cooled below 160 F, stir in the vanilla. Let it finish cooling until no longer steaming.
- Transfer to a clean container, cover, label, and refrigerate within 2 hours of straining. If you keep the sweetened nuts for another use, refrigerate them separately and use within 3 days.
Nutrition Estimate
The amount of nut oil and fine solids that passes through the strainer cannot be measured reliably in a home batch, and consuming the reserved nuts is not included. Actual values vary with syrup recovery, yield, ingredient labels, and portion size; this is an estimate, not a regulated nutrition label.
Tips For The Best Toasted Hazelnut Syrup
- Trust the aroma: Hazelnuts can move from toasted to burnt quickly. Pull them when the nutty smell is strong, before any spot turns black.
- Chop, do not grind: Coarse pieces expose the toasted centers while limiting the oil and grit that pass into the syrup.
- Keep the steep covered: A lid holds in volatile nut aroma while the syrup cools.
- Strain patiently: Hard squeezing increases yield but also pushes fine solids and oil through the cloth.
- Protect against cross-contact: Clean the counter, tools, towel, and storage area carefully before making food for someone who avoids tree nuts.
How To Serve And Store
Serving: Use 1 tablespoon in coffee, a latte, hot chocolate, milk tea, or a milkshake. It also complements chocolate cake, ice cream, oatmeal, pancakes, and banana desserts.
Refrigerate: Keep covered at 40 F or below and use within 4 days. Freeze extra syrup in small portions for longer storage.
Freeze: Freeze in small freezer-safe portions for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and stir well.
Safety: This nut-infused syrup is not shelf-stable and is not a canning recipe. Label the container clearly for the hazelnut allergen, avoid cross-contact, and discard for mold, fermentation, or rancid aroma.
Common Questions
Can I use already-roasted hazelnuts?
Yes, if they are fresh and unsalted. Warm them at 325 F for about 5 minutes to refresh the aroma, then continue with rubbing and chopping.
Why is my hazelnut syrup cloudy?
The nuts were ground finely or pressed hard during straining. Let the syrup settle overnight and pour off the clearer portion, or strain again through damp cheesecloth.
Can I make the flavor stronger?
Use 1 1/2 cups hazelnuts with the same syrup base. Keep the roast controlled and the covered steep under 1 hour so extra strength does not become bitterness.
Does the syrup need refrigeration?
Yes. Real nuts and water make this a perishable refrigerator syrup, regardless of how tightly the container seals.
Can I can toasted hazelnut syrup?
No. This recipe has not been tested for canning, and nuts add fat as well as low-acid solids. Freeze small portions for longer storage.
