This chocolate salami is the perfect crunchy treat to snack on alongside coffee. These ultra chocolatey cookie slices are filled with toasty hazelnuts and vanilla wafer cookies. They’re incredibly delicious and simple to make – they’ve become a staple in our household!
I first tasted chocolate salami when I was a small child. My mom used to make it for my brother and I when we were kids as an treat to have on hand. She would pacify us with one whenever we wanted a piece of chocolate (now you can understand where my love of sugar comes from!).
I grew up loving these chocolatey, crunchy treats and today, am sharing my all-time favorite recipe with you that I adapted from my mom’s original.
Let’s get baking.
Jump to:
What is chocolate salami?
I promise, it’s not meat! These yummy, chocolatey cookies get their name from their salami-like appearance you can see in the photos. However, it’s not made with cookie dough at all!
Chocolate salami is made by making a chocolate ganache and combining it with hazelnuts (or any nuts) and vanilla wafer cookies.. It’s then formed into a log and refrigerated. Then, the log is sliced into pieces, giving the appearance of “salami.”
How to make chocolate salami
- Chop up the nuts and biscuits. You can rough chop the nuts on a cutting board and use either a food processer to rough chop the cookies. Alternatively, you can place the cookies in a large Ziplock bag and crush them up.
- Melt the chocolate and butter together. You can do this in the microwave or over a double boiler.
- Add milk. Combine the milk with the chocolate-butter mixture.
- Combine the nuts and cookies. Mix the add-ins together with the chocolate using a spoon or rubber spatula.
- Shape and chill. Pour the chocolate mixture onto parchment paper or plastic wrap and form into a log with the help of a spatula. You can also fold the parchment paper or plastic around the chocolate and use your hands to form it into a log. Then, twist the sides so the entire thing looks like a giant candy wrapper. Place in the refrigerator until completely firm.
- Serve. Remove the chocolate log from whatever it is wrapped in and dust lightly with powdered sugar. Slice into ¼-inch slices and enjoy. Keep refrigerated.
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Variations
Optional tip: You can replace the hazelnuts with your favorite add-ins, like other nuts, toasted coconut flakes, or raisins. If you don’t want to add anything besides cookies, use an additional 70g biscuits (250g in total).
Optional tip #2: When I don’t make this for children, I like to add just a bit of alcohol with the milk to enhance the flavor. You could try Kahlua, Amaretto, brandy, rum, orange liqueur or bourbon. Start with 1 teaspoon, and see if you like the flavor. If you want it stronger, feel free to add a splash or two more.
More of my favorite easy-to-make chocolate treats
- Chocolate Truffles: The easiest, most delicious chocolate truffles you’ll ever have.
- Chocolate Biscoff Truffles: Super simple rich chocolatey truffles with the addition of Biscoff cookie spread.
- White Chocolate Chip Cookies: Chewy, moist chocolate cookies with loads of white chocolate chips.
- Double Chocolate Cookies: Chocolate cookies with chocolate chunks is my idea of heaven.
- Chocolate Fudge Cookies: Almost like biting into a piece of fudge, these easy-to-make gooey cookies have chewy centers and crackly tops.
Chocolate Salami
This decadent chocolate salami is the perfect crunchy treat! It's full of chocolatey flavor, toasty hazelnuts, and crunchy vanilla wafers for a super simple yet delicious treat.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (180g) digestive biscuits/vanilla wafers
- ¾ cup (70-80g) toasted hazelnuts (or your favorite nuts), coarsely chopped
- 1 cup +2 tablespoons 200g dark chocolate
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons 90g (about ¾ stick) unsalted butter
- 6 tablespoons (90 ml) whole milk
- A splash of alcohol, like Kahlua, Amaretto, brandy, or rum, optional
- Powdered sugar, for coating
Instructions
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Place biscuits in a large ziplock bag and crush them using a rolling pin until you have small and coarse crumbs. Transfer crumbs to a large bowl and stir in nuts.
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In a medium bowl place chocolate and butter. Heat in the microwave or in a double boiler until melted and smooth. Add milk and alcohol, if using, and stir. Add chocolate mixture to crumb mixture and mix until combined.
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Spread the mixture out on parchment paper or plastic wrap and shape it into a log using a spatula or spoon. Roll up the paper and wrap it like candy. Place in the fridge for several hours until firm.
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After chilling, remove log from the paper, dust with icing sugar from all sides, and remove any excess sugar with a brush—or your fingertips if you don’t mind getting messy. Cut into pieces and serve.
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Keep in the fridge or freezer. If kept in the freezer, place at room temperature for a few minutes before cutting or serving.
Gayatri says
This was amazing, Shiran! I added rum and orange zest and it’s the perfect recipe, thank you 🙂
Shiran says
Thank you Gayatri! 🙂
Nurit says
Knew you wouldn’t mind I added some Nutella… Made it as a “thank you” present for a chocolate lover, I’m sure she will love it
Shiran says
I’m sure she will! Nutella is always a good idea 🙂
Bruno says
This is a great recipe. Chocolate salami is very popular in Portugal, but I like how less sweet this variation is. We tend to do it with milk chocolate and Marie biscuits, both much sweeter than dark chocolate and digestives. The hazelnuts are a great touch as well.
I made this recently and published the recipe on my blog, with full credits to you. And I’ll surely be trying a few others from here as well, you have published some amazing look recipes 🙂
Shiran says
Thank you so much Bruno! I’m visiting Portugal next month, I hope I’ll have the chance to try it there!
Bruno says
That’s great news – hope you have a great time, Shiran! You can probably find chocolate salami in most cafes (and certainly in supermarkets), though we have such a rich pastry tradition in the country that you will no doubt have a lot of other choices as well. Not sure if it will be your first time there, but if it is then make sure you try a Pastel de Nata. That is probably our most famous pastry – and rightly so.
Shiran says
It’s my first time there actually, and I’ve tried this pastry before but can’t wait to try it there. If there are any specific places where it’s the best or other bakeries you recommend, I’d love to hear! Thank you so much Bruno!
Bruno says
Well, assuming you’re going to Lisbon, then you should go to Pastéis de Belém, who have been selling them since 1837 using a secret recipe (http://pasteisdebelem.pt/en/ ). You might need to wait for a table (it’s very popular with tourists), but it’s worth the wait and you will get delicious pasteis still warm from the oven. Having said this, a lot of people swear that the best ones are from Manteigaria (http://lisboacool.com/en/shop/manteigaria). My suggestion? Try both! 🙂
Wherever you go, do make sure to ask for some cinnamon to sprinkle on top though – that makes all the difference!
Shiran says
That’s perfect! Thank you for taking the time to answer me! I’ll try both of them as I’ve already heard they’re really good. I’ll definitely ask for the cinnamon topping 🙂 Thank you so much again!
Amy says
If you freeze it, do you icing sugar before freezing, or just before serving? I’ve been making this for years (but with nuts or sprinkles as a topping, and using only cocoa powder…no chocolate). But we put ours straight in the freezer with the sprinkles already on, but I haven’t tried using the traditional icing sugar.
Shiran says
Before freezing, like you said 🙂
Sara says
Love it!
Amelie says
Hi, I love this recipe! Thank you. I was wondering if it would be ok to keep it (well wrapped) in the fridge for up to 3 weeks, or do you think that might be too long? Thanks!
Shiran says
Hi Amelie! To keep it fresh I recommend cutting it into portions and freeze, then place it the fridge the night before serving to thaw.
Amelie says
Forgot to leave a rating 🙂 Great recipe!
Sharona says
how many ounces is 180 g of the biscuits?
Ellen says
How do you slice it without having it lose its shape and look smashed? Nuts are pretty stiff to slice thru.
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet. says
Hi Ellen, the best way to slice it for the cleanest slices is with a serrated knife. Another trick is to heat the blade in hot water and dry it off right before slicing. The heat helps make more even cuts 🙂
Marga says
may I ask up to how many pieces you can serve in one log?
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet. says
Hi Marga, it really varies, but I usually get about 10 slices. My family loves this treat 🙂
Jess says
Does the alcohol cook out? I’ve got kids who will definitely want to try this!
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Hi Jess, with a splash of alcohol in the whole recipe, there will be very little that remains. The alcohol is completely optional and up to you. It’s not much different than using vanilla extract as that contains alcohol as well.
Liz says
1 cup +2 tablespoons 200g dark chocolate
The measure of 1 cup plus 2 Tbs of chocolate are equivalent to 200 grams?? Thanks
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Yes! Use 200g dark chocolate.