This incredibly easy shortcut version of a flaky pastry swirled with chocolate hazelnut spread is sinfully delicious right out of the oven! Store-bought canned dough makes this recipe accessible to bakers of all confidence levels, and they’re a perfect weekend breakfast or brunch treat!
This is one of my Breakfast recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!
Don’t you just love those recipes that look fancy-schmancy and complicated, but are secretly pretty darn easy?
I hope so, because that’s exactly what this recipe for nutella pastry twists is!
This recipe uses store-bought pizza dough and just 5 ingredients (including water!), so there’s no need to be intimidated.
These twists are sweet and crunchy on the outside, and soft and gooey on the inside, with a slightly caramelized chocolatey flavor!
What do I need to make this recipe?
- Pizza crust – using canned dough makes this incredibly easy to make, and takes a lot of the intimidation out of making homemade baked goods.
- Nutella – nutella is a chocolate hazelnut spread, that’s typically found in the aisle with peanut butter and other nut spreads.
- Egg – this recipe was tested using a large egg, but since it’s only used in an egg wash for this recipe, you can use whatever size egg you have available.
- Water – this is for combining with the egg to make the egg wash.
- Brown sugar – I use light brown sugar, since that’s what I keep on hand, but dark brown sugar will also work if you’d rather use that.
How to make nutella pastry twists:
This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.
- Spread. Roll out the dough and spread the nutella onto the dough, leaving a small border.
- Roll. Start with the long edge closest to you, and roll the dough up like a log.
- Cut and slice. Cut the long log in half, then split each half down the middle, exposing the insides.
- Braid. Place the split halves in an “X” shape, then twist the dough to the edges. Repeat with the other two halves.
- Wash and sprinkle. Brush each twist with the egg wash, then sprinkle with brown sugar.
- Bake.
Helpful Tip!
This recipe was created using refrigerated pizza crust dough, since it’s readily available and takes the intimidation out of making your own dough. However, if you’d like to make your own pizza dough, you certainly can give it a go!
Variations of this recipe
- Large batch – if you’d like a larger batch, this recipe is easily scaled up. Just make sure to increase all the ingredient amounts by the same factor. 2x for doubled, 3x for tripled, etc.
- Fillings – feel free to play around with the filling options as well. Melted chocolate (milk, semi-sweet, dark, etc), softened peanut butter, are great options. If you like caramel and chocolate, add some caramel sauce.
- Add-ins – you can also add some fun add-ins, like nuts, peppermint pieces, candy pieces, etc.
- Dippers – to make this recipe even more decadent, dip a slice of these twists in some hot coffee or hot chocolate!
FAQ’s
They can be served either way, although I prefer them warm. Once cooled, the pastry can be a bit less soft, and I like the gooeyness that comes from the warm pastry and nutella.
Yes, but I prefer to make smaller twists if using puff pastry. Lightly roll out one sheet of puff pastry, then spread with nutella. Top with the second sheet of rolled out puff pastry, then slice into roughly 1 inch wide strips. Grab each end of a strip and twist, repeating with remaining strips. Bake at 350°F for about 15-17 minutes, until golden brown and puffed up.
Making pastry twists ahead of time
I find these pastries taste best when made fresh, but they can technically be made entirely ahead of time if you need to.
The good news is, this recipe takes so little time to prep and bake, even when you make them fresh, you won’t be spending too much time in the kitchen!
Storage
Leftover croissants should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat, microwave for 10-15 seconds.
My Favorite Baking Sheet!
These baking sheets have been in my kitchen for years, with no warping! Plus, they’re economical and come in a ton of different sizes!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tbsp water
- 13.8 oz can refrigerated pizza crust dough I use Pillsbury classic crust
- 1/2 cup chocolate hazelnut spread I use Nutella brand
- 1 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
Instructions
Prepare
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
Make egg wash
- In a small mixing bowl, combine egg and water and beat with a fork until combined.
Assemble
- Open and unroll the pizza crust. Use a butter knife or offset spatula and spread the nutella evenly over the crust, leaving a 1/4 to 1/2" border around the edge.
- Start with the long edge closest to you, and slowly roll the crust up into a log. I find starting to roll one side, rolling away from you once, then moving down the line a bit and doing the same thing, then repeating this process until you’re all the way across gives you the most even rolling method.
- Cut the log in half horizontally, so you have two small logs. Then slice each log in half vertically, exposing the center with the nutella stripes. You'll now have 4 long pieces.
- Take two of the pieces and form an "X" shape. Twist the dough over and under itself, giving the pieces a braided look.
- Place twist on prepared baking sheet, and repeat the last step to make the second twist. Brush both twists with the egg wash and sprinkle with the brown sugar.
Bake
- Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, until golden brown.
Cool
- Let cool for about 10 minutes, then serve as is, or slice each twist into slices.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
- I’ve estimated that this recipe serves 4, with an approximate serving size of 1/2 a twist. Please feel free to divide it into as many servings as you’d like.
- If the descriptions of how to create the twists are confusing, please look up in the post above this recipe card under the heading “how to make nutella pastry twists”, and refer to the step by step photos depicting the process.
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Stephanie says
I tried these and loved them! I did switch out the pizza dough for a crescent roll dough.