Last updated on September 19th, 2025.
Tender, moist and delicious Hazelnut bread loaded with chopped hazelnuts and chocolate chips is a great sweet and comforting quick bread recipe, made using two bowls and no yeast. A great easy and comforting treat to enjoy for breakfast or brunch, next to your coffee, or on the go snack.
Hazelnut is a unique nut, loaded with bold, distinctive flavors. It wasn’t hard to make it shine, all I needed to do was keep things simple and as straightforward as possible. I decided to go with a “quick bread,” a term for a muffin batter baked in a loaf pan, then enjoyed warm, fresh, and sliced, like bread. Or, toasted the next day, smothered with Nutella.
This recipe is super simple, just like my favorite Double Chocolate Muffins: mix the dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet ingredients in another, then pour the wet over the dry. That’s it! Check out my tips and notes for a foolproof bake you’ll master right away.
Key Ingredients
The complete recipe is at the bottom of this post in the recipe card, below is a recap to the key ingredients including substitutions when possible.
- Chopped hazelnuts. You can use a large kitchen knife to chop them to the size you prefer, or a food processor to ground them finely if you do like big chunks. I highly recommend toasting the hazelnuts before baking this recipe. It adds another layer of hazelnutty flavor.
- Mini Chocolate chips. I find that the mini ones are easier to distribute throughout the batter. You can also use the same amount of hazelnuts instead of chocolate chip, or chop regulr sized ones.
- Unbleached all-purpose flour. Unbleached works best in this recipe, it holds the moisture better and provides a better structure than bleached flour.
- Sour cream. Acidity is key for a moist tender crumb, it balances the sweetness coming from the sugar, and accelerates the baking time, so the bread spends less time in the oven and holds on to more moisture.
- Vegetable oil. Yes, you can use melted butter instead, but quick breads (And muffins) tend to dry out fast, and the oil does not solidify like butter, so it helps maintain freshness. However, butter comes first in terms of flavor, so you can replace the oil with 10 Tablespoon of melted (not too hot) butter.
Make it
Follow my steps and read my tips for an extra moist and tender Hazelnut bread:
- In a large bowl, or a large measuring cup, mix the sugar, light brown sugar, sour cream, eggs, and vegetable oil. Set it aside for 10-15 minutes to let the sugar dissolve in the eggs, creating a stronger bond and retaining more moisture during baking
- In a large bowl measure the flour, baking powder, chopped hazelnuts, cinnamon and chocolate chip, mix to incorporate.
- Pour the wet mixture over the dry mixture then mix just until the flour mixture is hydrated. Lumps are ok! Do not over mix you will be lift with a dense, short and chewy bread.
- Pour the batter into a greased pan lined with parchment paper and bake.
Note about baking: Pay attention to the bread and not the timer. The bread is ready when it is puffed, medium-golden brown crust, and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs from the center. Every oven is different, and you may need less or more time.
Yields
This recipe makes on 9-inch loaf bread, enough for 12-15 slices, depending on the size.
Storing
At room temperature for up to three days, covered. It is best at the first 36 hours, and you can toast it for a minute or two for a refresh taste and texture. Leftovers (or to make ahead) can be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, placed in a plastic bag and frozen for up to 6 weeks. When ready, unwrap it and set it on the counter to reach room temperature.
Moist Chocolate Chips Hazelnut Bread (no yeast)
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 Cups AP Flour (200 g / 7 oz)
- 1 teaspoons Baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoons Baking soda
- 1-2 teaspoons Cinnamon (adjust according to taste)
- 1 1/4 Cup (250g) Light brown sugar
- 1/2 Cup (85g) Mini chocolate chip
- 1/2 Cup (100g) Chopped Hazelnut
- 2 Large Eggs
- 3/4 Cup (180g) Sour cream
- 1/2 Cup Vegetable oil (120 ml / 4 oz)
Cinnamon Glaze
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 1/2 Cup Powdered sugar (170 g / 6 oz)
- 2 TBS Milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9”x3” loaf pan with parchment paper and grease the exposed parts.
- Sift flour, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl and mix to blend. Mix in chocolate chips, and chopped hazelnuts.
- In a large bowl, mix the sugars, vegetable oil, sour cream, and eggs and whisk until smooth. Set the bowl aside for about 10-15 minutes.
- Mix the dry mixture over the wet mixture and mix just until the flour is hydrated. Lumps are ok.
- Transfer the batter into the greased pan and bake over the medium oven rack for 45-50 minutes. Or until the bread is puffy, golden brown and a tooth pick comes out of the center with a few moist crumbs.
- Remove from the pan and allow it to cool for 15-20 minutes before inverting and serving.
- When ready to serve mix the powdered sugar with the cinnamon, mix in the milk until smooth. Drizzle over the bread and serve.
Notes
- Store at room temperature, covered, for up to 3 days. Best enjoyed within the first 36 hours.
- For a refreshed taste and texture, toast slices for 1–2 minutes.
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To keep leftovers or prepare ahead:
- Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in a plastic bag.
- Freeze for up to 6 weeks.
- When ready to eat, unwrap and let sit at room temperature.
- Make sure the ingredients are at room temperature.
- Over mixing the batter will yield a dense chewy bread, so only mix until you no longer notice any dry flour.
- Replace the sour cream with buttermilk, and the chocolate chip with more chopped hazelnuts.
- Use a kitchen knife to chop the hazelnuts to the size you prefer, or a food processor.
- Keep in mind that when the bread is warm it might melt the icing.
- Use nutella as icing instead of the cinnamon icing.
This sounds so good. Will make during the cooler weather.
What a great plan!