This Italian Chocolate Salami recipe is a fun, no-bake sweet. It’s a crunchy treat that is perfect to serve with an after-dinner coffee and the ideal chocolate dessert.
This show stopping dessert will have everyone guessing until the take their first delicious bite!
Why you'll love this recipe
Some years ago my family hosted an Italian student. We all had so much fun sharing our food, recipes and ideas. Our time spent in the kitchen will always be one of my fondest memories. She loved my Jelly Cakes and we loved this Chocolate Salami recipe.
Right now you're going to be wondering what is chocolate salami? Chocolate Salami is an Italian chocolate treat that is shaped to look like salami. There is no actual meat in this recipe. But the original recipe did contain raw eggs. I omit the raw eggs (like I did with my Italian Tiramisu) so everyone can tuck into this delicious treat!
This is basically a delicious chocolate sausage made with cookies, cocoa, chocolate and nuts that's perfect for any holiday celebration. It's very popular in Italy as well as Portugal and other European countries. Other versions like the Russian chocolate salami use tea biscuits, walnuts and sometimes condensed milk.
You can make this now and freeze it for later. It is a great make-ahead recipe! In December I always have a couple of these in my freezer for unexpected guests. The bonus is that this easy Chocolate Salami is no-bake and you can vary it to your tastes. If you love chocolate, you'll love this.
For complete ingredient quantities and full instructions, please scroll to the printable recipe card bottom of the page.
Ingredients notes
This is a clever recipe that uses broken cookies and nuts to simulate the fat in salami. You can use almost any sweet, dry cookie and whatever nuts you prefer. All you need is-
- Cookies - I like a combination of shortbread or tea biscuits and crunchy amaretti.
- Toasted Nuts - Almonds are great and hazelnuts work well too. However use what you have or your favorite nuts or combination. The green of pistachios would be amazing!
- Powdered Sugar - Also known as icing sugar or at a pinch you could use superfine white sugar. I prefer powdered sugar because it dissolves so easily without heat.
- Cocoa Powder - Use good quality cocoa that is dark and intense for the best flavor.
- Semisweet Dark Chocolate - Use chocolate chips or chop chocolate into small pieces. Milk chocolate would be a good substitute if you don't like the intensity of semisweet chocolate.
- Liqueur - Something like marsala, sweet sherry, Kahlua, Amaretto, brandy or rum. For a non alcoholic version substitute with coffee, milk or apple juice.
- Unsalted Butter - Please use butter, not margarine. Unsalted butter has a superior flavor.
- Semisweet Dark Chocolate - Use chocolate chips or chop chocolate into small pieces. Milk chocolate would be a good substitute if you don't like the intensity of semisweet chocolate.
Variations
You will love how versatile this recipe is! You can use whatever little bits you have left in your pantry. Just stick to the suggested quantities and you can make this recipe your own. Why not try-
- Dried cranberries for a pop of tartness.
- Dried golden raisins or currants are also good. If the fruit is on the large side, chop coarsely so that it blends in well.
- Dried chopped figs for the taste of Christmas!
- Citrus zest finely grated is fantastic. Alternatively use finely chopped candied orange peel
- I like to sometimes a spices like cinnamon or ginger.
Instructions
This recipe comes together very quickly. Crushing the cookies will be the longest part of the recipe. Remember, it's a no-bake recipe!
Use your hands to break the cookies or pop them into a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Avoid completely crushing the cookies. Just breaking them into smaller pieces along with some larger pieces is exactly what you want.
Please note that the numbered instructions below correlate to the numbered photo collage above.
- Place the crushed cookies and remaining dry ingredients into a medium bowl and mix well.
- Whisk together the Marsala, melted, unsalted butter and melted chocolate and stir wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Place the chocolate mixture along the length of a doubled sheet of plastic wrap. Alternatively use baking paper.
- Roll into a log, wrapping tightly and firmly in the plastic wrap (or baking paper). Pop into the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight. It will need some time to set and become firm. If you are really in a hurry, place the chocolate salami in the freezer for 2 hours.
Tips for success and FAQ's
For best results when you cut a slice, crush the cookies unevenly. You want to have some larger and some smaller pieces. Imagine what a slice of salami looks like. There is larger and smaller pieces of fat through each slice. This is exactly what the cookies should be like.
Combine the ingredients very well. At first it may look a bit dry but it is important that all the dry ingredients are moistened so that the chocolate salami holds together well.
The idea of this recipe is that it should look like a salami or a chocolate sausage. That means you need to take your time to form it into the right shape. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or alternatively use parchment paper. Twist the ends well, keeping the mixture in place.
Chocolate salami will keep for at least 4 weeks in the fridge.
Absolutely! Wrap well in plastic and then place into a zip lock bag or seal container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Tie the string around the salami is just for fun and is absolutely NOT essential to enjoy this sweet treat! However, if you would like to do this first be sure to have the salami very cold and well set. Basically you just need to tie it like a roast. I have found this good video for you to watch. Click here to watch and the chef starts tying as I did at about 1.20 minutes. Have fun!!
This Italian chocolate treat is ideal to serve with after-dinner coffee. However, why not add it to a dessert fruit platter or a treat for afternoon tea? For best results, serve cold from the fridge because it will become soft at room temperature.
More recipes like this
Panforte
Chocolate Covered Pecans
Easy Brownie Bites from A Baking Journey
Chocolate Coated Strawberries from It’s Not Complicated
Chocolate Mint Truffles from The Cooking Collective
Made this recipe?
Let me know if you liked it by leaving a ★★★★★ star rating and a review below. Please share a photo of your creation by tagging me on Instagram @marcellina.in.cucina!
This recipe rating consistently 5 stars was first published on 22 October 2010.
Chocolate Salami Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups coarsely crushed sweet cookies (chocolate chip, graham crackers, butter cookies, plain sweet cookies, digestive biscuits, vanilla wafers)
- 1⅓ cups coarsely crushed Amaretti cookies
- ⅓ cup chopped toasted almonds
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup powdered (icing) sugar sieved
- ⅓ cup sweet marsala wine
- 10 tablespoons (1 ¼ sticks or 150 grams) butter melted
- ⅔ cup (4 oz or 100 grams) dark chocolate melted
Instructions
- Place the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well.
- In a large jug, whisk together the Marsala, melted butter and melted chocolate.
- Stir wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Prepare two lengths of doubled plastic wrap.
- Divide the mixture between the two sheets of plastic wrap and spread out into a line. Roll it up tightly into a log pressing to form the shape. Twist the end of the plastic to seal.
- Place on a baking tray (so they keep their shape) and refrigerate for a few hours.
- After 30 minutes, check if they are still keeping the shape. If not press into shape and retighten the twists on the ends.
- Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.
- Or freeze if you are keeping it for some time.
- When you are ready to serve. Remove the wrapping. You can dust the salamis lightly with sifted powdered (icing) sugar to resemble the skin of the salami.
- Slice and serve. Keep it chilled to retain the shape.
Notes
- dried cranberries
- dried sultanas, raisins or currants
- chopped dried figs
- citrus zest
- spices like cinnamon or ginger
Nutritional Information Per Serving
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. For accurate results, it is recommended that the nutritional information be calculated based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Lily
Marcelina
I made the Italian salami and stored it in the fridge. Want to serve fir Christmas. Well I began to panic a bit thinking it may have not worked well. So today I cut few slices and oh my goodness!!! It’s amazing. I used biscoff biscuits and it was so good.
Your recipes are just incredible. You explain every detail so well.
Thank you so much for all your wonderful well explained recipes.
Blessing to you on this special Christmas !
Petra
I wish I could post a photo because they turned out so great!! I added pistachios, candied orange peel, and a touch of cinnamon. I also swapped out the Marsala for my homemade ratafià. It’s a fantastic recipe. Grazie mille!!
Marcellina
Petra, I'd love to see a photo! If you're on fb or instagram you can send it to me there or tag me in the post.
lyn
I made these years ago for gifts. Make a large sugar cookie, cover with strawberry jam "marinara sauce", slices of "salami", sprinkles of white chocolate "cheese". Merry Christmas! Thank you for the great salami recipe. lyn
Marcellina
What fun, Lyn! An ingenious way to use the chocolate salami!