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Spoon Dishes

Monte Bianco (Chestnut and Whipped Cream Dessert)

Monte Bianco, a spoon dessert of chestnuts, cocoa, and whipped cream: a traditional holiday recipe that's creamy and easy to make.
Recipe Monte Bianco (Chestnut and Whipped Cream Dessert)
  • Difficulty Easy
  • Preparation 50 minutes
  • Cooking 30 minutes
  • Servings for 4 people

If you’re looking for a showstopping, full-flavored dessert that wins everyone over at first sight, the Monte Bianco recipe is the one for you. This famous chestnut and cream dessert, also known as Mont Blanc, stands out for its combination of soft marroni (large, sweet chestnuts), fragrant cocoa, and clouds of whipped cream. The result? A burst of flavor, perfect as a holiday spoon dessert, that captures the magic of winter with its signature decoration recalling a snowy mountain peak.

Making a no-bake Monte Bianco doesn’t take any special skills: a few clear steps will guide you from start to finish, with guaranteed results. Still, always choose top-quality ingredients, because they are the stars of this marroni chestnut dessert. The best time to serve this chilled cream dessert is in the fall, when chestnuts are at their most flavorful, but a traditional Monte Bianco delights grown-ups and kids all winter long. From Sunday lunch to Christmas holiday dinners, this easy, elegant recipe quickly becomes the star of the table.

This easy Monte Bianco recipe will win over anyone who loves desserts with rich, velvety textures and authentic flavors: just make the chestnut cream, flavor it with cocoa, then decorate generously with swirls of whipped cream. If you like variations or want to put together a small buffet of fall desserts, we also suggest taking a look at the Mont Blanc Mini Cakes, the delicate Chestnut Pudding, the soft Chestnut Mini Cakes, or the indulgent Chocolate Mousse with Amaretti, Chestnuts, and Mascarpone. And for those who love pairing chocolate and nuts even at breakfast, try the Castagnotti, Chestnut and Chocolate Cookies.

Ready to discover how to make Monte Bianco and impress all your guests with a fall chestnut dessert with an unmistakable flavor?

Ingredients for 4 people

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Method

  1. To make Monte Bianco, start by rinsing the chestnuts under running water, then score them with a small knife. Put the chestnuts in a pressure cooker, cover them completely with water, and boil them for 10 minutes. When they’re done, wearing kitchen gloves and taking care not to burn yourself, peel the chestnuts one at a time, removing the thin inner skin as well.
    Monte Bianco, step 1: boiling and peeling the chestnuts
  2. Put the peeled chestnuts in a pot and cover them with the milk so they soften. Add the seeds of the vanilla bean, the bean itself, the sugar, and the salt, and boil everything for 20 minutes. When the cooking time is up, remove the vanilla bean from the pot, drain the chestnuts in a sieve and, using a potato ricer, make a purée, collecting it in a bowl.
    Monte Bianco, step 2: cooking the chestnuts in milk and mashing them with a potato ricer
    Monte Bianco, step 2: chestnut purée made with a potato ricer
  3. Add the unsweetened cocoa powder and the rum to the bowl and stir to bring the mixture together, then cover it with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. In another bowl, whip the cream with the powdered sugar using an electric mixer and, once it’s ready, transfer the cream to a piping bag fitted with a star tip.
    Monte Bianco, step 3: chestnut mixture with cocoa and rum, and whipped cream for piping
  4. Take a plate or a muffin liner and make a base of whipped cream, then shape a small mountain on top of the cream with the chestnut, cocoa, and rum mixture, pressing it through a potato ricer with large holes. Pipe more cream on top to create a white peak and decorate with more whipped cream. Your Monte Bianco is now ready to serve. Finally, remember to download our App with exclusive content and fewer ads!

Variations and Alternatives

You can make this dessert even more tempting by decorating it with chocolate shavings or marrons glacés (candied chestnuts).

Tips

Choose marroni chestnuts that are sweet, large, and creamy, and simply boil them so their flavor isn’t altered. I don’t recommend cooking the chestnuts any other way. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can cook the chestnuts in a regular saucepan, but the cooking time will be 20 minutes.

Storage

Store leftover Monte Bianco in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freezing is not recommended.

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