This easy chocolate salami is a rich, fudgy no-bake dessert made with dark chocolate, crunchy cookies, pistachios, and dried cranberries. It takes just 20 minutes to prepare before chilling and is perfect for Christmas, edible gifts, or serving with coffee.
P.S. I think you will love my Chocolate Reindeer Bark, Little Debbie Christmas Cake or Christmas Marshmallow Treats next time!
Chocolate Salami = the ultimate Christmas cheat code for chocoholics! 🍫🎁
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What Is Chocolate Salami?
Chocolate salami is a no-bake chocolate dessert made with crushed cookies, chocolate, butter, and nuts. Despite the name, there’s no meat involved! The mixture is shaped into a log, chilled until firm, then coated in powdered sugar and sliced into rounds so it resembles traditional salami. Versions of this dessert are popular in Italy and Portugal, with different recipes adding ingredients such as dried fruit, nuts, or a splash of liqueur.
💰 Why is this recipe budget-friendly?
- Use budget swaps: Choose cheaper sweet biscuits and swap pricey pistachios for mixed nuts or crunchy pretzels.
- No oven needed: It’s a no-bake recipe, so you save on energy costs.
- Makes great gifts: One batch can be sliced and wrapped into multiple edible presents.
🥄 Ingredients for Chocolate Salami
DARK CHOCOLATE
Go for 60–70% cocoa for that deep, rich flavor.
HEAVY CREAM
Keeps the chocolate velvety smooth.
BUTTER
Unsalted butter for that silky, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
COOKIES
Use a crisp, plain cookie such as digestive biscuits, vanilla wafers, butter cookies, or amaretti. Break them into small chunks rather than fine crumbs so you can see the cookie pieces when the chocolate salami is sliced.
PISTACHIOS
For crunch and color (they make it so Christmassy!). You can use snap pretzels for a cheaper option!
DRIED CRANBERRIES
For a sweet-tart pop that pairs beautifully with dark chocolate.
ICING SUGAR (CONFECTIONERS' SUGAR)
To dust, so it looks like a real salami.
👩🏼🍳 How to Make Chocolate Salami
Chocolate salami is surprisingly easy to make—melt, mix, shape, and chill. There’s no baking required, and most of the time is simply waiting for the chocolate log to set.
Note: Please scroll to the full printable recipe card at the bottom for ingredient quantities and the method
Melt: Add the chocolate, cream, and butter to a saucepan and melt gently over low heat, stirring until smooth and glossy. Alternatively, melt in the microwave in 30-second bursts, or use a heatproof bowl set over gently simmering water.
Mix it all up: Stir in the crushed biscuits, pistachios, and dried cranberries until every piece is coated in chocolate.
Shape it: Pour the mixture onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Roll it up into a log (like a salami!) and twist the ends.
Chill: Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until firm.
Dust & slice: Unwrap, roll in icing sugar, slice into rounds.
🎁 Packaging ideas
Chocolate Salami makes adorable edible gifts! Here’s how to make it look fancy:
- Wrap the log in parchment paper, twist the ends like real deli salami.
- Tie with twine (like my photo below👇)
- Add a kraft paper label that says “Handmade Chocolate Salami – Merry Christmas!”
- Slip in a small sprig of rosemary or a cinnamon stick into your ribbon.
Tips for Perfect Chocolate Salami
Don't crush the cookies too finely. Keep some bite-sized pieces so you get the classic salami appearance when you slice the log.
Melt the chocolate gently. Use low heat and stir frequently. Overheating chocolate can cause it to become thick or grainy.
Shape the log tightly. Twist the ends of the plastic wrap firmly and roll the log on the counter to create an even cylindrical shape.
Re-roll while chilling if needed. If one side starts to flatten, gently roll and reshape the log partway through chilling.
Let it chill completely. Give it at least 3 hours in the refrigerator. The log should feel firm before you unwrap and slice it.
Dust with powdered sugar after chilling. This creates the traditional salami look and prevents the sugar from disappearing into the warm chocolate.
❓ FAQS
The mixture is wet, don't panic, it will set.
Store chocolate salami tightly wrapped or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Keep it chilled and slice it when you're ready to serve.
Yes. Wrap the chocolate salami tightly and place it in a freezer-safe container. Let it soften slightly before slicing and serving.
It may simply need more time to chill. Refrigerate it for at least 3 hours, or until completely firm. If your kitchen is warm, return it to the refrigerator between servings.
Plain, crisp cookies work best because they hold their texture in the chocolate mixture. Digestive biscuits, vanilla wafers, butter cookies, Scotch Finger biscuits, or amaretti are all good options.
Yes. Leave out the pistachios and replace them with extra crushed cookies or crunchy pretzels for a nut-free variation.*
*Only call it nut-free if all the chocolate, cookies and other ingredients you're using are also suitable for someone avoiding nuts.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know what you think by leaving a ★★★★★ star rating & comment below. It genuinely helps me & I really appreciate your support! Nikki 💚
Print
Easy Chocolate Salami (No Bake)
- Total Time: 20 min Prep Time + 1 hour Chill Time = 1 hour and 20 minutes
- Yield: 20 slices 1x
Description
This easy chocolate salami is a rich, fudgy no-bake dessert made with dark chocolate, crunchy cookies, pistachios, and dried cranberries. It takes just 20 minutes to prepare before chilling and is perfect for Christmas, edible gifts, or serving with coffee.
Ingredients
250g dark chocolate
100ml heavy cream
50g butter
250g sweet cookies (like Amaretti biscuits, butter cookies, Scotch Finger biscuits, or digestive biscuits). Crush the biscuits: Roughly break the biscuits into bite-sized chunks — you want texture, not crumbs.
50g pistachio nuts (or snap pretzels are great!)
50g dried cranberries
confectioners' sugar (icing sugar) for dusting
Instructions
Melt: Add the dark chocolate, cream, and butter to a saucepan and melt gently over low heat, stirring until smooth and glossy. Alternatively, melt in the microwave in 30-second bursts, or use a heatproof bowl set over gently simmering water.
Mix it all up: Stir in the crushed biscuits, pistachios, and dried cranberries until every piece is coated in chocolate.
Shape it: Pour the mixture onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Roll it up into a log (like a salami!) and twist the ends.
Chill: Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until firm.
Dust & slice: Unwrap, roll in icing sugar, slice into rounds.
Notes
Shape evenly: Roll the log while it’s still soft to get a smooth, even shape. If it flattens while chilling, re-roll it halfway through setting.
Dust before serving: Roll in icing sugar after it’s fully chilled — this keeps the “salami look” fresh and prevents the sugar from melting into the chocolate.
🎄Serve slices with espresso after dinner, or add them to your Christmas cookie platter.
It keeps beautifully in the fridge for up to two weeks (if it lasts that long!)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stove Top/Microwave
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 190 kcal
- Sugar: 13 g
- Sodium: 70 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
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