Low-Carb Ricotta Cups with Coffee and Hazelnut Frolla Crumble
A creamy and fragrant spoonable dessert, where the delicacy of ricotta meets the intense aroma of espresso coffee and the pleasant crunch of Frollo Nocciola OVER.
These low-carb cups are made by combining simple ingredients to create an elegant, flavorful dessert without the need for elaborate cooking. The ricotta cream, made even more velvety with Greek yogurt and flavored with coffee, alternates with two layers of crumbled cookies, creating a delightful contrast of flavors and textures.
The stars are our Low Carb Frollo Nocciola cookies, artisanal cookies made with butter, hazelnut paste, and chopped hazelnuts, characterized by their crumbly texture and particularly low carbohydrate content.
The result is a fresh and satisfying dessert, presented in small transparent jars that showcase the four layers: cookie, cream, cookie, and cream. An ideal preparation to finish lunch or dinner, or to enjoy a refined sweet break.
Ingredients
For 3 large jars or 4 smaller cups
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Frollo Nocciola OVER | 80 g |
| Fresh cow's milk ricotta, well drained | 250 g |
| Unsweetened 5% fat Greek yogurt | 100 g |
| Unsweetened concentrated espresso coffee | 30 g |
| OK Green – Erythritol and Stevia | 12 g |
Preparation times
Preparing the ingredients: 10 minutes
Preparing the cream: 10 minutes
Chilling the cream in the refrigerator: 20 minutes
Assembling the cups: 10 minutes
Optional final chilling: 20–30 minutes
Total time: approximately 50 minutes, excluding the optional final chilling
Portions: 3 large jars or 4 small cups
Estimated total weight: 472 g
Weight per portion: approximately 157 g for 3 jars or 118 g for 4 cups
Preparation
1. Prepare the espresso coffeePrepare 30 g of espresso coffee, preferably quite concentrated, to achieve an intense aroma without adding too much water to the cream. Pour the still-hot coffee into a small bowl and add the 12 g of OK Green, stirring thoroughly to help the sweetener dissolve. OK Green is twice as sweet as traditional sugar. The amount used therefore corresponds nominally to the sweetness of approximately 24 g of sugar. Let the coffee cool completely before incorporating it with the other ingredients. This helps keep the cream sufficiently thick and prevents it from becoming too soft. |
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2. Prepare the Frollo NocciolaPlace the 80 g of Frollo Nocciola OVER on a cutting board and break it into large pieces by hand, collecting the fragments in a bowl. The goal is to obtain irregular crumbs of different sizes, without completely reducing the cookies to powder. The smaller fragments will help create even layers, while the larger ones will maintain a pleasantly crumbly texture and remain clearly visible through the glass. Divide the crumbled cookies into two equal portions of 40 g each. The first will form the base of the cups, while the second will be used for the middle layer. Keep the crumble in a dry bowl until assembly. |
3. Prepare the ricotta creamTransfer the previously drained cow's milk ricotta into a large bowl. Work it with a spatula or hand whisk until it reaches a soft, smooth consistency. If the ricotta is particularly grainy, you can pass it through a fine-mesh sieve to achieve a smoother cream. Add the 5% fat Greek yogurt and incorporate it gently, mixing until the mixture is uniform. The yogurt helps make the cream more velvety, introducing a light tangy note that balances the sweetness of the ricotta and the intense flavor of the coffee. The final consistency should be thick enough to keep the layers clearly defined inside the cups. |
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4. Incorporate the coffeeWhen the sweetened coffee has completely cooled, gradually add it to the ricotta and yogurt cream. Initially pour in a small amount and mix gently with a spatula, working the mixture from the center outwards. Continue incorporating the coffee in two or three additions until you achieve a uniform, light beige cream with an intense aroma. It is important that the coffee flavors the preparation without making it excessively runny. If the cream turns out too soft, let it rest briefly in the refrigerator before assembly, without adding flour or other thickening ingredients. |
5. Let the cream rest
Cover the bowl and transfer the ricotta and coffee cream to the refrigerator for approximately 20 minutes.
Resting allows the preparation to cool evenly and stabilize its consistency.
Meanwhile, prepare three clear glass jars, similar to those in the reference photo, or four smaller cups.
The containers should have sufficiently smooth walls to showcase the layers.
For a particularly neat result, you can transfer the cream into a piping bag with a smooth nozzle: this will allow you to distribute it without excessively smudging the inside walls of the jars.
6. Create the first layer of Frollo Nocciola
Distribute the first 40 g of crumbled Frollo Nocciola at the bottom of the jars, dividing it into equal amounts.
Using a teaspoon, form an even layer that is clearly visible through the glass.
Do not compress the cookies excessively: it is important that they retain their characteristic crunch without turning into a compact base.
This first layer will form the base of the dessert and gradually absorb a small amount of moisture from the cream, becoming slightly softer during resting.
7. Add the first layer of cream
Take the ricotta and coffee cream from the refrigerator and distribute approximately half over the cookie layer.
Use a spoon or a piping bag, trying to keep the cream well adhered to the inside walls of the jars.
Gently level the surface, avoiding mixing the two ingredients.
The first layer of cream should have an even thickness and be substantial enough to support the next layer of cookies.
Two clearly distinct bands should already be visible through the glass: the lower, darker and more irregular one, formed by the Frollo Nocciola, and the upper, light and creamy one.
8. Create the second layer of Frollo Nocciola
Distribute the remaining 40 g of Frollo Nocciola over the cream, dividing it evenly among the jars.
Proceed gently, trying to prevent the crumbs from sinking excessively into the layer below.
This second layer must also remain clearly visible and maintain an irregular texture, with cookie fragments of different sizes.
The presence of a second layer of Frollo Nocciola is one of the main features of the recipe: it allows the flavor and crunch of the cookies to be enjoyed even in the middle of the dessert, rather than concentrating them exclusively at the bottom.
9. Complete with the second layer of cream
Distribute the remaining cream over the second layer of cookies, preferably using a piping bag.
Proceed slowly, creating an even and well-defined surface.
Gently level it with the back of a teaspoon or maintain a slight wave, depending on the desired presentation.
Do not add crumbled cookies to the surface: the dessert should end with a layer of cream, so as to respect the succession of the four levels visible in the reference photo.
10. Let rest and serve
Transfer the jars to the refrigerator and let them rest for approximately 20–30 minutes, so that the layers stabilize and the flavors can blend.
If they are not consumed immediately, close the jars with a lid or cover them carefully.
Serve the dessert well chilled, optionally accompanied by an unsweetened espresso coffee.
The ideal consistency is that of a soft and velvety cream, alternating with two layers of cookies that are still pleasantly noticeable by the spoonful.
Serving tip
To achieve a particularly smooth and consistent cream, choose fresh but not overly moist cow's milk ricotta. If necessary, let it drain in the refrigerator through a fine-mesh sieve and weigh the 250 g only after removing the excess liquid.
The Greek yogurt should be white, unsweetened, and sufficiently thick. A 5% fat version allows you to achieve a good creaminess without resorting to whipped cream or mascarpone.
Preparing the coffee also requires attention: a ristretto espresso provides an intense aroma without adding too much water to the cream.
The Frollo Nocciola cookies should be coarsely crumbled. If they are reduced to a powder that is too fine, they lose part of their visual presence and bite contrast.
Storage: the cups can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly closed and at a temperature not exceeding 4 °C. It is preferable to consume them within 24 hours, as prolonged contact with the cream tends to gradually soften the cookies.
Why it works
This recipe showcases the Frollo Nocciola OVER through a spoonable preparation that alternates simple ingredients and different textures.
Our cookies contain only 4.25 g of carbohydrates per 100 g and are made with butter, hazelnut paste, and chopped hazelnuts. Their particular formulation allows you to achieve a crumbly cookie with a full and recognizable flavor.
The ricotta and coffee cream makes up the soft component of the dessert. The ricotta provides delicacy, while the Greek yogurt contributes to the creaminess and introduces a light tangy note that balances the intense aroma of the espresso.
OK Green allows you to adjust the sweetness without adding granulated sugar to the preparation.
The choice to alternate two layers of Frollo Nocciola and two of cream allows you to distribute the ingredients more evenly, ensuring that every spoonful contains both the creamy and the crumbly component.
The result is an elegant and satisfying low-carb dessert, in which the OVER cookies are not just a simple decoration, but one of the fundamental elements of the preparation.
Average nutritional values
Estimated values for the complete recipe, per 100 g and per a cup of approximately 118 g, considering four portions.
| Nutritional value | Complete recipe (472 g) | Per 100 g | Per cup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 3,217 kJ / 771 kcal | 682 kJ / 163 kcal | 804 kJ / 193 kcal |
| Fat | 55.8 g | 11.8 g | 14.0 g |
| of which saturated fatty acids | 35.1 g | 7.4 g | 8.8 g |
| Carbohydrates (polyols included) | 27.2 g | 5.8 g | 6.8 g |
| of which sugars | 12.8 g | 2.7 g | 3.2 g |
| of which polyols | 12.0 g | 2.5 g | 3.0 g |
| Carbohydrates excluding polyols | 15.2 g | 3.2 g | 3.8 g |
| Fibre | 14.4 g | 3.1 g | 3.6 g |
| Protein | 45.3 g | 9.6 g | 11.3 g |
| Salt | 0.89 g | 0.19 g | 0.22 g |
The nutritional values were estimated using the quantities indicated in the recipe, the official nutritional sheet for Frollo Nocciola OVER, the CREA tables for cow's milk ricotta, and the nutritional information from the Greek yogurt manufacturer.
For Frollo Nocciola OVER, the official values per 100 g were used: 390 kcal, 29.47 g of fat, 16.25 g of saturated fat, 4.25 g of carbohydrates, 18.03 g of fibre, and 17.82 g of protein.
For cow's milk ricotta, the CREA data were used: 146 kcal, 10.9 g of fat, 3.5 g of carbohydrates, and 8.8 g of protein per 100 g. The saturated fat content was calculated from the fatty acid composition reported in the same tables.
For 5% fat Greek yogurt, FAGE Total 5% was used as a reference, providing 93 kcal, 5 g of fat, 3 g of carbohydrates, and 9 g of protein per 100 g.
The calculation assumes a total weight of 472 g, obtained by adding the weights of the ingredients, without significant losses during preparation. The 250 g of ricotta is assumed to be already drained and weighed before processing.
The 12 g of OK Green were counted as polyols, with zero energy contribution, based on the declared composition of the product.
Allergens: contains milk, gluten, eggs, and hazelnuts. Also check for any traces of other allergens reported on the packaging.
Nutritional sources used
| Ingredient | Source |
|---|---|
| Frollo Nocciola OVER | Official OVER sheet |
| Cow's milk ricotta | CREA – Cow's milk ricotta |
| Greek yogurt 5% | FAGE Total 5% |
| OK Green | Official OVER sheet |