Chocolate & Hazelnut Spread

Swap your store-bought chocolate hazelnut spread with this vegan & homemade version! Just the right amount of creamy, rich, nutty and heavenly, with subtle hints of hazelnuts. 

Vegan | Soy-free | Gluten-free

When I was in middle school, I used to eat nutella with mostly everything! I’m not going to get into details, but consequently, I started getting sick & my blood sugar was skyrocketing. Also as I grew older I started understanding what really went into nutella: lots of sugar, cows milk, palm oil, added colors, and just a bit of chocolate & hazelnuts. Is it really a hazelnut & chocolate spread? Not at all. 

I’ve been testing this recipe for a while, and it took a lot of trial and error. It wasn’t until my last failed attempt, that I found out exactly what I was doing wrong: adding oil, using cacao powder and liquid sweetener. I was complicating the recipe to much, by trying to make it super healthy. However, the perfect combination of hazelnuts, melted semi-sweet chocolate & salt, did the trick. 

It tastes (and I kid you not) just like melting Ferrero Rocher chocolate, the intense chocolate flavor stays on the tongue, with subtle hints of hazelnut. This vegan homemade version of the classic nutella is creamy, rich, nutty and heavenly. 

Notes:

• If your Nutella isn’t sweet enough, add about 2 tbsps of liquid sweetener. But I strongly advise against it, as the more liquid sweetener you add the firmer/stiffer the spread will get.
• Short on time? Use roasted unsalted hazelnuts. However, you’ll still need to warm them up for about 8-10 minutes in the oven.
• Lasts for about 3 weeks, non-refrigerated. 

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Chocolate & Hazelnut Spread

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Serves: 10 Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes 15 minutes Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 2 cups raw unsalted hazelnuts
• ⅔  cup vegan dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Optional: Himalayan pink salt or sea salt

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Add raw hazelnuts to a baking tray in a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes. This process will warm the natural oils and loosen the skins, which will make them easier to blend.
2. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Then transfer to a large kitchen towel and use your hands to roll the nuts around and remove most of the skins. For a creamier spread, you’ll want to get as much as possible, but it doesn’t have to be perfect! Discard the skins.
3. Add hazelnuts to a food processor, blend on low until butter is formed, for about 10 minutes total, stopping midway to scrape down sides as needed.
4. In the meantime, heat the chocolate over a double boiler until it’s completely melted. Set aside.
5. Once the hazelnut butter is creamy and smooth, add melted chocolate a little at a time and blend again until well incorporated. Taste and add salt as needed.
6. When done, transfer to a clean jar and store at room temperature for everyday use for 2-3 weeks or more.

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