Homemade Nutella chocolate spread with actual hazelnuts and no added sugar

For all the chocolate lovers - just like me - the healthier, semi-guilt-free version of Nutella or chocolate spread. Delicious on toast or you can add it to your smoothies, yogurt or pancakes too.

"We choose only the freshest raw materials, carefully selected according to a sustainable sourcing and a great attention to their quality," reads the Nutella website.

Yeah, Right! This is a picture of the Nutella you buy in the store

Does anybody else wonders were the raw, fresh, high-quality ingredients are hiding?

• Palm oil (about 20 percent) is a cheap oil contributing to child labor, deforestation, and animal killing.
• Skimmed milk powder (about 10 percent) is a manufactured dairy product made by evaporating milk. Doesn't sounds raw or high-quality to me.
• 55% refined white sugar. Really???? When did that become a natural, healthy and quality product?
• About 10% low-fat cocoa. Low-fat usually means that it has been processed, and most likely they added an artificial substance to make up for the taste-loss of the fat. But I must admit this one comes close to being something real, like high-quality raw cacao powder or dark chocolate.
• And last but not least 10% hazelnuts. Finally a wholesome product.

This is what you'll find in my Nutella

🍯 Homemade Chocolate Spread Recipe (Nutella) 🍯

As a Belgian, I love my chocolates, so I used dark chocolate with 85% cacao for this. Raw dark chocolate with at least 70% cacao is actually a healthy product when eaten in moderation. It houses a wide range of antioxidants, healthy fats, fiber, iron, magnesium, among many other beneficial nutrients.

It also contains stimulants like caffeine and theobromine but is unlikely chocolate will keep you awake at night as the amount of caffeine is very small compared to coffee.

You could also use raw cacao powder and a little honey or maple syrup instead. Delicious either way!

Ingredients (makes about 1½ cup)

• 2 cups hazelnuts raw or roasted (roasting gives the Nutella more flavor)
• 3 oz dark chocolate, roughly chopped (or use 4 tablespoons raw cacao powder + 3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey instead)
• 1-2 tbsp extra-virgin coconut oil
• ½ to 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
• 1 tbsp raw honey or maple syrup (optional: creates more firmness)

How to…

1. Optional, but highly recommend: preheat oven to 375F or 190C. Roast hazelnuts in a single layer until browned and fragrant. This will take about 8 to 10 minutes. The heat also makes it easier to remove the skin and will help to bring out the natural oils while blending.
2. When ready, add roasted hazelnuts to a clean kitchen towel when they are still warm. Rub them together to remove the skin. No need to strive for perfection. It’s good enough to get most of it off. This step is required to improve texture and creaminess.
3. Add hazelnuts to a blender when they are still warm. Pulse a few times first before going to full speed. Stop blending process regularly to scrape down the sides. See pictures below for different blending steps. When almost smooth, add a little coconut oil. This is optional, but it improves the creaminess of the paste.
   FYI: depending on the quality of your blender or food processor you might need to wait a few seconds or minutes between blending steps to let the motor of the blender cool down a bit.
4. Melt chocolate, if using, in a double boiler or the microwave. Add the molten chocolate or honey-cacao mix to the hazelnut butter and blend until well combined.
5. Taste test and add a little honey or maple syrup if needed. Do not add too much at once as it makes the paste firmer and less easy to spread.

FYI: you can add some almond or hazelnut milk too.

---

If you enjoyed reading this post, make sure to follow my news feed here

Or check out my health and recipe blog for more yummy recipes!