Ever since our trip to Italy, I’ve been back on the Nutella bandwagon. Gone was my determination to eat only the homemade stuff. I wanted the real deal. Sugar and palm oil and all.
Hello, we were staying mere blocks away from the Nutella factory at one point, so the entire town smelled of chocolate and hazelnuts. How could I turn away from that?
But spoonful after spoonful reminded me that there are better ways to get my chocolate hazelnut fix. Healthier, more natural ways.
The key was to rid my chocolate hazelnut spread of its graininess. I wasn’t fully happy with the texture of my first iteration, which is why I went back to the processed, mostly-oil-and-sugar stuff. That had to change.
And it did, when I finally perfected the recipe. I don’t feel nearly as bad about eating a spoonful of this!
Chocolate Hazelnut Spread…The Perfected Version
1 cup blanched hazelnuts
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons canola, walnut or peanut oil
Grind the hazelnuts in a food processor until creamy. This should take 5-10 minutes, and you will need to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl a few times to make sure it all blends well.
Add the sugar and cocoa powder, processing until well-mixed. Scrape down the sides of the processor, then continue to blend. While the food processor is running, slowly add in the oil. Process for a minute more, then transfer to a serving bowl or storage container.
Will store well at room temperature for 4-5 days…if it even lasts that long.
Yum! I have only been eating nutella for about 6 months, can you believe that?! This looks so simple to make – I actually have everything but the hazelnuts in my kichen.
Man, you need to make up for lost time and eat more chocolate hazelnut spread!!
Wowwww I can’t believe you figured out how to make your own nutella! Amazing!
Omg this looks amazing.
On a completely random note, where did you get those bowls? So cute!
Crate and Barrel! We have one in blue, one in pink. And they aren’t expensive at all!
I like how your butter is actually hazelnut butter based, and not palm oil based (like Nutella is). And it looks like it has just a bit of sugar, so the chocolate flavor can come through more strongly. Nicely done.
I have contemplated how a spoonfull of coconut butter would work to make the texture creamier. Maybe I should try it.
Thank you. That was the goal
Let me know if you work in some coconut butter and how it turns out
Vegan, too! I avoid the original one due to dairy. Mmmmm…
I didn’t even realize that, but yes! Now you can eat “Nutella”
I avoid Nutella because of the hydrogenated oils/trans fats, so this recipe is a godsend! Thanks, Julie.
Love your blog! I never would have thought to make my own Nutella
I can’t wait to try this!
Hmm, thanks for this! I do love Nutella but it is definitely only an occasional treat. Do you blanch the hazelnuts yourself, or do you buy them that way? I might have to do it myself, my ingredients here (in Hong Kong) can be a bit random sometimes.
They were already blanched when I bought them, mostly because that’s what I could find at the grocery store last week!
Glad I found your blog–I can’t wait to make this!