Homemade Chocolate Hazelnut Spread, an easy and healthy Nutella alternative recipe that is also dairy-free, gluten-free, and sugar-free.
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I meant to post this Homemade Chocolate Hazelnut Spread recipe two years ago. Just happened to find the recipe and photos when I was looking for something else. Ooops! I made it around the same time I made this Cinnamon Vanilla Roasted Walnut Butter. I also wanted to make a healthy, or healthier Nutella version and since homemade nut butters are easy to make I thought I’d give it a try. This homemade chocolate spread is easy to make with only a few ingredients and perfect for kids! So versatile too, and you can add your favorite flavors to change it up.
If you’ve ever wondered how to make homemade Nutella or nut butters, they are actually quite easy to make at home. There are lots of nut butter and homemade Nutella recipes out there but many contain dairy, sugar, oil/butter, or various other ingredients.
I wanted a healthier version, so this recipe contains only 3 things: hazelnuts, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract.
No, it doesn’t taste just like Nutella. If you want it more like the original Nutella recipe, you can start by adding some sugar or your favorite sweetener or use melted chocolate instead of cocoa powder.
I like this basic recipe then I can add other ingredients depending on how I’m using the chocolate spread.
To make this homemade chocolate spread, I started with a big bag of toasted hazelnuts (aka filberts). If you buy some that are not toasted and wondering how to toast hazelnuts, you can toast them on a rimmed baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Be sure to remove the hazelnut skins (you can rub the hazelnuts in a kitchen towel to remove) as well if you need to.
This homemade chocolate spread only takes a few minutes to make once your ingredients are ready. Place the hazelnuts in a food processor and pulse/process until the hazelnuts are smooth and creamy.
The hazelnuts will first become finely chopped, but don’t stop processing. Keep pulsing the food processor until the nuts are creamy and the desired smoothness. If you want it chunky, then stop any time, or keep processing if you want the nut butter really smooth.
Add the cocoa powder and vanilla to the food processor, pulse a few more times, and that’s it! How easy is that? You can use any kind of unsweetened cocoa powder but I’d suggest a better quality one.
Give it a taste, and you can add other ingredients to your liking such as a sweetener (sugar, honey, or whatever you like), salt, or even milk or butter. You may find it a little bitter if you’re used to really sweet nut butters.
So now you can make your own Nutella or chocolate hazelnut spread! Need some ideas what to put this chocolate spread on or things to put Nutella on? It’s great on toast, crackers, bananas, apples, in smoothies, just to name a few. I’m sure you don’t need ideas.
Nutella and banana is one of my fave combos! One of my fave healthy Nutella recipes is this spread, with chocolate, banana, ice, and milk or almond milk in a blender to make a great smoothie!
Homemade nut butters are so easy to make. Change it up with your favorite nuts and flavorings for a completely different flavor. Get your kids involved and let them experiment with their favorite nuts.
Hope you enjoy this quick and easy Homemade Chocolate Hazelnut Spread!
Homemade Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
Ingredients
- 1 pound toasted hazelnuts skins removed
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place hazelnuts in food processor and process until smooth. Add cocoa powder and vanilla and pulse until just combined. Store covered in refrigerator.
Notes
Other homemade nut butter recipes you may enjoy:
- Cinnamon Vanilla Roasted Walnut Butter – Snappy Gourmet
- Vanilla Bean Almond Pecan Butter – Fit Mitten Kitchen
- Peanut Butter Pretzel Crunch Cookie Butter – Brownie Bites
- Pumpkin Spice Peanut Butter – With Salt and Wit
Linda says
Love that there’s no sugar and you could add your own if you want it sweeter.