Easy Homemade Hazelnut Spread (Better than Nutella)

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This homemade hazelnut spread recipe was requested by a friend of mine. She called me one day to ask me if I have a recipe for a healthier Nutella. She didn’t want to serve her kids a spread filled with artificial ingredients and unhealthy fats. I told her that I don’t have a recipe like that but I’ll try to help. I made some research and some recipe testing and here is the final version of my homemade hazelnut spread.

Why Should You Make This Hazelnut Spread

This recipe is so easy to prepare. All you need is a high-speed blender or a food processor and a few simple ingredients. It takes several minutes of blending, but the end result is totally worth it.

I don’t know a person who doesn’t like Nutella. It is so delicious and creamy. The problem with this spread is that sugar and palm oil are the first two ingredients. I eat sugar and I’m not preaching against it, but I try to limit it as much as possible. There are 19 grams of sugar per two tablespoons of Nutella. That is almost 5 teaspoons of sugar. For me that is a bit too much.

Palm oil is one of the worst plant oils you can consume, because it is high in saturated fat. Regular consumption of saturated fats may contribute to cardiovascular diseases.

Palm oil is also horrible for the environment. One of the main reasons for deforestation of the South American Amazon is the production of palm oil.

My recipe doesn’t contain any added fats. Hazelnuts are rich in monounsaturated fats, which have proven benefits for the cardiovascular system.

Hazelnuts and cacao are also loaded with antioxidants. Therefore, they reduce inflammation in the body.

If you use water or plant-based milk to prepare this hazelnut spread the recipe becomes vegan and dairy free.

This homemade hazelnut spread goes well on a toast, with waffles, crepes or on its own. For me a spoonful of homemade chocolate spread is the perfect dessert.

This recipe is naturally gluten free. People who are sensitive or allergic to gluten can consume it.

Helpful tips about making a homemade hazelnut spread

Taste the hazelnuts before you start making the hazelnut spread. I they taste rancid or stale this will ruin the flavor of your homemade Nutella.

When you process the hazelnuts at first, they turn into a flour. If you keep mixing, they will clump up and eventually you will end up with a hazelnut butter. At this stage you have to add the cacao and the sweetener. Then gradually add water or milk until you reach the desired consistency.

If you buy roasted, unsalted hazelnuts you can make this recipe very quickly. All you have to do is blend the ingredients together.

More tips

You can use different sweeteners depending on your preferences. Honey, dates or sugar will work great with this recipe. If you are on a low carb diet, you can even use a zero calorie sweetener to make this recipe low carb. If you use granulated sweetener (like sugar) you might have to add more liquid to achieve the desired texture.

I used water instead of milk when I was preparing this recipe. You can add plant based or regular milk if you prefer more creamy texture.

For most of my recipes I use unsweetened cacao powder instead of cocoa powder. The cacao powder is raw and less processed. It is very important to use unsweetened cacao or cocoa powder.

Please note that the hazelnut spread will get thicker after it cools down.

Also, some oil separation on top is normal. Just stir well before serving.

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Five Ingredient Peanut Butter Waffles (Gluten, Grain and Dairy Free)

Easy Doughnut Strips (No Yeast)

My Mother’s Crepes Recipe