Maybe this story will sound familiar to you. I started looking for a homemade nutella recipe for two reasons: 1) I flipping love chocolate hazelnut spread, but 2) I do not love the “original” ingredient list.
Apparently, I am not alone in my search. While looking for a homemade nutella recipe, I found that most of the recipes…
- Were way more complicated than I was willing to get (I’m a simple-minded cook… veeeeery simple.)
- Still included ingredients that I wasn’t into using (what’s the point of making it homemade if you’re adding that?!)
I was on a mission: develop a homemade nutella recipe that is easy to make, requires as few ingredients as possible, and has no scary ingredients whatsoever.
Is that too much to ask?
Not anymore. I figured out a pretty groovy recipe and today I’m going to share it with you!
Tips for Making my Homemade “Nutella” Recipe
I’m not gonna lie: if you want your homemade chocolate hazelnut spread to taste exactly like Nutella, you might want to go ahead and buy Nutella (if you’re prepared to face the ingredient list).
The homemade version is a little more textured and tastes more down-to-earth.
But don’t get me wrong.
It’s still flat-out delicious. Like eat-it-straight-from-the-jar delicious.
I did learn a thing or two about making tasty homemade hazelnut spread without ruining your first batch (*cough* like I did *cough*).
So here are my tips:
Grind your hazelnuts with the coconut milk first.
Seriously. Don’t mix all your ingredients first and then try to blend them. It just. won’t. work. (I wish it did, but reality doesn’t bend to my wishes, unfortunately.)
Hazelnuts are stubborn creatures. They need a little coaxing and coconut milk does just that. By adding your coconut milk with the hazelnuts, you get a much smoother hazelnut butter.
So add your hazelnuts to your blender or food processor, then pour in your coconut milk:
Your hazelnuts should be swimming in it a little, like this:
Tip #2: Don’t skimp on your machinery.
Did I mention hazelnuts are stubborn? They don’t want to be creamy, so if you don’t have a good (aka mighty powerful) food processor or blender, you’ll get a more chunky mixture. It’ll still taste good, but it won’t be as smooth.
I personally love, love, love using my BlendTec’s Twister Jar for this. It’s made for thick spreads like nut butters and hummus. And the Blendtec itself has an impressive 3.8 peak horsepower motor — so there’s plenty of power to demolish my stubborn hazelnuts.
You can shop and compare Blendtec blenders here.
See? Pretty creamy right?
Okay, so those are my main tips for success. I also give detailed instructions below with the recipe:
Homemade "Nutella" Recipe {Chocolate Hazelnut Spread}
I was on a mission: develop a homemade nutella recipe that is easy to make, requires as few ingredients as possible, and has no scary ingredients whatsoever. This recipe is the fantastic result!
- 1 cup roasted hazelnuts
- 2/3 cup coconut milk
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt (optional)
- Pour hazelnuts and coconut milk into your blender or food processor.
- Put on the lid and pulse the mixture until it starts to cream together.
- Then blend at medium to medium-high speed (speed 7 on your Blendtec) for 30-40 seconds.
- Now add the maple syrup, cocoa powder, vanilla and sea salt.
- Blend again at medium-high speed for about 30 seconds, a little longer if you like it extra creamy. Add additional coconut milk if needed.
- Refrigerate in a glass jar (use a mason jar or one of these glass storage jars).
- Spread on crackers or toast, use as a fruit dip, or eat it straight from the jar (as I’m prone to do).
FAQ
Can I substitute regular milk for the coconut milk?
I don’t recommend it, as it would affect how long it will keep and how well it will blend.
Almond or rice milk might work, but I would be concerned about the liquid content. Coconut milk is more fatty than liquid, which is why it works well in this recipe.
Typically, homemade chocolate hazelnut spread uses sweetened condensed milk – but I wanted to choose something more health friendly.
More healthy recipes like this:
- My Secret Coffee Smoothie Recipe
- How to Make a Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie (in a Cast Iron Pan)
- Homemade Mac and Cheese {Creamy Stovetop Recipe}
- How to Make Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix (Gluten-Free + w/ Turmeric!)
- The BEST Coffee Smoothie: Boost Your Metabolism w/ My Secret Recipe