I won’t beat around the bush… I love Nutella. The marriage of hazelnuts + cocoa is quite divine. When paired with toasts, crepes or fresh strawberries, it’s really a match made in heaven!
However, I’m not crazy about the amount of sugar and palm oil it contains. So today I’ll be sharing how you can make a healthier version of the infamous hazelnut cocoa spread. And unlike Nutella, the main ingredient in this recipe is hazelnuts!
What you need
2 cups of hazelnuts
2 tbsp of cocoa powder
3 tbsp of coconut oil
3 tbsp of maple syrup
1 tsp of vanilla
A pinch of salt
Instructions
1. Peel the hazelnuts
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast them for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Make sure to check them often as they can burn quite easily. They will be ready once they’re fragrant and the skin has slightly darkened.
Once they’re cool enough to the touch, transfer to a clean kitchen towel, close it into a little bundle and massage it with your hands for a couple of minutes.
Separate the peeled hazelnuts from the skins.
2. Make the hazelnut butter
Transfer the hazelnuts to a food processor or a blender and blend until a smooth, creamy consistency is achieved. This might take a few minutes (about 12-15 minutes) so make sure you give your food processor/blender a break every now and then.
The hazelnuts will go from whole, to ground, to a thick paste, until finally becoming a smooth + creamy butter.
3. Add the cocoa + other ingredients
Add and mix the cocoa powder.
Continue by slowly adding the rest of the ingredients to taste. The maple syrup will make it sweeter, while the coconut oil will help regulate the consistency.
4. Store the spread
Transfer the spread to an airtight container (e.g. mason jar or repurposed glass jar) and store it at room temperature. This recipe makes about a cup of hazelnut cocoa spread.
Quick Tip
If you want to skip the first two parts of this recipe, or if you believe that your blender/food processor won’t be powerful enough, you can buy hazelnut butter at the store and add the additional ingredients as detailed in the third part of this recipe.
Another option, it’s to buy peeled hazelnuts (without the skins) so that you can skip part one and jump straight into making the hazelnut butter.
Its nuttier, more wholesome taste is delicious and you might find yourself making this spread over and over again.
Enjoy!
xx
Marcie
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