Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

This recipe is for all you Nutella lovers out there. I know there are a lot of you! This homemade chocolate hazelnut spread is really good and dare I say, even better than store bought Nutella. It’s smooth, chocolatey, and nutty like Nutella, but it’s made with only natural ingredients (no emulsifiers or artificial flavors) and is dairy-free and vegan-friendly.

If you own a food processor, making this chocolate hazelnut spread couldn’t be easier. First, you roast and skin some hazelnuts. Notice that mine aren’t perfectly skinned (it’s okay if yours aren’t either).

Then you blend the hazelnuts until they turn into hazelnut butter.

Once you have a smooth hazelnut butter, you can blend in the rest of the ingredients (cocoa, salt, almond milk, agave nectar, coconut oil, and vanilla).

Like Nutella, I like eating this stuff by the spoonful. But if you want to be a bit more civilized, I suggest slathering it on bread or crackers, putting it in a crepe, or eating it with fruit like bananas or strawberries.

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
Adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie

2 cups (about 240 grams) raw hazelnuts
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/2 cup almond milk
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons light agave nectar
2 teaspoons virgin coconut oil, microwaved for about 10 seconds to soften (if needed)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Heat the oven to 420 degrees. Place the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and roast them for about 10 minutes, until the hazelnuts have started to brown and you can smell them. While the hazelnuts are still warm, place them in a clean dishtowel (one that you don’t care about since the skins do stain) and rub the hazelnuts together vigorously in the dishtowel to remove the skins. Try to get the skins off as best you can, but don’t worry if you can’t get them skinned one hundred percent.

Once the skinned hazelnuts have completely cooled, transfer them to a food processor and blend the nuts until they turn into butter (it takes a couple minutes, so be patient). Once you have a smooth hazelnut butter, add the rest of the ingredients–cocoa, salt, almond milk, agave nectar, coconut oil, and vanilla. Process for a couple of minutes, until all the ingredients are blended in and the spread has thickened up. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Makes about 2 cups.

See more: Agave Nectar • Almond Milk • Chocolate • Coconut Oil • Condiments • Gluten Free • Nuts • Vegan