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Ever wonder what’s in Nutella that makes it so delicious? We’ll give you a hint… the first ingredient is sugar.
Although we support sugar consumption (in moderation), we love this healthy substitute that we can eat with less moderation that tastes just as good!
Store bought spreads, butters, and desserts are wonderful for convenience but require stabilizers and preservatives to keep them on the shelves.
Our homemade healthy nutella doesn’t need these added ingredients and has cleaner ingredients overall!
Now, you may think this means our homemade nutella won’t last very long, but it will store for two weeks in an airtight container at room temperature or for a whole month in the refrigerator (that is, if it lasts that long).
About the Ingredients in Healthy Homemade Nutella
Hazelnuts: Like all nuts, hazelnuts are loaded with healthy fats which means that once you roast them, those yummy oils melt out and make the hazelnuts really easy to blend into a butter (a lot like our homemade walnut butter recipe).
Cocoa powder: This chocolatey powder you are probably familiar with comes from roasting cocoa beans. It contains no added sugar but a lot of yummy flavor. We love ingredients that add lots of taste, but not a lot of unnecessary calories, sugar, or unhealthy chemicals.
Sweetener: Now, don’t get us wrong, a hazelnut-chocolate spread should be sweet and feel decadent. We use a dry sweetener combination of Stevia and Splenda. You could use regular granulated sugar here if you prefer but it will change the nutritional value.
Vanilla extract and salt: These two add-ins enhance the flavor of this spread. Although only a small quantity of each is listed, it goes a long way. Don’t skip this step!
Coconut oil: Finishing the spread with a little coconut oil, adds smoothness and shine that will have this looking like the real thing. If you don’t mind a slightly thicker, less shiny version, you could omit this step.
This recipe for homemade healthy nutella is all about promoting healthy swaps for classic favorites. There is a ton of flavor in “healthy ingredients” if you know how to prepare them!
If you’re looking for more healthy swaps, check out this article.
Enjoy this spread and happy dipping!
Homemade Healthy Nutella
Our healthy homemade Nutella is a healthier spin on an age-old favorite! This yummy hazelnut-chocolate spread recipe is so easy to make, you may just stop buying the store-bought altogether.
¼cupsweetener of choice(we used a mix of Stevia and Splenda)
1½tbspvanilla extract
¼tspsalt
2tbspmelted coconut oil
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Add hazelnuts to a baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes or just until they begin to brown.
Rub them together in a paper towel to get the skins off. It’s okay if a few stubborn skins won’t come off but make sure most of them come off as it will turn out bitter if not.
In a food processor, blend the nuts until they’ve turned to butter (this can take up to 5 minutes). Stop to scrape the sides if necessary.
Add all other ingredients except oil and blend for a long time until it’s smooth.
Add oil for an even smoother consistency, and blend (this can take at least 5 minutes).
Serve in a bowl or store in an airtight container.
Notes
It can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to two weeks. Or refrigerated for up to a month.For sweeteners, there really are a lot of options. You can use regular granulated sugar, coconut sugar, stevia or Splenda (note that these 2 usually have a different taste than any other sugar so your “nutella” will have that flavor note), or date sugar. Maple syrup or honey will also work but will make the consistency less creamy.
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