I've always been a HUGE Nutella fan. My preferred way of eating it was usually straight out of the jar with a spoon (...because how else do you eat it???).
When I went vegan, Nutella binging was out of the question, so I started making my own instead. Admittedly, at that time, that version of it contained quite a lot of added sugar. But as my diet changed to a healthier one, so did this recipe.
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What You'll Need
Ingredients
- Hazelnuts - The wider a variety of nuts we eat, the better. Children benefits greatly from nuts & seeds due to their high healthy fat content. And due to their rapid development, we need to ensure they get an adequate amount of the good fats. They are good sources of plant protein & are rich in Phytochemicals and antioxidants. Hazelnuts in particular are loaded with Vitamin E, Copper and Manganese, Vitamin B6, Magnesium and Thiamin.
You can get Hazelnuts in most Supermarkets, Health Food Stores, or you can buy in bulk online (depending on your use, this is the most cost friendly option). - Dark Chocolate - To get more bang in your bar, reach for dark Chocolate with a cocoa percentage of 70% or higher. (More cocoa equals more Flavonoids - Phytochemicals in nearly all plant-based foods that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant powers). Chocolate, cocoa, or cacao should appear first on the ingredient list, which means there’s the most of it by weight. If sugar is first on the list or you see words you can’t pronounce, steer clear, or you’ll likely be pumping yourself full of empty calories and fillers, which negate all the good stuff.
Equipment
- High Speed Blender (such as a Vitamix - what we use, a Ninja, or Magimix)
- Saucepan
- Glass bowl (such as Pyrex)
- Roasting Tray
- Baking Paper
How to Make it
- Spread the Hazelnuts on to a baking tray and place in a pre-heated oven at 180c for 12 to 15 minutes, until the skins begin to darken and start to crack (right).
- Leave to cool completely.
- Transfer the cooled roasted Hazelnuts in to a tea towel.
- Gather up the edges of the tea towel to completely encase them.
- Then rub the outside of the tea towel with your hands in order to rub all the Hazelnuts together. (This will remove the skins from the Hazelnuts with the least amount of effort on your part).
- You want to remove most of the skin, but don't worry about it being 100% perfect.
Process photos of Blending the Nuts
- Once the skins are mostly removed, separate the nuts from the skins and transfer the nuts to a high speed blender.
- Set the blender on a low-medium speed (3-5 on a Vitamix) and blend the Hazelnuts until smooth. Intermittently stop the blender to scrape down the sides as needed - the nuts will build up around the outside of the blender away from the blades (see photo 3).
Storage
This is best stored at room temperature, in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks. There is no need to refrigerate. If you do pop this in the fridge though, it will firm up because of the Chocolate, so just bear this in mind.
Recipe Tip
If you prefer a sweeter Nutella, you can add a tablespoon of Powdered Xylitol (a teeth friendly sweetener). Alternatively you can use a small amount of a liquid sweetener such as Maple Syrup or Agave. Just bear in mind that using liquid sweeteners with nut butters causes them to stiffen up, so use sparingly. I recommend adding a teaspoon at a time and tasting at each stage.
Serving Suggestions
My family and I love this on a slice of toast (or two or three), topped with sliced banana and hemp seeds.
Another personal favourite of mine is to spoon it over porridge, and top it with fresh strawberries, with a drizzle of maple syrup and some mixed seeds.
One of my toddlers favourite way to enjoy this is to have it spread on halved Medjool dates and topped with Hemp Seeds. He also likes dipping fresh fruit in to a little bowl of this (like a fondue). He's a big fan. We also like to do this with our Chocolate Orange Spread as well.
For more healthy snack ideas for kids take a look at what my vegan toddler eats in a week our Toddler Recipes.
FAQ's
If stored in an airtight container, at room temperature, this will keep for 3-4 weeks. Although ours never lasts anywhere near that long!
Either a powdered sweetener, such as Xylitol, or a liquid, such as Maple Syrup or Agave. It's worth noting that if you add a liquid sweetener it will thicken the nut butter, so use sparingly.
Other Spreads
Here are a few of our other delicious spreads you might like to try.
Recipe
Vegan Nutella Recipe
Equipment
- High speed blender such as a Vitamix or Magimix
- Saucepan
- Glass bowl (such as Pyrex)
Instructions
- Spread the Hazelnuts on to a baking tray and place in a pre-heated oven at 180c for 12 to 15 minutes, until the skins begin to darken and start to crack.400 g Raw
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the tray for 5 minutes.
- Transfer the roasted Hazelnuts in to a tea towel, gather up the edges of the tea towel and rub the Hazelnuts to remove the skins. You want to remove most of the skin, but don't worry about it being perfect.
- Once the skins are mostly removed, separate the nuts from the skins and transfer the nuts to a high speed blender.
- Set the blender on a low-medium speed (3-5 on a Vitamix) and blend the Hazelnuts until smooth. Scraping down the sides as needed.
- Once the nut butter is smooth, set aside the blender and melt your chocolate in a Glass bowl over a saucepan of boiling water.100 g of Dairy free Dark Chocolate
- Once the chocolate is completely melted, add the chocolate to the nut butter and turn the blender back on at a low speed (Vitamix level 3) until fully combined.
John
Absolutely love this ! I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of doing something like this sooner. Thank you for sharing such a simple and delicious recipe. X