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Our vegan nutella is a delicious hazelnut chocolate spread that is smooth, creamy, spreadable, chocolaty, nutty, and just irresistible. Its consistency is perfect for spreading on toast, using as a topping on porridge, or as a filling for crostata and bomboloni. It's made with easy-to-find and simple ingredients, and it can even be made with no sugar.
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Nutella is a staple in Italian homes, and while there are many healthier and vegan alternatives to the original nutella, I always prefer to make my own hazelnut chocolate spread so that I can control exactly how much sugar, chocolate and hazelnut I want to add. Today I will show you how to make nutella in two ways, one with dark chocolate chips, the other with cacao powder.
Our hazelnut chocolate spread is vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, palm oil free, easy to make, rich, spreadable, creamy and can also be made sugar-free.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Hazelnuts: you can use raw or toasted hazelnuts. If you use raw hazelnuts you need to first roast them in the oven for 10 minutes at 180C / 356F and then remove some of the peel. You can replace hazelnut with almonds or cashews to make a different spread.
- Chocolate: to give the chocolate flavour you can use either dark chocolate or cacao powder. If you use dark chocolate - chocolate bar or chocolate chips - make sure it has at least 70% cocoa content.
- Sugar: optional but strongly recommended in the cacao powder variation of our spread. You can replace sugar with any type of sweetener like stevia, agave syrup and maple syrup.
- Vegetable oil: optional but recommend adding 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil to make the nutella easier to spread. You can add more or less, depending on how liquid or thick you want your spread to be.
- Salt: optional but adding a pinch of salt just makes the nutella extra flavourful.
Equipment
You'll need either a power blender - like Vitamix - or a good quality food processor - like Magimix. If you use a power blender blend for 5 minutes. If you use a food processor blend for 10 minutes. For smoothest result use a power blender.
Mistakes I made
- Too much oil: the first time around I added 2 teaspoons of oil and the nutella was way too liquid. It wouldn't thicken up, not even in the refrigerator.
- Not enough oil: the second time I did it without any oil and it was too thick. The blender would struggle a lot, and when I put in the refrigerator it turned into a block of chocolate. Especially the version with dark chocolate chips.
- Using cane sugar: you can use cane sugar, but the result will be grainier. My recommendation is plain white sugar.
Tips
- Roast the hazelnuts: my advice is to always roast the hazelnut for about 10 minutes at 180C or 356F. That is because the heat will make it easier for the oil in the nuts to come out. The aroma of the nuts will be stronger and it will be easier for the blender to blend.
- Cool down the hazelnuts: do not add the hazelnuts while they are still too hot to the blender. You'll blender might melt. Wait until the nuts are warm, but not hot.
- Dark chocolate for richer nutella: if you want a richer, more indulgent nutella, then use dark chocolate chips or a dark chocolate bar, instead of cacao powder. This is because dark chocolate contains cocoa butter that gives richness and depth to your spread.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Use stevia to taste, add little at a time.
Yes. Add 1 to 2 tbsp to taste.
Yes. The spread stores for up to 3 weeks and preparing it in advance is actually better as it needs to cool down after blending.
Yes. You can scale it up. It will even be easier to blend with a double dose.
Yes. This recipe is healthy because it contains healthy ingredients such as dark chocolate and hazelnuts. These ingredients are however rich in calories, so eat it in moderation.
It was invented by Ferrero in Italy in the 1960s.
Storage
Store for up to 3 weeks in an airtight container like a mason jar at room temperature. Room temperature is best because it will keep the perfect spread consistency.
You can also store it in the refrigerator but we do not recommend it because the nutella becomes too hard, and difficult to spread. This recipe is not good for freezing.
Variations
- In this recipe we showed you how to make two different types of hazelnut-chocolate spread. One with dark chocolate (bar or chips), the other with cacao powder.
- You can also make this spread with other nuts that are not hazelnuts. For example you can use peanuts, almonds, and cashew nuts. Replace the nuts with the same quantities.
- You can use this chocolate spread in many different ways and recipes. Sometimes I eat a spoonful of it if I need a boost of energy. We also use it as a topping for porridge or banana bread.
- Use it as filling for crostata, cakes, donuts, or bomboloni.
Recipe
Hazelnut Chocolate Spread - Vegan Nutella
Equipment
- power blender or food processor
Ingredients
Version with dark chocolate and no added sugar
- 300 g (2.3 cups) hazelnuts roasted
- 150 g (1 cup) dark chocolate chips or dark chocolate bar
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 1 pinch sea salt
Version with cocoa powder
- 300 g (2.3 cups) hazelnuts roasted
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 1 pinch sea salt
Instructions
- If your hazelnuts are not roasted, then roast them in the oven at 180C / 356F for 10 minutes and remove some of their peel. Let them cool for 10 minutes before adding them to your blender.If you make the version with dark chocolate chips, melt the chocolate bain-marie before adding it to the blender. You can also melt it in the microwave, but be very careful not to overheat it.
- Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend. Occasionally stop blending to scrape down the sides.Blend 5 minutes in a power blender. Blend 10 minutes in a food processor.
- Do not worry if the nutella is too liquid, it will thicken up after a few hours. NOTE: We think that 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil works great to give the perfect spread consistency, but if you want your nutella more liquid, then add more oil.
- When your nutella is smooth enough pour it into an air tight container. We recommend letting the nutella rest before using it. After a few hours your nutella will thicken up and it will be perfect for spreading.
- You can store your hazelnut chocolate spread at room temperature for up to 3 weeks. An airtight container like a mason jar is best.Use as a spread on bread, topping on porridge, or filling for cakes, pies, and donuts.
Full video on youtube @theplantbasedschool
Notes
Nutritional Values
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