Making hazelnut spread at home is easy! Nutty hazelnuts blend beautifully into a creamy and flavorful nut butter enriched with cacao powder, sugar, and vanilla extract.

You’ll love how simple this homemade Nutella recipe is. It keeps well for weeks and you can have it ready in the fridge for a quick breakfast or snack on a slice of bread.

Our vegan nutella recipe is without milk and dairy, and you can put it together in 15 minutes.

hazelnut spread in a bowl

What is a hazelnut spread?

vegan nutella on bread

Dietary Note: this recipe is suitable for a vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diet.

Our hazelnut spread recipe is a delicious chocolatey and creamy recipe inspired by Nutella, a famous chocolate and hazelnut spread from Italy.

The recipe is primarily made with roasted hazelnuts blended with cacao powder, sugar, and a few drops of olive oil to help the hazelnuts turn into a luscious, velvety spread.

Homemade Nutella is rich, with a nutty, intense flavor and a smooth texture. You can make it in a high-speed blender or a food processor; it’s really quite easy to do.

Try this chocolate hazelnut spread on a slice of toast, waffles, overnight oats, or oatmeal for breakfast.

It’s delicious on vegan pancakes and banana pancakes, as a filling for vegan crepes, or spread on a slice of vegan banana bread.

You can even use it for more elaborate desserts, such as topping on our vegan cheesecake.

Its thick and creamy texture makes it ideal for dipping fruit such as sliced apples, strawberries, or breadsticks and topping ice cream.

hazelnut spread in a bowl with a silver spoon and hand holding the spoon

Hazelnut spread video

Ingredients & Substitutions for hazelnut spread

Hazelnut spread ingredients

Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

Hazelnuts

We recommend using hazelnuts that are already peeled; it will make this recipe easier.

We recommend roasting the hazelnuts in the oven at 350°F or 180°C for 8 minutes so that their flavor intensifies and their natural oils warm, making them easier to blend.

Substitute toasted almonds, peanuts, and cashews for hazelnuts.

Cacao powder

Pick unsweetened cacao powder. It’s the easiest way to add the chocolate flavor to this delicious dairy-free Nutella.

Alternatively, substitute cocoa powder or 70% dark chocolate for cacao powder.

To do so, you’ll have to melt the chocolate first. We explain how to do this in the “variations” chapter below.

Sugar

You can use any sweetener, such as brown sugar, powdered sugar, white sugar, coconut sugar, maple syrup, or agave syrup.

Add more or less sugar based on your dietary preferences and taste.

Olive oil

You’ll need a few drops of oil – we use olive oil – to get the blender going and help the hazelnuts turn into a creamy chocolate spread.

Substitute avocado oil, hazelnut oil, coconut oil, or any other vegetable oil for olive oil.

Vanilla extract

Vanilla extract adds a pleasant flavor that works beautifully with the chocolate.

Salt

A pinch of sea salt or kosher salt helps bring the flavors together and enhance the taste of this delicious homemade hazelnut spread.

Equipment

You’ll need either a high-speed blender – we use a Vitamix – or a good quality food processor – we use Magimix.

If you use a power blender like a Vitamix, blend for 5 minutes. You must blend for 10 minutes or more if you use a food processor.

You will get the smoothest results with a high-speed blender.

hazelnut spread on oatmeal with toasted hazelnut on the side

How to make homemade Nutella

US cups + grams measurements in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Add the hazelnuts to a rimmed baking sheet and roast them in the oven for 8 minutes.

toasted hazelnuts on a silver tray

Let them cool down at room temperature for 5 minutes, then add them to a high-speed blender with the sugar and a few drops of olive oil.

Tip: if your hazelnuts are unpeeled, remove some of the thin brown skin by rubbing them between your hands or in a kitchen towel.

sugar and toasted hazelnuts in a high speed blender with hand holding the blender

Blend hazelnuts and sugar until they turn into a creamy hazelnut butter.

Note: You’ll just need a few minutes if you use a high-speed blender like Vitamix. You might need up to 10 minutes with a food processor and scrape down the sides of the food processor occasionally.

smooth hazelnuts in a powder blender with hand holding the blender

Now add the unsweetened cacao powder, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt.

Blend for a few more minutes until combined.

smooth nutella in a powder blender with wooden spatula and a hand

Ultimately, you’ll want a smooth hazelnut spread that you can store in a jar in the refrigerator for a couple of months.

The vegan Nutella will thicken a little as it cools in the fridge. You can store it in a bowl or a mason jar.

hazelnut spread in a white bowl with a silver spoon

Serving suggestions

Hazelnut spread can be part of a nutritious breakfast on a slice of bread or toast.

Nutella on bread

Or add a spoonful of oatmeal, overnight oats, or bircher muesli, as if it were peanut butter.

hazelnut spread on oatmeal with chia seeds in a white bowl

You can also have it for a special weekend breakfast with our vegan crepes or as a dip for strawberries and apple wedges.

Vegan crepes with homemade nutella and strawberries

It’s also delicious as a snack, spread on a slice of vegan banana bread.

Vegan banana bread with nutella

Variations

Hazelnut spread with dark chocolate

Homemade nutella in a glass jar

You can substitute dark chocolate chips or a dark chocolate bar with 70% cocoa content for cacao powder.

Chocolate will produce an even more decadent, silkier, and thicker spread.

You’ll need 5 ounces or 150 grams of dark chocolate to do so.

Cut the chocolate into small pieces, then melt it bain-marie or soften it in the microwave for a few seconds.

When it’s soft, add it to the blender with the hazelnut and sugar mixture and blend for a few more minutes.

thick hazelnuts spread in a bowl with hand holding a silver spoon

Tips

Brown sugar: only use brown sugar if you make the spread with a high-speed blender. A food processor won’t be able to turn brown sugar into a creamy spread.

Oil: don’t add too much oil. Start with a few drops, and add a maximum of 1/2 teaspoon. Your spread will be too liquid if you add too much oil.

Cool down the hazelnuts: don’t add hot hazelnuts to a blender; they should cool down first.

vegan nutella on bread

Questions

Can I use stevia for vegan Nutella?

Yes. Use stevia to taste; add a little at a time.

Can I use agave or maple syrup?

Yes. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons to taste. In this case, you might need to add a little more oil to adjust consistency.

Can I prepare it in advance?

Yes. The spread stores in the refrigerator for up to 2 months, and preparing it in advance is recommended as it needs to cool down after blending.

Is the recipe scalable?

Yes. You can scale it up. It will even be easier to blend with a double dose.

Who invented Nutella?

Ferrero invented Nutella in Italy in the 1960s.

Storage & Make Ahead

Make ahead: this is an excellent recipe to make up to two months in advance.

Refrigerator: You can store hazelnut spread in your pantry or the fridge in an airtight container like a mason jar for up to 2 months.

Freezer: we don’t recommend freezing this recipe.

More chocolate recipes

More sweet breakfast ideas

hazelnut spread in a bowl with a silver spoon and hand holding the spoon

Hazelnut Spread

By: Nico Pallotta
5 from 13 votes
Making hazelnut spread at home is easy! Nutty hazelnuts blend beautifully into a creamy and flavorful nut butter enriched with cacao powder, sugar, and vanilla extract.
You’ll love how simple this homemade Nutella recipe is. It keeps well for weeks; you can have it ready in the fridge for a quick breakfast or snack on a slice of bread.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Hazelnut Roasting: 8 minutes
Total Time: 18 minutes
Servings: 20 servings
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: Italian

Equipment

  • High-speed blender (like Vitamix) or food processor

Ingredients

  • 3 cups hazelnuts
  • ¼ cup sugar or more to taste, up to ½ cup.
  • ½ teaspoon olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons cacao powder unsweetened
  • tablespoons vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch salt

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C.
    Add 3 cups hazelnuts to a rimmed baking sheet and roast them for 8 minutes.
    toasted hazelnuts on a silver tray
  • Let them cool down for 5 minutes, then add them to a high-speed blender with ¼ cup sugar and a ½ teaspoon olive oil.
    Tip: if your hazelnuts are unpeeled, remove some of the thin brown skin by rubbing them between your hands or in a kitchen towel.
    sugar and toasted hazelnuts in a high speed blender with hand holding the blender
  • Blend until they turn into a creamy hazelnut butter.
    Note: You’ll just need a few minutes if you use a high-speed blender like Vitamix. You might need up to 10 minutes with a food processor and scrape down the sides of the food processor occasionally.
    smooth hazelnuts in a powder blender with hand holding the blender
  • Now add 3 tablespoons cacao powder, 1½ tablespoons vanilla extract, and 1 pinch salt.
    Blend for a few more minutes until combined.
    smooth nutella in a powder blender with wooden spatula and a hand
  • Ultimately, you’ll want a smooth hazelnut spread that you can store in a jar in the refrigerator for a couple of months.
    The vegan Nutella will thicken a little as it cools in the fridge.
    Chocolate hazelnut spread in a bowl

Video

Easy Hazelnut Spread (dairy-free)

Notes

Nutrition information is an estimate for 1 serving of hazelnut spread out of 20 servings.
STORAGE & MAKE AHEAD
Make ahead: this is an excellent recipe to make up to two months in advance.
Refrigerator: You can store hazelnut spread in your pantry or the fridge in an airtight container like a mason jar for up to 2 months.
Freezer: we don’t recommend freezing this recipe.
ALSO ON THIS PAGE

Nutrition

Calories: 125kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Potassium: 136mg, Dietary Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 4IU, Vitamin B6: 0.1mg, Vitamin C: 1mg, Vitamin E: 3mg, Vitamin K: 3µg, Calcium: 21mg, Folate: 20µg, Iron: 1mg, Manganese: 1mg, Magnesium: 34mg, Zinc: 0.5mg
Tried this recipe? Leave a comment below or mention @theplantbasedschool on Instagram. We are also on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and TikTok.

If you liked this hazelnut spread, you might also enjoy:


Nico and Louise in the kitchen

Hi! We are Nico & Louise

Welcome to The Plant-Based School, a food blog with easy, tasty, and wholesome recipes.

Our aim is to help you and your family eat more veggies through delicious recipes with simple ingredients.

Easy right?

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




3 Comments

    1. Hi Laura,
      Thanks so much for your comment, and for taking the time to leave a comment!
      We’re delighted you liked the spread – even better, that you can enjoy it with your family.
      Have a wonderful weekend!
      Kindest,
      Louise