Healthy Nutella – the ultimate chocolate nut spread

This fool-proof homemade Nutella is a game changer!

This homemade paleo and vegan Nutella-style chocolate and nut spread is truly unbelievable! OMG save me from myself – it‘s almost indistinguishable from the real thing and it’s healthy!

Real Nutella contains few nuts and is a concoction of palm oil, sugar and other toxic additives that aren’t good for you. It’s basically junk food in a jar. It also contains milk solids, so it isn’t vegan. Unlike the brand variety, in our homemade Nutella the main ingredient is hazelnuts. We’ve also added in some cashews for added creaminess.

To begin, always roast the nuts to unleash their flavour. The bonus of roasting the hazelnuts is that you can then more easily remove their skins - which are quite bitter tasting.

We sweeten our blend with coconut sugar and while it doesn’t quite match the super sweetness of the original, it’s not far off. If you prefer the raw taste of cacao, feel free to par the sugar back to a third of a cup or even less. Warning - Don’t be tempted to substitute any liquid sweetener for coconut sugar. All liquids will cause the oils in the nut butter to seize up.

The Vibe Blender System reduced the ingredients into this Nutella copycat spread in 2 minutes! Wow! Hello, warm drippy praline spread, that you could seriously eat by the spoonful! No kidding.

WATCH HOW HEALTHY NUTELLA IS MADE HERE

INGREDIENTS

2 cups raw hazelnuts
½ cup raw cashews
½ cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup raw cacao powder
¼ teaspoon salt (optional)

METHOD

1.   Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. 
2.   Spread the hazelnuts and cashews at separate ends of a baking tray and dry roast for 5-10 minutes. Checking the cashews after 5 as they burn more easily.
3.   Remove the cashews if they are browning faster. The skins of the hazelnuts should be nice and dark when they are done.
4.   Remove the nuts from the oven and let cool until they’re just warm to touch, about 10 minutes.
5.   Pick out all the cashews and throw into the blender jug.
6.   Pour the hazelnuts into the centre of a clean kitchen towel. Fold over the outer edges of the towel and briskly rub the nuts to remove the skins. Patches of skin may be stubborn and not rub off. Don’t worry
7.   Open out the towel and scoop up the nuts with your hands, leaving skins behind on the towel and drop the hazelnuts into the blender jug with the cashews

8.   Add the coconut sugar, raw cacao and salt.
9.   Place the lid on the Vibe Blender jug. Remove the cap and insert the tamper into the lid.
10.   Select ‘nut’ mode. As soon as you press start the nuts will quickly break down and become a thick paste. Use the tamper to help push the ingredients down into the blades. Continue to blend for 1 minute.
11.   Stop, open the lid. Scrape down the sides, inside the blender lid and down under the blades.

12.  Replace the lid. Continue to blend for another minute, moving the tamper in a circular motion now. The nuts will release oil, turn glossy and blend without the assistance of the tamper. Continue blending until the consistency is smooth and drippy. We found 2 minutes sufficient but blend longer if necessary.
13.  Pour the chocolate nut spread into a clean glass jar.
14.  Let cool to room temperature before screwing on the lid.
15.  To get the best shelf life, store in a dark, cool place or in the fridge and consume within 3 – 4 weeks. Believe me, it won’t last that long!

If you're a lover of nut spreads - try our peanut butter (smooth or crunchy cinnamon) and almond butter.

PIN THIS RECIPE