Chocolate Hazelnut Spread recipe

Originally posted June 14, 2013

Have you been looking for a nutella recipe so you could make your own? Here it is. Everyone has different reasons for making food at home which they can buy off of the shelf; it might be economic or for health reasons. Since the first time I tried Nutella, I never had the desire to make it. But, when the day came that my darling dairy-free daughter could no longer partake because of the milk in it, I considered it.

I had seen a recipe for the hazelnut spread in my high-powered blender but assumed it was hard. I decided one day to take a look and was very happy to find that it was not that hard (1 hour start to finish with time in between when you don’t have to do anything), I had most of the ingredients in my cabinet with the exception of the hazelnuts (aka filberts), and the recipe did not have any dairy in it. Ok, time to shift the paradigm again.

So here is what I found: the amount of time and effort it took was less than the 2 cups of deliciousness that was produced. Here’s the recipe along with some tips. Enjoy and make it for someone special or just yourself! Uhm, “enjoy” doesn’t even begin to describe this experience. Here are a few tips before you get started.

Notes/Tips:

• You could probably also use blanched almonds instead of hazelnuts. I did not try this but saw a recipe.
• Add a few extra hazelnuts when measuring to account for those that might not shed their skin and for those that end up in your mouth.
• Do not use “virgin” coconut oil unless you want a coconut flavor; refined coconut oil has a neutral flavor.
• The original recipe called for only ¼ cup of coconut oil but the blender started making an awful sound so I added more until it began to form a paste. I also added some oil. The result is a thinner paste but I liked that.
• Use a high quality cocoa powder that isn’t Dutch-process, meaning it has not been alkanized. I used Guittard.
• I tasted the spread and decided to add more confectioner’s sugar. Start with 1 cup and then decide for yourself.

How to Make Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

Yield: 2 cups

• 1 cup hazelnuts or filberts
• ¼ – ⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
• Optional: 1 teaspoon or more of neutral oil like sunflower or avocado, if needed
• ¼ cup high quality cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup or a little more confectioner’s sugar

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1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Place nuts on a baking sheet and bake 8 – 10 minutes, shaking the pan once to make sure they toast evenly. Bake until the skins darken.
2. Cool the hazelnuts. Wrap them in a clean kitchen towel and rub towel back and forth to remove most of the skins. Discard skins (careful, it’s messy).
3. Add melted (but not hot) coconut oil and hazelnuts to a high-powered blender (e.g. BlendTec or Vitamix) and secure lid. Press “Speed Up” to speed 1 for 15 seconds then increase to speed 9 for about 1 minute.
4. Stop blender. Add more melted coconut oil or a neutral vegetable oil if you think the nuts are not forming a proper paste. Scrape down with a spatula and move hazelnut meal toward the center.
5. Press “Speed Up” to speed 5 and run for another minute. Scrape down the sides and move the meal toward the center. Repeat two more times.
6. Add remaining ingredients. Press “Speed Up” to speed 5 (or lower), scraping down the sides. Taste and add more sugar if necessary. The “spread” might be liquidy and warm at first but will firm up and cool down. I placed mine in a 2 cup mason jar and let it come to room temperature before placing in the fridge.
7. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 – 6 weeks. Bring to room temperature before serving or take a small amount out and microwave for 5 seconds to soften.