Let me start this post with a question: Who doesn’t like Nutella? How about with a follow-up question: Who doesn’t eat Nutella anymore because there is more sugar in it vs hazelnuts and chocolate? This is where I found myself at. I have eaten Nutella before, but haven’t eaten it since I was a lot younger because of the sugar content in it. But I missed it! In the last year we have made our own Nutella a few times. I experimented with different techniques and what I thought was the best ingredient combination. To be honest, we had some that were good and others that were a flop, both on texture and taste. But I believe I finally found the winning Nutella combination with this recipe.
When designing this particular recipe I wanted to use cacao powder in it. I am a big fan of cacao powder over cocoa powder. Yes, there is a difference! Ideally you want to choose cacao because it isn’t as processed like cocoa powder is. And it’s a raw food. It is more rich in antioxidants and actually feeds your body nutrients. Now I am not saying that cocoa powder is bad, but just that choosing cacao powder is going to be a superior choice when it comes to nutrient value. If you are buying cocoa powder you must make sure that it is organic! If you are getting symptoms and feeling bad on cocoa powder (especially digestive issues), switch to cacao powder and you might notice a big difference and be able to add it back into your diet successfully.
Ingredients
2 Cups hazelnuts, roasted
1 cup coconut milk
1/3 cup unsweetened cacao powder
1/4 cup raw honey*
2 teaspoon stevia
1/2 teaspoon pink salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
- To start making the Nutella you have to lightly roast the hazelnuts and take the skin off of them. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and evenly spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes to lightly roast them. Let them cool for a few minutes before taking off the skins or you will burn your fingers. You want most of the skins to be removed. This process is a little tedious, but makes a big difference (It took me about 5 minutes)
- In a saucepan heat the coconut milk on medium until it just starts to steam. You don’t want it boiling hot, but just warm enough to make creamy Nutella
- In a high powdered blender or food processor add all of the ingredients and blend on high for 45-60 seconds. With my blender I used my tamper to make sure everything was mixing well. If you blender isn’t high enough speed then I should recommend using a food processor. You will have to bend it for a few minutes to get it to blend together
- Once smooth, scoop the Nutella out of the blender into a glass storage container or pint sized mason jar. It makes about 2 cups of Nutella so it fits great into a pint mason jar.
*If you want a sugar free Nutella you can omit the raw honey and add an additional 2 teaspoons of Stevita stevia
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