I think we can all agree that Nutella is one of the most delicious chocolatey indulgences on earth… Right? Unfortunately, Nutella is chock-full of ingredients that are harmful for your body and the environment (See my Nutella Ball recipe for some hard facts about palm oil). Using real hazelnuts to make nut butter from scratch is the best way to avoid the harmful side effects! It’s super easy, don’t worry.
Jake loves toasted hazelnut everything! He is always looking for a unique way to incorporate them into our lives, whether it be trail mix, nut milk, or in desserts. I created this recipe with him to satisfy our craving for that super nutty fresh chocolatey taste that Nutella has; minus the oils, fillers, and preservatives. I think we totally nailed it with this dark chocolate hazelnut spread!
Toasting the Hazelnuts
Toasting the hazelnuts is essential to making this recipe. It gives them the full bodied flavor that we love about Nutella and other hazelnut goodness (aka Ferrero Rocher). Simply pop the hazelnuts in the oven for a few minutes and the flavor will change greatly! This is true for any nut but hazelnuts have a delicious rich flavor when roasted. Roasting the nuts takes away the bitterness, making for a smoother chocolatey taste.
High in Magnesium
This recipe is actually packed with nutrients and calming minerals. Magnesium is the most prevalent mineral in both hazelnuts and raw cacao powder. I love spreading this on sprouted toast in the morning before work because I know it’s nourishing my body with minerals that will keep me level headed and fueled properly throughout a stressful day. Magnesium is necessary for our muscles to relax, and is one mineral that many people are deficient in! Try this recipe to incorporate more magnesium (and chocolatey goodness) into your diet.
Like this recipe? Try out one of these other chocolatey decadent creations
INGREDIENTS
- 4 cups toasted hazelnuts
- 1 tsp Himalayan salt
- 2 tbsp cacao powder
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar (or your sweetener of choice)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Toast hazelnuts on a flat sheet pan spread evenly for about 11-14 minutes.
- Once toasted, place warm hazelnuts in a cloth and rub them together so the skins fall off. This could take some time so just keep at it! Don’t worry if you can’t get every last skin off.
- Once skins are removed, place hazelnuts and salt in a food processor and get buzzin! You may need to blend for up to 5 minutes to get the consistency you desire, scrape the sides down occasionally to get a smooth finish.
- This is where the marble starts! Remove about 1 cup of the butter and set aside. Add the cacao powder and sugar to what’s left in the processor and blend until combined evenly.
- Do a “fancy” marbling with your chocolated and non-chocolated butters.
Notes
- Removing the skins will give you a much smoother product!! Don’t forget to rub the skins off your nuts
- You don’t have to marble! But it is pretty 🙂 if you don’t want to marble just add the cacao and sugar to the entire batch and blend til incorporated
- If you want a more drippy/oily batch, add in 1 tbsp coconut oil
