Vegan Hazelnut Nutella
As a child, I remember this commercial of people spreading a smooth chocolate Nutella over a freshly baked slice of bread. It was something new and foreign to us. My mom did buy it for us just only once, and it was delicious. We never had as many candies and sweets available to us as I noticed in the US.
As a mom, I think about how to limit my kids' sugar intake and provide them with healthier alternatives. This hazelnut chocolate spread or Nutella is so good, that you will never want to buy it from a store ever again and it is so easy to make. Your kids will be asking for more, and you can make some healthy Nutella sandwiches for a lunch box for your child.
You can buy already roasted and peeled hazelnuts. It makes the process so much easier and there is no difference in the price. If you are using raw hazelnuts, you can just roast them in the oven at 350F for 10-12 min and peel them between your hands after they cool down.
I prefer to use Dutch cocoa powder as I like the earthy taste of it, but you can definitely go with a regular cocoa powder.
- 2 cup roasted hazelnuts
- 1/2 cup coconut milk or any other plant based milk
- 2 tbsp melted coconut oil
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 8 soft pitted dates
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 tsp salt
Add roasted and peeled hazelnuts into a food processor and blend on high until the nut butter is formed. You can also buy raw hazelnuts and roast them in the oven at 350F for 10-12 min.
Add the remaining ingredients and blend again for an additional 2 - 3 minutes until smooth and well incorporated.
You can add more milk to make the spread smoother and more maple syrup if you prefer it sweeter.
Store in an airtight jar in the fridge and use it as a spread for bread, crackers, bananas, or even strawberries.