Fresh hazelnuts, dark chocolate, sea salt and granulated coconut flower nectar combine in a decadent nut butter that nods to everyone's favorite Italian spread (before swiftly dethroning it).
Chocolate. Hazelnuts. A touch of vanilla and almond extract to keep it interesting, coconut sugar for some extra depth and warmth, and a dash of salt. Oh yeah, and a good blender. That's all you need for this indescribably delicious nut butter, which thoroughly outdoes Nutella in both flavor and ingredient quality.
Here, we replace the unsustainable palm oil and refined sugar with sustainable, low-glycemic coconut sugar and MCT-rich coconut oil, then pack in as much flavor as possible with roasted Italian hazelnuts and unsweetened cocoa powder of the best quality. The result is almost confusingly incredible - because who really thought Nutella could get better?
If you're roasting your own hazelnuts, just spread them on a cookie sheet and pop in a 350F oven for 10-15 minutes, watching closely so they don't burn. If you're picky about removing the skins, these steps from the good folks at Epicurious will help you, but getting them all off is really not important (and kind of impossible). Just do the best you can, then drop them in the blender.
Lastly, we added a bit of almond extract because we love how the two flavors interact, but it's not necessary nor traditional. You can take it out entirely, or layer in your own flavors with orange zest, raspberry extract, or anything else that plays well with chocolate and hazelnuts. Just have fun with it (and speaking of fun, pairing your Nutella with bananas and this simple crepes recipe will make your day). Happy blending!
Homemade Nutella
1 cup toasted hazelnuts
3 tbsp coconut oil
3 tbsp coconut sugar
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp salt
1. Place all ingredients in the bottom of a good quality blender or food processor.
2. On medium-low speed, begin processing ingredients until they come together. You may need to stop blending to scrape down the sides a few times. Once the mixture is well combined and the mixture is beginning to liquify (the hazelnuts will be about the size of large grains of sand) , turn the blender or processor up to high, and process until very smooth.
3. Scrape nut butter into a small container and store in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.
