This healthy Nutella recipe couldn’t be easier to make, and I think it tastes even better than the store-bought version! All you need is 4 ingredients to make it, without using any refined sugar.
What is Nutella?
If you’re not familiar with the store-bought version, Nutella is a popular brand of chocolate-hazelnut spread. It’s sweet, ultra-smooth, and totally addictive!
This famous spread was created by Pietro Ferrero, who was from an Italian town known for producing hazelnuts. He sold his first batch as early as 1946, but it was officially sold under the name “Nutella” in 1964 and was an instant success. (If you’ve tasted it, you know why.)
How To Make It
How do you make Nutella from scratch? It’s easy to make this chocolate-hazelnut spread at home! All you need is 4 simple ingredients, and a little bit of patience.
Step 1: Roast the Hazelnuts
Start by roasting the hazelnuts. This will help them break down, to make a creamy hazelnut butter. Once the hazelnuts are roasted, let them cool briefly, then rub them with a towel to help remove their skins.
You don’t have to be a perfectionist about removing the hazelnut skins. Most of them should flake off easily, and if a little bit of the skin still ends up in the food processor, that’s fine!
Step 2: Make Hazelnut Butter
Now that the hazelnuts have been toasted, it’s time to blend them into a silky-smooth hazelnut butter. I like to do this in a food processor, as I find it makes nut butter easier than a blender does. (A blender might work, too, if you don’t mind stopping to scrape it down often.)
This is where you’ll need to be patient. It can take a while to break down the hazelnuts into a smooth consistency. It will look very dry and grainy at first, but keep scraping down the sides every now and then.
It can take 10 to 15 minutes for the hazelnuts to become smooth.
Pro Tip: The more full your food processor is, the faster the hazelnuts will become a smooth nut butter. If you double this recipe and use 3 cups of hazelnuts, it will process faster, but then you’ll also have a huge batch of Nutella. If you have 3 cups of hazelnuts to blend, feel free to do that! You can use half of the resulting nut butter for this recipe, and then save the other half for future use, if you’d rather not make a huge batch of chocolate spread.
Step 3: Blend it all together!
Once the hazelnut butter is very smooth, you can add in the remaining ingredients. The mixture will look grainy at first, but it will become super-spreadable once you add some water into the mix.
I start with 1/4 cup and process until smooth, but I find 6 tablespoons total is the sweet-spot for making this recipe perfectly spreadable. (So 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons of water total.)
Adding water to this recipe will make it spoil faster than if you were to use 6 tablespoons of oil, but I think the result is worth it. There’s no added flavor when you add water (so your spread won’t taste like coconut oil or avocado oil), and if you want to make it last longer, you can always freeze it!
This homemade Nutella is:
- Naturally sweet (no refined sugar!)
- Dairy-free
- Gluten-free
- Low in oil
- and super-simple to make!
How to Serve It
Wondering how to serve homemade Nutella? Try it as a dip for apples, a spread for toast, or try it sandwiched between two cookies! (My Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies would be a good choice.)
I haven’t tried a version sweetened with dates yet, but if you want to experiment with that, check out my date caramel recipe for guidance. I would use hazelnut butter instead of peanut butter, and add some cacao powder to it!
Healthy Nutella (4 ingredients!)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups hazelnuts (7.5 oz; 212 grams)
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar (118 grams)
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (12 grams)
- 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil (12 grams)
- 6 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF and arrange the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast the hazelnut for 10 minutes, or until their skins begin to crack. (This helps the skins slide off easier.) Allow the nuts to cool, then rub them in a dishtowel to help remove their skins. It doesn't matter if you get every last speck of skin off-- you just want to remove as much as is easily possible.
- Place the peeled hazelnuts in the bowl of a large food processor fitted with an "S" blade, then process them into a creamy nut butter, stopping to scrape down the bowl if necessary. This process should take 10 to 15 minutes, so be patient. You should hear a "sloshing" sound when the hazelnut butter has reached a nice and runny consistency.
- Once the hazelnut butter is smooth, add in the coconut sugar, cocoa powder, and coconut oil, and process briefly. The mixture will look crumbly. Add in 1/4 cup of water and process again. Add 1 tablespoon of water at a time after that, until your desired texture is reached. I typically add 2 to 3 more tablespoons of water after the initial 1/4 cup.
- Enjoy right away, and transfer the remaining chocolate hazelnut spread to an airtight container to store in the fridge. It should last up to 5 days in the fridge, or you can freeze it for up to 3 months.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Additional Notes:
- If you’d prefer to use maple syrup instead of coconut sugar, you can replace the 1/2 cup of coconut sugar with 1/4 cup of maple syrup and reduce the water to just 4 or 5 tablespoons. The results aren’t quite as delicious as the recipe written above, but they’re still tasty.
- I haven’t tried this using other nuts or seeds yet, but I think it would be worth a shot if you’d prefer to try something other than hazelnuts. As always, please share your results in the comments!
—
Reader Feedback: Are you a fan of Nutella or other chocolate nut butters?
I’ve seen those recipes floating around the internet too, but I must say that this recipe definitely looks the closest to the store-bought stuff! Yay!
I do love me some Nutella – it reminds me of backpacking through Western Europe (it was cheap and easy to pack along…and eat on a baguette!). I’m afraid if I made this I would eat it all in one sitting!
Hi!
I tried doing something very similar (no coco sugar just maple syrup) but I used my Vitamix instead and I couldn’t get it the that smooth texture. It was really good but a bit grainy. Have you tried it with your vitamix?
I don’t have a Vitamix (cant afford it…lol), but my Ninja works fine
This looks like the real thing! I like the addition of coconut sugar! Great post! can’t wait to make it!
Cannot wait to try this – looks absolutely delicious! Pinned and shared on my FB page!!
I typically don’t buy nutella (although it is super tasty) just because of the refined sugar issue I’m having right now (avoid avoid, right?!?) so I love your spin off version with ZERO refined sugar!!! Definitely going with your version hazelnuts and all. Love Love Love this!!!
Would Palm sugar be a good substitute for coconut sugar?
Palm and coconut sugar is technically the same thing if not mistaken. Just make sure its pure palm sugar. Some have added sugar in it.
I’ve seen those nutella recipes floating around the internet too and have been hesitant to experiment with nuts because they’re expensive. But your version I’ll try because I’ve enjoyed every recipe of yours that I’ve tried.
Here’s a little nut recipe for you; a gift for all that you share. Blend 1 cup of walnuts with a few softened dates, a teaspoon or so of speculaas spice mix, and a sprinkle of salt, whiz it up in the food processor leaving it chunky. I like to put it on my oatmeal.
I tried doing this a while ago, and never got a watery consistency in step 3, when you’re just processing hazlenuts by themselves, before you add the coconut oil and stuff…It was a Ninja food processor. I kept at it for quite some time and never got anything smooth and spreadable. Do you have any advice on this? I put coconut oil, maple syrup, and cocoa powder in that batch…I didn’t think to try water. I’m afraid to try this recipe b/c then if it gets messed up I can’t use the stuff for anything else, though of course itis still super delish!
Is that the Ninja food processor that has the motor on the top as the lid? I find that type of food processor doesn’t work as well as traditional food processors when it comes to making nut butters. I think when the powerful motor is on the bottom of the unit, it helps create some additional heat that breaks the nuts into a silky butter much faster.
Bookmarking this to try! Hoping it works in a Vitamix too 🙂
How FUNNY! I literall saw this this morning and I made my own version of Nutella last night! What a coincidence. I did my VERY different than yours. But yours looks great too 🙂
Out of curiosity, why do we want the skins off? Could i do this with soaked dehydrated hazelnuts with the skins on? Thanks!
Sorry, my email was typo’d in the comment above. 🙂
Hi Megan,I love your recipe, you have no idea how hard I try every day in the store to keep the hands of my two-year-old off the nutella. I read some recipes on the internet, but this one I’ll print it 🙂 I even want to try this to use as some cake cream for some healthy cakes like these:
http://www.coolhealthyrecipes.com/18-best-healthy-cake-recipes-including-raw-vegan-gluten-free-recipes/
What do you think, will it be suitable to make it like a healthy cream for some chocolate cake?
That sounds fantastic!
This was delicious. My family and I finished off an entire batch in just a couple of days (super tasty with bananas)! Thank you, Megan!!
Tried this at home and wow, does it ever taste/smell great! Mine didn’t quite mix smoothly though, after the addition of oil, water, etc. The liquid separated out and left a chunky mass. I tried further blending, but no luck. Could it be an issue of temperature differences? Warm nuts, melted coconut oil, cold water?
If my hazelnuts are already blanched do I still need to toast them in the oven?
Dear Megan,
I have just made this and wow, this taste absolutely DELICIOUS even if I put some coconut powder instead of cocoa !!!!! But managed to save the load fortunately 🙂
Just wanted to ask you if I could use some hazelnut flower (which I have) instead of hazelnuts and how much could I use instead ?
Thanks a lot and thanks for your fabulous recipes :-))
Been looking for a naturally sugar free Nutella on the shelves. No luck. So I’ll make this one at some point…and I’d definitely add the Maple Syrup 😀
This is à great recipe my 3 year loves it
Hi Megan! Quick question for you…Could this be made in a Vitamix, instead of a food processor? If so, do you have any tips? Thank you for all the great recipes! 🙂
I just tried making this tonight. I was looking forward to a non-refined sugar recipe. I made it in my blendtec. It turned out grainy, oily and not as sweet as I was hoping, even after I added the maple syrup. So, a little disappointed… not sure what I should have done differently. It’s in the fridge right now. Maybe I’ll try adding more maple syrup tomorrow and see if that helps the sweetness.
Did you follow the directions above exactly? I’ve never had the best luck making nut butter in my Vitamix, but the recipe should work fine as long as you make a creamy hazelnut butter first (so it shouldn’t be grainy). And did you only add 1 tablespoon of oil, and the 1/4 cup of water? It definitely shouldn’t be oily. If you want it sweeter, you can add more coconut sugar or maple syrup to taste.
I figured out what I did wrong. I added more hazelnuts than what the recipe called for. This likely is why it was so oily. Therefore, to make up for the excess of nuts, I added more cocoa and maple syrup (homemade) and it was much nicer. The great thing is that my kids like it and request it. I will definitely make it again. Goal achieved. Thanks for all your great recipes.
Oh god I made this and it is to die for!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for sharing!!
Just made this in my vitamix and is glossy and delicious. Can’t wait for it to be refrigerator cold to enjoy on rice crackers this afternoon. Thank you for this healthier version of the store bought stuff.
I made this this weekend to bring to a dinner party hosted by a friend. It was gone in one sitting. (It was just four of us and I’m not ashamed!) So delicious!!!!
Hi! Do you know if cocoa butter will work instead of the coconut oil for this?
Hi Megan,
I just made this homemade Nutella and it was so delish. It was so smooth, creamy and glossy. It has a texture just like the store bought one. I just used 1 cup of hazelnuts, because I only had 1 cup, 4 tablespoons of coconut sugar, 4 tablespoons of water and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup. And I added a lil bit of organic vanilla extract. Cant stop nibbling on it. Now, I can make Nutella strawberry crepes.
Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Could you skip the first steps and buy a jar of organic hazelnut butter from the healthstore? How much Hazelnut butter does 1+1/2 of hazelnuts make? I don’t have a food processor but I do have a kitchen aid so I could follow the rest of the recipe I think…This would be awesome, I have had so many cravings for Nutella since I had to give up dairy!!!
In my experience 1 cup of nuts = 1/2 cup nut butter. So, I’d guess 3/4 cup of hazelnut butter would work for this recipe!
I’m sorry to say this was a total disaster. Everything was going fine until I tried adding the water in (one tablespoon at a time). Then the whole thing separated, and the oil just wouldn’t integrate back in. The consistency ended up being like oily play doh. A genuine waste of expensive ingredients! 🙁
I replaced hazelnuts with cashews, maple syrup with honey, and melted coconut oil with melted butter, also add pinch of salt and blend it with thermomix and its turns great. Thanks for sharing this recipe, love it, and will make it again with other nuts
Thanks for posting this. I tried it tonight (using your maple syrup substitute for the coconut sugar) and while it doesn’t taste just like Nutella, it had its own unique flavor that I like. Also, I bought the roasted hazelnuts at Trader Joe’s, so I didn’t have to roast them. The consistency was perfect! Thanks very much!
Adding the water, one tablespoon at a time, resulted in a disaster! It completely seized up and turned into a gloppy mess. Not sure what went wrong. Tastes good but is not smooth and creamy. Any ideas?
It does seize up at first, you just need to keep adding the water until it becomes smooth.
Yay, we did it! We homeschool and for a special project made Nutella today! My kids (8, 6 and 4) were so excited and proud! Great recipe, thank you!
You say that you can store the finished spread in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week. Can the spread be frozen ? Have you tried to freeze it to check if the consistency changes with freezing ?
Do you think this work with hazelnut flour?
How long does it last and where do I store it Hun —
i used heaping Tbsp of cocoa but that was a mistake; it is rather bitter. So I added some carob and had to use a bit more sugar to un-bitter it. it is super glossy, not sure if I actually want the coconut oil in there? But it is fun! The nuts got skinned fairly easily, by rubbing in the towel, transferring to a colander, shaking them, shaking out the towel and repeating. Had to do three goes but the skins were easily dealt with.
An easy option is to try group 7’s Brownie butter and add hazelnut flour from Whole Foods.
I got the same weird thing, when I added the water, all the Nutella clumped up and the oil separated out. Before the water everything was fine. I’m tempted to try again without water. I also think some vanilla might be a good addition
Thank you for this recipe! So yummy, easy, and guilt free. It’s thick, satisfying, and moreish!!
Glad to hear you enjoyed it!
If i am using blanched hazelnuts should i still roast them?
I want to make this with premade hazelnut butter, how much would I use?
I left the last comment, I ended up just making it with whole nuts like in the directions. It worked! Only took 2 minutes even in my cheap $30 food processor! I added the oil at the beginning to help move things a long.
It is SOO good! I made it for my mom. I recently started caregiving for her and have been trying ro replace her staples with healthier options. She loves it so much she says she will return the real stuff to the store! Success! Glad I made it before she opened it.
Thank you so much this is delicious!!
I’m so glad that you and your mom both enjoyed it! Thanks for reporting back. 🙂
oh. my. goodness!!! Love love love this recipe megan! made this for my hubby and it incredible!
Would it be possible to skip the coconut oil? It’s not healthy and seems rather unnecessary.
Yes, you can probably skip the oil if you’d prefer to!
I see some people have issues with the vitamix.Mine comes out as smooth as store bought one I’ve seen in my friend’s house( I never bought nuttela myself)
Instead of coconut oil I add cacao butter and replaced the maple syrup and coconut sugar with pure organic monk fruit.This way I can have some too,as I am on a low carb diet.
Is it best to start with raw, unsalted hazelnuts? Or are roasted and/or salted OK too?
I think roasted or raw hazelnut would work fine for this recipe, but if they are salted that might affect the flavor. It could be a nice sweet & salty balance, though!
Have you tried this with raw cacao instead of cocoa powder?
Yes, I tend to use those almost interchangeably. I used raw cacao last time and it worked great!
Hello! Is there an oil substitute for coconut oil with your baking recipes?
Hi, I tried this, skipped the oil the consistency has become too thick, like, not spreadable. How can I fix it?