This delicious smooth and creamy healthy homemade Nutella recipe is one of the most popular recipes I’ve ever posted, and for good reason!
The Best Nutella Recipe
Currently with more than ten thousand positive online reviews, this surprisingly easy Nutella recipe is definitely a huge reader favorite.
Super rich and creamy, it effortlessly holds its own against that famous Ferrero chocolate spread in the iconic red and white plastic jars at the grocery store.
And yet the homemade version also has fewer than half the calories per serving.
It’s much healthier than store-bought, without sacrificing any of the kid friendly classic chocolate taste that we all know and love.
Also be sure to try these Black Bean Brownies
Homemade Nutella
Just one spoonful of the thick chocolate vegan Nutella recipe, and you’ll absolutely never want to put the spoon down again.
Yes, it’s that good.
Unless, of course, you don’t like Nutella… is such a thing even possible?
Is there really a single person in this world who can resist that luxuriously rich and velvety hazelnut chocolate spread?
If true, please send me your spoon so I can happily eat your portion.
I’m nice like that.
Healthy Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
I didn’t specifically set out to make a low calorie Nutella.
It just turned out that way.
Unlike store-bought Nutella, which lists palm oil and sugar as the first two ingredients, this option is suitable for vegans or those with dairy allergies and is lower in sugar or can be a sugar free recipe.
It’s also high in Vitamin E, B vitamins, and healthy fats.
My first introduction to Nutella was in preschool, and it was love at first bite.
Back then, the spread wasn’t popular like it is now. All of the other children in my class thought I was so weird for bringing Nutella sandwiches to school, neatly packed into a lunchbox with the crusts cut off.
Day after day, they ate their boring peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, while I blissfully devoured a chocolate sandwich.
Needless to say, in just a few months I’d hooked all of my friends on this miracle hazelnut cocoa spread, and soon everyone was bringing Nutella for lunch, as sandwiches or a dip for fresh apple slices, strawberries, or bananas.
Vegan Nutella Ingredients
I gave up eating Nutella upon going vegan years ago. Vegan Nutella or gianduja brands, including Justin’s or Nutiva, do now exist, but buying them can get expensive.
Making your own hazelnut spread at home saves money, and you get to control exactly what ingredients to use.
For the milk: If you choose a nondairy milk such as almondmilk or coconut milk, the recipe can be naturally dairy free, gluten free, egg free, and soy free.
The sweetener: Use your favorite all purpose sweetener, such as date sugar, regular granulated sugar, or coconut sugar. Liquid sweeteners like pure maple syrup, agave, honey, or date syrup also work but will yield a much less creamy and spreadable result.
For a low carb or keto Nutella recipe: Simply use a sugar free sweetener such as xylitol or erythritol instead of the sugar. The low carb version will have just 0.1 net carbs per serving.
I haven’t tried sweetening the Nutella with stevia or allulose, so feel free to experiment and be sure to report back with results if you do.
The hazelnuts: Look for raw hazelnuts in the bulk aisle of health food stores or online. I’ve also seen them sold in bags at Costco. Feel free to sub unsalted roasted hazelnuts and skip the roasting step in the recipe instructions below.
If you can’t find hazelnuts at all, the spread can be made with almonds instead. The flavor will be different but it’s still tasty.
How To Make Nutella At Home
Gather all of the ingredients, and preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roast the two cups of raw hazelnuts on the oven’s center rack for about 6 to 8 minutes.
Rub the roasted nuts together in a cloth or paper towel to remove the skins. Don’t worry if some of the skins refuse to come off.
In a high speed blender (like a Vitamix) or food processor (like a Cuisinart), blend the hazelnuts until they turn into a smooth butter.
Add all remaining ingredients, and blend on high for a few minutes until the texture resembles real Nutella.
Homemade Nutella Storage Instructions
Is using the oil instead of milk, the homemade Nutella is shelf stable and does not need to be refrigerated. It can be stored in a tightly covered container in your kitchen cabinet for up to two weeks. Or refrigerate for up to two months.
If using the milk, it’s best to store the recipe in the refrigerator, where it should stay good for two to three weeks.
After this time, to prevent the nuts from going rancid, you can freeze leftover Nutella. The texture will not be as smooth, but it still tastes great!
Is Nutella Healthy?
The main ingredient in store-bought Nutella is surprisingly not cocoa powder or hazelnuts. Palm oil and sugar make up more than 50% of the spread, which also includes skim milk, whey, soy lecithin, and vanillin (artificial flavor).
Two tablespoons of the packaged hazelnut spread with cocoa contain 200 calories, 11 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, and 21 grams of sugar.
Even if you use all regular sugar in the recipe below, it will still only have 70 calories, less than a gram of saturated fat, and under 5 grams of both fat and sugar per two tablespoon serving, making the homemade Nutella a much healthier option.
Recipes With Nutella
Other good uses for homemade Nutella include spreading it over toast or Vegan Pancakes, frosting cupcakes or adding a spoonful to hot chocolate, or eating it straight out of the jar with a spoon!
Above, watch the step by step homemade Nutella recipe video
Homemade Nutella Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups hazelnuts (240g)
- 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup sweetener of choice (see above for options that work here)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup milk of choice or 2 tbsp oil, optional
Instructions
- Homemade Nutella Recipe: If hazelnuts are not already roasted, preheat the oven to 400 F and bake for 6-8 minutes or just until they begin to brown. Rub them together in a paper towel to get the skins off. It’s okay if a few stubborn skins won’t come off. In a Vitamix or food processor, blend the nuts until they’ve turned to butter. (This could take up to twenty minutes in a food processor.) Then add all other ingredients except milk or oil and blend a long time until it’s smooth like Nutella! If desired, add in the milk or oil. Storage tips are listed above.View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
Easy Chocolate Recipes
Homemade Chocolate Bars (3 Ingredients)
Oooooo…. instead of sugar…. maybe DATES!
Oh DUH! This was already suggested; lol
I love using dates to sweeten things – love the idea of whole food sweeteners. I haven’t tried it for this recipe yet. Let us know if you do and how much to put in!
First I made this with Hazlenuts from Whole Foods which were super expensive, I think I might have paid $12 for two cups worth of nuts. It was good but had a bit of an odd taste to me, maybe I burned the nuts a little when I roasted them, not sure. Figured I’d try it with Almonds before trying again with hazlenuts since I can get a big bag of almonds from Costco for much less $$$. I have to say, I completely prefer the almond one over the hazlenut version and the fact that it’s so much cheaper to make is a big bonus too. The almonds never turned into a paste like the hazlenuts did but once I started adding the other ingridents it all worked out.
Never tried Nutella, fortunatley I read the label first! I am excited to try this and hopefully my son who has an allergy disease will one day be able to eat this with me! Thx!
Ugh, I don’t like nutella at all. I have no problem with chocolate and I have no problem with hazelnuts, it’s just the combination of the two that doesn’t please me. But I could definitely try this recipe but by replacing the hazelnuts with peanuts. I’ll feed it to my friend if I don’t like it either, she’ll eat anything with chocolate.
I’ve got BIG problems … I have a Blendtec and I guess I blended too much because it separated! I didn’t know that would happen. I’m going to eat it because there is about $14 or more of quality food in there, but I’m scared to try this again. I don’t have time to read ALL of these comments … has this occurred to anyone else and what do I do? Hand mix after I get the hazelnut butter made? I’m tempted to just fugetaboutit 🙁
I’m trying to eat more vegan, but once I discovered Nutella, it became my achilles heel. Hot damn Nutella is like my secret lover. So satisfying. But I know I cannot indulge forever without feeling some guilt… I really really hope Nutella makes a vegan version some day. Until then I’m going to attempt this!
Just made it, yum! But how do you store it?
Hi Katie,
I would like to give you a virtual hug for coming up with so many AMAZINGGGGG Recipes!!! You’ve saved my life from certain unhealthy cravings and i am eternally greatful hahaha. Keep up the awesome work!!! 😉
I didn’t have any hazelnuts, but REALLY wanted to make this! So, I used peanuts and it turned out YUMMY. It didn’t quite have the taste that Nutella has(I figured since I was being so impatient,)But, I must say, It still turned out amazing. Thank you, Katie! 🙂
I think the recipe should be modified so the hazelnuts don’t burn. I used the lower time (10 minutes) and they were too done, so it has a burnt flavor, even though I will be using it so it doesn’t go to waste. These ingredients are SO expensive, so I’m very disappointed, but will try again when I can get some more hazelnuts. They really only need about 5 minutes at 400 degrees. I used regular sugar and chocolate almond milk in my Vitamix and the consistency is amazing – very smooth and creamy. I didn’t use any oil as it wasn’t needed.
Nutella has a modified palm oil. A natural form would be preferred – maybe even a combo with coconut oil, raw shea butter, even peanut oil like Nutella used to have.
I don’t know what you could add to prevent rancidity from setting in too quickly – all those nuts and oils. Would you heat pasteurize the final product by standing the jar in simmering water?
It bugs me how good a bad thing can taste. The only real solution may be don’t buy Nutella.
How long will this Nutella stay fresh before going bad?
Can i use stevia instead of the xylitol?
how long will this Healthy Nutella last for? how do u storage? in cupboard or refrig?
Fridge is best.
Do you roast these before or after cracking them out of their shell?? I just roasted in their shell and when I cracked and tried to get the skins off using a paper towel, my fingers, a knife, anything none would come off without basically losing half the hazelnut. I’m very frustrated. Any tips?
You should unshell them first.
Min me turned out the consistency of milk. I followed everything exactly. Any ideas?
Possibly you blended it so long you make hazelnut milk…It’s probably delicious! Hahaha