Healthy Vegan Nutella
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A creamy homemade healthy vegan Nutella recipe that you can prepare in no time! You’ll just need 5 ingredients to whip up this decadent vegan, gluten-free chocolate hazelnut spread. In less than 20 minutes, you will have a jar full of creamy deliciousness – the perfect treat, almost guilt-free!
Table of contents
I used to love Nutella when I was a kid: this chocolaty, decadent spread has always been a bit of a weakness!
So, when I started to eat healthier, I wanted to find out exactly what I was dealing with.
The History of Nutella
A precursor version of Nutella® (called supercrema – which means super-creamy) was originally created in the 1950s by Italian chocolatier Pietro Ferrero.
Then, in 1964, his son Michele Ferrero transformed his father’s creation into the globally recognized Nutella® that we know and love today.
But, what is it made from? And why should you make it at home?
As much as I think Pietro and Michele’s idea is genius, I also believe that their original recipe has fallen victim to industrial processing.
When I discovered what traditional Nutella was made of, I was in a bit of a shock!
A jar of original Nutella contains:
- 58% Sugar: Yes, you’ve read that right! It’s not a typo.
- 18% Fat: Fats are not bad for you. But the main issue with the fat contained in Nutella is that it mostly comes from palm oil. Palm oil contains over 50% of saturated fat, making it a high-cholesterol food.
And what about nuts? Isn’t that supposed to be the main ingredient as it’s called NUT-Ella, after all?
Well, Ferrero says each jar contains around 50 nuts, which equates to 20-25%.
Check out this shocking image if you want to look at what a Nutella jar contains.
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It’s time to get your blender out and turn those nuts into a healthy version of Nutella that is vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and much more nutritious than the original!
Yes, you can have all the deliciousness of the real deal without the nastiness!
Ingredients you’ll need
You will need a few simple ingredients to make this healthy vegan chocolate hazelnut spread:
- Hazelnuts: The stars of the show! Rich in protein and healthy fats, they will provide your Nutella with its typical nutty taste and bring it to the next level of deliciousness!
- Cashew nuts: My secret ingredient to add an extra layer of sweetness. Cashews are creamier than hazelnuts, giving this recipe a smoother texture and richer taste without the need to load the recipe with sugar. Make sure to use raw, unsalted cashew nuts.
- Dark chocolate: Use good chocolate, as it will determine the quality and taste of your Nutella. I used 75% dark chocolate, but feel free to substitute it with your favorite type of chocolate.
- Cacao powder: Cacao powder helps add an extra layer of chocolate to your Nutella, making it even more irresistible!
Optional ingredients:
- Raw cane sugar: The cashews already provide it with great natural sweetness. However, if you want to add some more sugar for those who like their sweets sweeter, I suggest adding just one teaspoon at a time until you reach your perfect sweetness. You can also add maple syrup or aga
- Vanilla extract: A little touch of vanilla will provide the recipe with a delicate and not-too-sweet flavor.
How to make vegan Nutella
- Toast the hazelnuts in the oven: Place the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 6-8 minutes. Keep an eye on them, as nuts can burn quickly.
I like to keep the skin on my hazelnuts for added fiber, but you can remove it if you want a smoother texture. Simply roll them around and rub them in a clean kitchen towel to remove the skin.
- Start blending: Add the roasted hazelnuts and raw cashew nuts to a food processor or high-speed blender (I used a Ninja Blender here, but a friend tried to make this Nutella with a Cuisinart food processor, and it works great). The art of making nut butter is a tricky one. You need the perfect combination of power and patience. It’s usually better to blend at low speed. If your blender or food processor is too powerful, it can cause the nuts to end up on the side without getting mixed in properly. The blades should create a fine, grainy paste. Keep mixing until you get to a smooth, creamy consistency typical of hazelnut butter. This is crucial. Otherwise, your Nutella will end up being gritty. And remember, depending on your blender, this can take anything between 5 to 10 minutes.
- Melt the chocolate: You can melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a stove. As we are melting very little chocolate, I find melting it in a microwave works best. Add the chocolate to a small bowl, and place it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds at a time. Keep checking, or you’ll end up with burned chocolate (yes, guilty! It happens to everyone…). If you don’t have a microwave and can’t be bothered with creating a double boiler, you can simply chop the chocolate into smaller tiny pieces and add it to the food processor. The heat from the blades will melt it.
- Add the chocolate and cacao powder: Add the melted chocolate to a food processor with the cacao powder. This is also the point to add your sweetener of choice one teaspoon at a time. Process for about 30-60 seconds, taste, and decide if you need more sugar.
- Store: Store in a glass jar or airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks. It’ll probably last longer, but it never did in my house, lol!
How to eat
Well, straight out the jar, of course! But if you’re looking for other ideas, it makes an excellent topping for overnight oats, chia puddings, or pancakes for breakfast. It’s also delicious as frosting on brownies, cookies, and cakes!
It’s also a great healthy snack to have on top of whole-grain bread or drizzled over a sliced banana.
F.A.Q. and tips
Real Nutella contains skim milk powder and whey. These two ingredients make it not suitable for vegans. But don’t despair! My yummy recipe is perfect for vegans, and it’s lactose and gluten-free.
Store in a jar at room temperature for up to three weeks. Yes, you can keep it in the refrigerator, but it’ll become harder and not as spreadable. A tip is to remove it half an hour before you plan to eat it.
No, you don’t. If you don’t have them handy or prefer to go 100% hazelnuts, simply substitute the cashew nuts for more hazelnuts in the recipe.
Your food processor might not be powerful enough but don’t despair. You can add one tablespoon of vegetable oil (like olive oil, hazelnut oil, or coconut oil) or even water to help the blending. If you add a touch of almond milk, as some recipes mention, your Nutella won’t last as long.
That’s normal. It’s because your nuts probably have a high oil content (good natural oils). You can put your Nutella in the fridge for an hour or so to harden it a bit. But when I get a runnier consistency, I eat it as it is. It’s delicious and completely natural.
You can use any sweetener you like: raw can sugar, coconut sugar, agave, or maple syrup. Taste it before adding any amount of sugar because hazelnuts and cashew nuts are quite sweet naturally, and you might not need any additional sweetener at all.
Why I love this vegan Nutella recipe
- Creamy, nutty, and velvety
- Made with whole natural ingredients and no added fat
- Vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free
- So simple to make
- Much healthier than the one you can buy at the grocery store!
More delicious chocolate recipes
You can also check out these healthy vegan snack ideas for more inspiration.
And if you try this healthy vegan Nutella recipe, please leave a comment and a rating and let me know how much you liked it!
Healthy Vegan Nutella
Ingredients
- 1 cup hazelnuts
- ½ cup cashew nuts - raw, unsalted (see note 1)
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate - (see note 2)
- 1 tablespoon cacao powder
- 1 teaspoon raw cane sugar - (or any other sweetener of choice – optional, to your taste – start with 1 tsp)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Place the nuts on a baking tray and roast them for 6-8 minutes and allow them to cool slightly before processing (note 3).
- Place the hazelnuts and cashew nuts in your blender or food processor (see note 4 )and begin to blend. Depending on your food processor, it will take 10 to 15 minutes to reach the perfect smooth liquid consistency. If the hazelnuts and cashew nuts stick to the sides, run a spatula alongside the bowl and keep processing. You will feel like nothing is really happening but be patient, and if your food processor is overheating, turn it off for a few minutes and let it cool down. After a while, the magic will start happening – the oil contained in the nuts will break down, and after a few more minutes, you will have smooth nut butter.
- While the nuts are processing, break the chocolate into small chunks and place them into a heatproof bowl and melt in the microwave, making sure to check every 15 seconds until melted (note 5).
- Once the nut butter is ready and deliciously creamy, add the melted chocolate, the cacao powder, and sugar (or sweetener of your choice, if needed) and blitz for another minute or two.
- As soon as it’s ready, it will be quite liquid, as the nuts will be warm. You can put the Nutella in the fridge for up to a couple of hours for a thicker consistency.
- Store the Nutella in a sterilized airtight jar and enjoy it. You can keep it a room temperature for around 3 weeks or longer (if it stays around that long)!
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe? Tag @gatheringdreams on Instagram. I want to see it!
This vegan Nutella recipe is a game-changer—rich, delectable, and nutritious. Dive in, satisfy those cravings, and savor the guilt-free delight!
Thanks so much, Jenny!
Excited to try this! Do you recommend this recipe be made in a blender or a food processor? Your notes all talk about blenders and the photos are of blenders, but then the actual recipe card calls for a food processor. I have a Vitamix and a Cuisinart. Which would you recommend? If you think the Vitamix is the better option, do you recommend scraping down the sides constantly or letting some of the mix turn to butter/paste before recapturing everything that shoots up and sticks to the sides of the blender bowl?
Thank you!
Hey Elizabeth,
You can use both, and I tried both. A Vitamix will work great, but you might want to double the recipe because it needs a good quantity to work. And yes, keep scraping everything that shoots up to the side.
Cuisinart works great too, and it might actually take less time.
The biggest point is to not get discouraged because it does take some time to get the creamy consistency!
Hello,
How long can you keep the handmade nutella?
Thanks
Hi Laura,
You can keep it at room temperature in a jar without any problems for at least a month. Probably even a bit longer, but I never tried. Don’t keep it in the fridge!
Absolutely delicious. I added a bit of coconut sugar to it.
Will definitely make again.
Glad you liked it, Fran. I just finished a jar full of it last week 🙂 So good!
This is great, thanks. My first go wasn’t sweet enough, so I’ll make this tomorrow and add a fair bit more and maybe some maple syrup. Is there an option to reject all cookies trackers? I spend ages rejecting “legitimate” partners on websites that have two buttons for “accept all” and none to reject. That’d be ace and I’d be much more encouraged to check out other pages on your site. Thanks!
Glad you liked it, Suzi! 🙂
I don’t think there is an option to reject them all in one go! I will reach out to the ads company to see if it’s something they can add as a feature. I know it can be annoying to do that one by one. You could use DuckDuckGo to remove all cookies when you browse my website (or any website) without having to opt-out 🙂
What kind of chocolate is best used for this recipe?
Thanks
I used 70% vegan dark chocolate 🙂
I love this! I wanna try it out and gift it to my vegan friends for the holidays! Any idea how long the shelf life is and if it should be refrigerated? Please let me know.
Hey Juliana,
It can last 3 weeks, probably even longer as there is no dairy in it. If some of the oil comes to the surface (which is normal) you can just stir it well again, and you are good to go. Keep it at room temperature or it will become too hard to eat 🙂
I’ve bookmarked this, I literally cannot wait to try this!! Also that image of what is actually in a jar of Nutella is soooo gross!! When you see it broken down like that it definitely turns you off eating it!! xo
It’s so delicious! And much much healthier than the real Nutella. You should try the almond butter too. I LOVE IT! Can’t live without it now.
That’s so cool I have to try it……my grandson is dairy free..and I am cutting out sugar..
Let me know what you think Janet. I would suggest adding no sugar first and then add a bit at the time to see how sweet you like it 🙂
The directions call for sugar but it doesnt list sugar in the ingredients?? How much sugar?
Hi Peyton,
Sugar is optional. It’s up to your taste. I would suggest starting with a teaspoon and see if it’s sweet enough.
I just tried to make this and I loved it! Thanks for the recipe. I was looking for a healthy alternative to Nutella. Yummy 🙂
Hey! Can I used cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate?
You can try to just use cocoa powder, but I would use a lot less. Just try with 2 tablespoons and taste it and add a bit more if needed. It might end up being less creamy.
You might also need a bit more sugar, as cocoa powder is a bit more bitter, but that’s up to it 🙂
What a titbit! I’ll certainly try to make it!
You have to! It’s super-delicious! Thanks for stopping by 😉