Just like everyone I know, I’ve been nuts for Nutella most of my life. I mean is there anyone who doesn’t love the magical combination of chocolate and hazelnuts?
I highly doubt it!
But did you know that two tablespoons of Nutella has as much sugar as FIVE OREO COOKIES? That’s right! Just one serving contains 21 grams or over 5 teaspoons of sugar, which is close to the maximum recommended amount of sugar for women for the entire day (6 teaspoons)!
So basically Nutella is spreadable candy and not the healthy breakfast it’s advertised to be. Besides all the refined sugar, it contains palm oil, soy lecithin, skim milk and whey powder, which is why I try to avoid it as much as possible and make my own healthy homemade version using just 4 simple ingredients.
The key ingredient is of course hazelnuts. I prefer to purchase raw nuts, since the roasted ones often have oils and salt added and quite often taste rancid due to being processed at high temperatures.
You can easily roast the nuts at home in the oven for a deeper nuttier flavor. I prefer not to go above 275 F and roast them for 15-20 minutes, which I find still gives the nuts a delicious mildly-roasted flavor, but it’s not too high to damage the natural oils.
Simply add the roasted hazelnuts to a food processor or high-speed blender and process until you get a smooth nut butter. You can apply this same process to make any nut butter of your choice. Just be patient and keep going until the natural oils in the nuts start to release and magically turn them into a creamy nut butter!
Once your nut butter is ready, add the rest of ingredients: raw cacao powder, pure maple syrup, and your favorite non-dairy milk and process some more until you get your rich delicious “nutella” spread. Simple as that!
This much healthier version includes less than 1/4 of the sugar in store-bought Nutella (5 grams per serving) that comes from maple syrup. Pure maple syrup is unrefined, so it contains some important antioxidants and minerals such as manganese and zinc. It also has a Glycemic Index of about 54, which is quite lower than regular cane sugar at 65, meaning it doesn’t raise blood glucose levels as fast as refined sugar.
Hope you get to try and enjoy this delicious and nutritious spread. It is truly an easy recipe you can whip up in less than 30 minutes. I promise you’ll never want to go back to the classic once you’ve tried this! Don’t forget to leave a comment below or tag me on your photos on Instagram or Facebook @nutriholist #nutriholist when you make it and let me know what you think. Enjoy!
Healthy Homemade “Nutella” Recipe
Yields 2 cups
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw hazelnuts
- 1/4 cup raw cacao powder
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup non-dairy milk
Directions
- Preheat oven to 275 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- Place hazelnuts on the sheet in a single layer and roast for about 15 minutes. Keep an eye on them towards the end to make sure they don’t burn
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes
- Place hazelnuts in the food processor and blend for 2-3 minutes (or longer depending on the power of your machine) until they turn into a smooth butter. Pause the food processor every 1-2 minute(s) to prevent it from getting hot and scrape down the sides
- Add the rest of ingredients and blend for about 2-3 minutes until it’s smooth like Nutella!
- Pour into a jar and enjoy with fruits, on toast, on with a spoon! Stays fresh for 2-3 weeks in the fridge
NOTES: Feel free to spice up your Nutella to your liking. I like to experiment with a pinch of sea salt, cinnamon or vanilla from time to time!
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