This homemade paleo and keto nutella hazelnut spread is truly unbelievable! Ultra rich and chocolatey, its taste is so spot on that you’ll never miss the store-bought version again (for real!).
Paleo & Keto Nutella Hazelnut Spread
Totally Unbelievable!
This keto Nutella is a recipe from our Keto Speedy Comfort Foods eCookbook (and definitely a favorite of mine!). And I’m sharing it asap on the blog as, aside from being an epic spread on toast (or biscuits or as a dessert pizza!), I have big (very big!) plans for this gem of a recipe base. i.e. stay posted!
A little history. Italians have been making this glorious hazelnut-chocolate spread (i.e. gianduja) since Napoleon’s regency in the 1700s. And it’s super easy and ultra nutritious to whip up at home (with little effort and few ingredients that is!).
Plus, this wholesome version carries a big nutrition punch courtesy of both the hazelnuts and the cocoa (think plenty of healthy fats and nutrients), surely making it breakfast-worthy!
Hazelnuts are stellar little nuts! Aside from tasting totally ahhh-some, they pack a whole load of nu-trition punch. Think of them as a killer source of healthy fats, high in the antioxidant vitamin E, a single serving provides nearly all your daily requirement of manganese, they’re super rich in magnesium… and too many more to name in this tiny square! So yup, think of this healthy hazelnut spread as a fat bomb supreme!
Cocoa vs. Cacao
Both work great, just know that quality really matters here. My favorite will forever be the Dutch-processed alkaline cocoa Valrhona, known to be one of (if not the) best cocoas in the world.
But feel free to use a raw cacao powder (arguably more nutritional perks here), though keep in mind that your nutella will be lighter in color and more reddish in hue. Both are well and good, as long as they’re unsweetened.
The Sweetener
Pick your poison: xylitol (non-corn to avoid tummy problems), erythritol (some slight cooling aftertaste) or allulose (need to add 30% more). But the sweeteners must be powdered.
So get your blender out, make sure it’s completely dry, and process your sweetener of choice until powdered. Just make sure you wait a few moments for the dust to settle before opening the blender or food processor.
And if paleo, or not restricted by sugars, your best bet is maple syrup or raw honey
Fun fact: it might also be our taste buds here, but I’ve noticed that stevia-based sweeteners (such as Pyure) don’t work so great when chocolate is involved as the aftertaste is accentuated. So we cannot recommend enough that you don’t use stevia-based sweeteners here (unless you’re immune to it of course!).
And if using xylitol, make sure to be careful if you have a pup (or kitty) around the house, as it’s highly toxic to the little guys!
A Little Preview!
Paleo & Keto Nutella Hazelnut Spread
Oh, and if baking with cups rather than grams is your thing, just click on US Cups for an instant conversion.
Ingredients
- 400 g hazelnuts
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 50 g cocoa
- 2-6 tablespoons powdered xylitol erythritol, or allulose*
- 1/4-1/2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat ovento 300°F/150°C. Place the hazelnuts in a rimmed baking tray and toast them until lightly golden and fragrant (10-14 minutes). While still warm, wrap them in a kitchen towel and rub vigorously to remove the skins (some bits will remain, worry not!).
- Transfer hazelnuts to a food processor and process until it begins to form into a paste, add avocado oil and continue until smooth (about 10-14 minutes). How smooth you get the hazelnut butter will depend on how powerful your blender/processor is (and how sharp the blades still are!). Add cocoa, powdered sweetener and salt to taste.
- Pour homemade nutella onto a mason jar (or airtight container) and refrigerate until set (will keep well for roughly a month!).
Paola, mine came out super thick. I toasted mine in my air fryer lightly, they were very nice all by themselves this way, crunchy but not soft. My house smelled wonderful. I only had 300 grams of them, and I used the same ingredients for everything else. My only difference was I put in 2 tablespoons Erythetol and 2 tablespoons of Allulose. Mine came out very dry, I almost decided to use coconut oil instead but I did use the Avocado after all. It was very close to your recipe, but I cannot figure out why mine came out so thick. It doesn’t look smooth like your picture and I do have a very high powered food processor. I also live in Mexico, in Morelos (we are neighbors!)
Your recipe worked like a dream!! 😀 Super creamy and delicious. We added a little extra cocoa powder because my son LOVES chocolate and used coconut sugar (we pre-ground in the blender).
Thank you for sharing!! This was my paleo kid’s 1st time eating Nutella and he loved it.
I’ve been on keto for about one year and really missed Nutella hazelnut spread, until I came across your recipe.. oh my! It’s amazing! It tasted better than Nutella! I had it on my boring keto chocolate microwave cake and it gave it a great luxurious taste, I can’t thank you enough for this recipe! Just a small thing, mine became very liquid, although I followed the recipe exactly, why do you think this happened?
Hi Paola!! It took me some time to get to the Ferrero Rochers recipe but I finally did! 😛 One question that I noted was already asked I didn’t see answered anywhere below was with regards to the texture being too liquidy.
I might have been a bit too heavy handed on the oil (no avocado on hand, used a dash of MCT plus coconut); any idea how to thicken it – without making a whole other batch?? Thanks, you absolute keto rockstar! xo
I assume you could use Macadamia nuts instead of Hazelnuts. Has anyone tried?
I haven’t… but don’t see why not?! Macadamias make a wonderful nut butter too! xo!
If using hazelnut butter do you still use 3 cups?
I would like to know that too. I don’t think so. I think i would do half.
But Paola did mention this at the bottom that u can use store bought past too, and she did not mention to use less, so i will use the full amount required. I did not see it in time, before putting my comment in. I “hate” it when people don’t read or look what she’s saying, and now i’m doing it myself. 😉 I want chocopasta with a waffle! nom nom nom…
Hi! Thank you for all your wonderful recipes! Just a question tho – could I use monkfruit (Lakanto) for this recipe?
Def Marsha! And its my absolute pleasure enjoy!
I am wondering if you could use dates for the sweetener? Also could you add powdered egg whites to increase the protein?
Thanks
Made this today using half Lakanto and half maple syrup (so my kids will eat it too 😁). Interestingly it was blending beautifully and liquid until the last step; when I added the maple syrup it seized into a “peanut butter” type texture and wouldn’t smooth out again. I thought maybe once the maple syrup warmed up it would be fine but that didn’t happen. Maybe there is a chemical reaction? It’s still yummy as a spread!
All you need to do when chocolate seizes is to add more oil until it releases again. Try a tablespoon at a time.
This tastes delicious but is liquid. Any suggestions on thickening it up? Do you think just spending time in the fridge will do it?
Where can you buy quality hazlenuts? I got mine in the bulk section at Kroger… tasted so so bitter!!! Waste of $15!!
Hi, I bought my nuts Roasted and peeled, put them in the blitzer and then added all dry stuff with the coconut oil…I added some water because it was to dry…maybe i needed to warm up the nuts first…it’s still great though…x
Cannot have the store shelf Nutella. This was very good. I had a problem getting the erythritol to the powdered form, thus the end result was slightly grainy. But not a big problem.
What kind of blender/food processor do you use?
I have a Kitchen Aid 😉
Hi Paola, can I use pre-roasted and husked hazelnuts or should I just buy whole and roast + husk them myself?
Also, did you really mean to process the oil with nuts for 10 to 14 minutes? (just wanted to make sure that was correct)
Thank you, I cant wait for Nutella!! Once I make it I will def come back and rate it (I am sure it will be 5 stars, I love your recipes!!)
Let me start by saying I am not a Nutella fan, I have never cared for hazelnuts in any shape form or fashion. I did make two jars of this for my mom and daughter for Christmas and they both said it tasted even better than Nutella. Evidently this stuff is amazing on your fluffy waffle recipe, at least according to the two Nutella fans in my family 😊. I did use the blanched and roasted hazelnuts so I wouldn’t have to remove the skins, and roasted them a bit more (about 15 minutes at 300F).
If using maple syrup or honey for this recipe, would you still use 2-6 tbsp?
This stuff is amazing. Even more amazing when spread on your pecan snowball cookies!
Thank you for putting out the best recipes!
Whaaaat! That’s the best idea on earth 😂!!
Can I use monk fruit for the sweetener?
Can the Nutella be stored in the freezer???
I tired to make this today and it won’t get smooth or liquify like the picture. Mine is staying like the consistency of play dough. Not sure what I did wrong?
Mine was the same, i just added water very slowly…it worked…x
I sooo need to make this for my daughter! She is a Nutella addict 😂 Can the blanched roasted hazelnuts be used to make this? Removing the skin makes such a mess! 😉
Thanks!
I assume leaving it on will cause lumpy eating. Like paper in the mouth.
I would love to try this but I don’t have a good processor, can I do it in a blender? 🙂
Two questions: first, do you grind the allulose as well for this recipe? It is already pretty finely ground. And second, how do you feel about using store-bought hazelnut butter for this recipe? It is much less work than starting with raw hazelnuts…
I would still regrind it otherwise it might not dissolve (I learnt the hard way!). Store-bought hazelnut butter would surely speed up the process (but a bit more pricey!). xo!
Can Nutella be stored in the freezer?
Yup!
Love your recipes, Paola! Does it have to be a food processor or would my Vitamix blender work better? (I do have a food processor, as well.)
Whichever one is more powerful 😜
Can liquid sweeteners be used?
Your nutella might end up too liquid is my guess?
Will it work with coconut oil instead of avocado oil? Sounds scrumptious!
any particular reason for the avocado oil, specifically? Any thoughts on using coconut oil?
I love what you are doing!!!!
It’s just more neutral-tasting, can use coconut oil too (I’ve even used olive oil and the bitterness works with the chocolate)
Second recipe we made from your terrific book and can vouch for it! We now make a weekly batch for the entire family, kids and all!
Oh Martha how awesome to hear! Kiddo approved always means a lot 😂!
I HAVE to try this. Quick question. Can you use a different oil or even butter?
Hi Yvonne! (melted) coconut oil and olive oil both work too! I made it with olive oil this week as I ran out of avocado and it was slightly bitter but also wonderful xo!
MCT oil or Brain Octane work well for Nutella as they already are liquid.
oh emm geeeee YOU ROCK!
😜!