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!).
I bought raw hazelnut already peeled. Can I roast it without the shell?
Hello! Thanks for this wonderful recipe! I made one batch last year, turned out great! The second time I was short on hazelnuts and I added almonds. DO NOT RECOMMEND lol. It was just weird. Finally now I made it again, a double batch. I added a bit of pure vanilla extract and more powder sweetener. It turned out delicious again! I am so excited!! I wish I could post a pic, but it looks exactly like yours! Thank you!
If you use the hazelnut butter , how much do you use?
This was da bomb! Now I need ideas for what to eat it on! I used to love eating Nutella on apples and bananas, but alas! What does everyone else eat it on?
I *love* it with strawberries!
Great flavour just had to add some cream to thicken it up so that it will have the consistency of real Nutella.
Thanks to your “suggestion”, the cream caked. Please refrain next time
This is AMAZING!!! I only had enough hazelnuts for a 1/4 batch, but I think a whole batch would be too tempting to keep around. This will definitely be made sparingly and for those special occasions when you want to share in a celebration, but stick to your food goals. Thank you!!
I did this one with my lovely Thermomix, and WOW. My office (5 of us) ate the whole thing in 1hour.
I was wondering, how would you do the white chocolate one? 😀
Can we use store-bought hazelnut flour instead of grinding whole hazelnuts? Would it be the same weight of hazelnut flour as whole hazelnuts?
Hello! Been a long time follower of your awesome recipes.
I tried my hand at this one as I LOVE nutella but I’m still rolling laughing at the results! Everything was coming together beautifully as expected, I then decided to add a 1/2 tsp of vanilla and another 1/4 c of powdered erythritol (I think that’s where I messed up) then BAM! EVERYTHING balled up and it was leaking oil like an old beat up car.
What did I do!? Lmao I am resilient so I turned around and made truffles out of the gloppy mess because that’s the EXACT texture I got.
Any ideas on what went wrong? I know it was my error and not a recipe issue.
Too much erythritol by chance? Thanks!
It could be the alchohol in your vanilla making the protein, fats and carbs in your nut paste separate.
Hey Amy! I did the same thing you did, just a tad bit of vanilla (didn’t measure) and added about 1/4-1/2 cup of extra “sugar”. But it didn’t mess up the recipe. I wonder if your vanilla was pure or “essence”?
I am a super novice when it comes to baking and making sweets of any variety – keto or otherwise – and this recipe was so straightforward and simple that I will happily make it again and again! I just finished making this and have been sharing the remainder of the scrapings from the container with my kids after storing the jars away in the fridge, haha.
This will go amazingly well with cream cheese pancakes, chaffles, and whatever else I can think of! If I’m not just licking some off a spoon in the middle of the night, sshhhh. I posted my results on my instagram and tagged you in it! I can’t wait for you to see it. It’s not as pretty looking as so many others’ photos out there, but I have a lot of fun doing it! My Instagram name is milk_chai_tea.
See you there!
Hi! I’m super excited to try this out. Quick question, how much hazelnut butter should I use? I got the biona hazelnut butter as suggested! I have a bottle of 170 grams!
Thanks