This Homemade Nutella couldn't be easier to make! Just 7 ingredients, and lower in sugar than the regular kind, it's delicious for breakfast or a snack. A smooth, nutty, rich and creamy chocolate hazelnut spread that you will want to put on everything. Just grab a spoon! There is also a dairy free option too, so you can have delicious vegan Nutella.
Nutella is a popular brand of a chocolate-hazlenut spread and it is super moreish. It is seen as a breakfast choice in many countries across the world, but it isn't the healthiest breakfast choice and might leave you with a sugar crash a couple of hours later.
We have lightened it up a bit, used less sugar (but it's still plenty sweet), which means you can still enjoy Nutella for breakfast (or any time of the day), but make sure it's a bit healthier too.
Looking for some other sweet breakfasts? Why not try our Apple Cinnamon Pancakes, Banana Porridge and Healthy French Toast.
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Why You Will Love It
- Healthier - We have sweetened our healthy Nutella with a few dates and a little maple syrup rather than it being loaded with sugar. This makes a portion lower in calories than traditional Nutella. It is just 63 calories a portion.
- Dairy free option - We have added a splash of milk to loosen it up and make it creamier, however you could use a dairy free milk, or even coconut oil.
- Easy to make - This couldn't be easier to make. Just put everything in the food processor and blend until you get the desired consistency.
- Versatile - If you can manage to not just eat it all out of a jar with a spoon, then there are so many different ways that you can use this homemade healthy Nutella. Spread it on waffles or pancakes, make a sandwich with it or even use it as a dip for fruit kebabs.
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Hazelnuts - This is the star of the Nutella and what gives it the incredible nutty flavour. We wanted to make this as quickly as possible, so we used hazelnuts straight from the packet, however you could roast the hazelnuts first which would really intensify their flavour. If you aren't roasting the hazelnuts, then use blanched hazelnuts
- Vanilla - This adds a real warmth to the chocolate spread. Make sure to use extract, rather than essence, as you will get a more natural flavour.
- Cocoa powder - We used unsweetened cocoa powder and it gives it a lovely intense chocolate flavour and richness. Use the best quality cocoa powder you can, as you will be able to taste the difference.
- Milk - This helps to loosen the Nutella up. If you wanted to make this dairy free, then use a dairy free alternative. You could leave the milk out and use coconut oil instead, which would make it lovely silky smooth.
- Dates - This adds some natural sweetness to the recipe, and a lovely flavour too.
- Water - This is boiling water that is added to the dates to soak, making them easier to blend and make the healthier Nutella nice and sweet.
- Maple syrups - Along with the dates, this is what we have used to sweeten the recipe. Just a little goes a long way. Try to use pure maple syrup.
- Sea salt - We add a pinch of salt, because it balances out the sweetness and really enhances the chocolate flavor. You could leave this out though.
More ingredient substitutions and variations can be found in the recipe card.
How To Make Homemade Nutella - Step by Step
One: Put the hazelnuts in a food processor and process on the highest speed for 10-15 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl at regular intervals, until you have a smooth nut butter.
Two: Meanwhile, place the dates in a bowl with the boiling water and leave to soak for 10 minutes.
Three: Add the dates and water, along with the remaining ingredients to the food processor with the hazelnut butter. Process the mixture on high until it is smooth. Transfer to a jar and store for up to 1 week in the fridge.
Health Benefits
Healthy is such a subjective word and whilst portion control is always key with something like this, it is a lighter version that traditional Nutella. We have used a little maple syrup and some dates to sweeten this, to make it a much more natural version. You can adjust the sweetness to suit your own tastes.
Hazelnuts are a good source of vitamin E, B6, Thiamin, folate, phosphorus, potassium and zinc. Be aware that they also contain phytic acid, which has been shown to impair the absorption of some minerals, like iron and zinc.
Hazelnuts are also a rich source of mono- and polyunsaturated fats and contain a good amount of omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids.
Read more about the health benefits of hazelnuts.
What To Serve It With
To be honest, we are happy to just eat it out of a jar with a spoon. But that isn't the healthiest choice. Luckily, there are so many different ways to serve this and here are some of our favourites:
- Dip apple slices in it
- Put it on porridge
- Make our Nutella Waffles
- Use it to make hot chocolate
- Spread on our Healthy Banana Bread
- On toast
- As a pancake topping
- On waffles
- To make our Nutella Smoothie
- In a croissant
- Melted and drizzled over ice cream
- Dip strawberries in it
- As a cake frosting
Extra Tips
- If you are trying to convince your kids that this is the real thing, then after you have finished a jar of Nutella you can wash it out and fill it with this. They will never know!
- You need a high powdered food processor to make this. You can use a blender, but you won't get a really creamy and smooth Nutella.
- To make it thicker and more spreadable, use less milk in it.
- Blending time will depend on the blender that you are using. Some will take longer than others.
- To make this healthy Nutella really smooth, you could add a couple of tablespoons of coconut oil to it. This would change the flavour a little though.
- The more full your food processor is, the easier it will be to blend the ingredients. So, if you doubled the batch of this, it would blend faster. But then you would have a lot of Nutella - not that that is a bad thing.
- If you really wanted to, you could even make this recipe sugar free. It would taste very bitter though.
- Make sure to sift your cocoa powder if it is clumpy.
- You can add a pinch of salt to balance out the sweetness of the sugar and the nuttiness of the hazelnuts.
- If you want to make it softer when it comes out of the fridge, spoon out your serving and put it in the microwave for 30 seconds.
- To make this as budget friendly as possible, then buy your hazelnuts in bulk in whole food shops. This works out much more cost effective than buying smaller bags in the supermarket. You will usually find them loose, rather than buying them bagged.
- To make this Nutella a little more indulgent, you could melt some dark or milk chocolate to mix in at the end. It would make it more sugary though.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, you don't have to and skipping this step will save a lot of time. However toasting them will help to break them down and realise oils, so you can remove the skins and make a really creamy chocolate spread. If you have the time, then it is worth it as it is next level flavour.
Yes, if you don't like the taste of hazelnuts, or you don't have any, then you can swap them for almonds or peanuts in this recipe. Have you tried our Honey and Vanilla Almond Butter?
Because our recipe contains milk, it doesn't store as long as it would if you just used oil. You will need to keep it in an air tight container in the fridge and it will keep fresh for 4 days. If you want to keep it for longer, you will need to swap the milk for oil. If you use oil instead of milk, it will store in a jar in a cupboard for up to 2 weeks.
No, you cannot freeze this. Once it is defrosted, it will not be smooth and creamy. Instead, it will be thick and crumbly and nobody wants that.
The more powerful your food processor, the quicker it will be to make homemade Nutella. We used a Morphy Richards PrepStar, which is great if you are making a large batch. However, the batch we made was quite small, so we used a NutriBullet instead.
If you find that your homemade Nutella is too thick (this really is a preference thing), then you can add a teaspoon of melted coconut oil, until it is your preference consistency.
More Spread Recipes
If you’ve tried this homemade Nutella recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Homemade Healthier Nutella
Ingredients
- 200 g (1.66 cups) Hazelnuts
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 80 g (1 cups) Cocoa powder
- 130 ml (0.5 cups) Whole milk
- 8 Pitted dates
- 50 ml (0.25 cups) Water
- 2 tablespoon Maple syrup
Instructions
- Put 200 g Hazelnuts into a food processor and process on the highest speed for 10-15 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl at regular intervals, until you have a smooth nut butter.
- Meanwhile, place 8 Pitted dates in a bowl with 50 ml Water and leave to soak for 10 minutes.
- Add the dates and water, along with 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract, 80 g Cocoa powder, 130 ml Whole milk and 2 tablespoon Maple syrup to the food processor with the hazelnut butter.
- Process the mixture on high until it is smooth. Transfer to a jar and store for up to 1 week in the fridge.
Recipe Tips
- If you are trying to convince your kids that this is the real thing, then after you have finished a jar of Nutella you can wash it out and fill it with this. They will never know!
- You need a high powdered food processor to make this. You can use a blender, but you won't get a really creamy and smooth Nutella.
- To make it thicker and more spreadable, use less milk in it.
- Blending time will depend on the blender that you are using. Some will take longer than others.
- To make this healthy Nutella really smooth, you could add a couple of tablespoons of coconut oil to it. This would change the flavour a little though.
- The more full your food processor is, the easier it will be to blend the ingredients. So, if you doubled the batch of this, it would blend faster. But then you would have a lot of Nutella - not that that is a bad thing.
- If you really wanted to, you could even make this recipe sugar free. It would taste very bitter though.
- Make sure to sift your cocoa powder if it is clumpy.
- You can add a pinch of salt to balance out the sweetness of the sugar and the nuttiness of the hazelnuts.
- If you want to make it softer when it comes out of the fridge, spoon out your serving and put it in the microwave for 30 seconds.
- To make this as budget friendly as possible, then buy your hazelnuts in bulk in whole food shops. This works out much more cost effective than buying smaller bags in the supermarket. You will usually find them loose, rather than buying them bagged.
- To make this Nutella a little more indulgent, you could melt some dark or milk chocolate to mix in at the end. It would make it more sugary though.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Cecilia Keinapel says
This looks amazing like all of your recipes. I have saved this one for a treat day, might try it tomorrow. Love the idea of that milk, I will look into it.
Celia x
Rachael Phillips says
nutella is so full of sugar it's now sadly on my banned list but this is perfect! i'll be giving it a whirl next weekend x
Kari @ bite-sized thoughts says
I love homemade chocolate spread and this looks delicious. I still have to be careful of having the DIY versions in the house as they are so moreish!
Melanie Edjourian says
OMG what a fab recipe, I have to try this!!!!
Tanya Brannan says
I am one of those weirdos that doesn't like nutella at all!! However my children do love it, so I shall be giving this a try x
Kelly says
My husband has trouble digesting milk too so I can't wait to let him try this. Homemade and healthier Nutella is always better in my book! Love the dates in here!
Lubka Henry says
It really sounds healthier and looking at the ingredients it should be too difficult to make .Thanks for the recipe :))
Sarah, Things Sarah Loves says
Ah I'm so happy I read this post. I love Nutella but I've been looking for a good, healthier version that I can eat without the guilt...can't wait to try this!
Mark, Compass & Fork says
I love making my own stuff from scratch, so why not nutella? Then you know exactly what is in your food. I love that this is such a simple spread to make.
anna nuttall says
Omg I love the look of this - I want in my belly right now!!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
I have never had nutella... I know! BUT it's not my fault!! I think you already know I'm allergic to cocoa, so nutella for me is out of the question. My husband however? He LOVES the stuff! Clearly I am going to have to make him a few batches of this because I love feeding him things that are a bit healthier! So thank you for this, Dannii!! Cheers!
Mackenzie says
I love the dates as an alternative sweetener in this recipe! I don't usually care much for nutella because I find it to be a bit sweet for my taste, but this may be just what I need.
Tina Jui | The Worktop says
This was a really interesting read about A1 and A2 protein in milk. I have seen a2 milk before, but I've never really quite understood what it was. I had an aha moment reading your post!
Rachelle @ Beer Girl Cooks says
You made your own Nutella?!?!!? That's amazing!
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl says
We love Nutella and eat it with a spoon so I know how not so healthy the stuff is (but how good it is too!) I can't wait to make your version!