Creamy homemade nutella! Whip up the beloved chocolate hazelnut spread with just 6 ingredients for a healthier, and tastier version. Made with toasted hazelnuts, semi-sweet chocolate, and a splash of honey for natural sweetness, this homemade nutella recipe is simple and delicious.
Using only wholesome ingredients, this homemade version is leaps and bounds better than store-bought Nutella. Spread over toasted whole-wheat bread, graham crackers or pancakes, or drizzle over ice cream for a decadent dessert.
What you’ll need for this recipe:
- Hazelnuts (find hazelnuts in the baking aisle or bulk section of the grocery store)
- Kosher salt
- Pure vanilla extract
- Pure almond extract
- Semi-sweet chocolate bar (bar is better than chips)
- Oil (hazelnut, coconut or olive)
- Honey
Tips on how to make the best homemade nutella
- Toast the hazelnuts: this adds flavor and it loosens the natural oils, making it easier to blend. The best way to toast nuts is to toast them on a baking sheet in the oven. Toasting in the oven creates a more even toast as opposed to on the stove top.
- Skin the hazelnuts: this creates a creamier nut butter. Transfer the toasted nuts to a clean kitchen towel, fold the towel over the hazelnuts and using your hands, roll the nuts around to release their skins. There will be some pesky skins—do your best to remove as many as possible.
- Blend into a butter: blend the nuts on low speed for about 10 minutes until a smooth hazelnut butter forms. You’ll need a high-powered blender (such as a Vitamix or Ninja) or food processor for this step. Nut butters can be hard on kitchen appliances, so make sure you trust the motor of your blender or processor!
- Add flavor: add a splash of vanilla and almond extract (I find just a tiny bit of almond extract makes this spread taste like the real stuff). Season with a dash of salt.
- Add melted chocolate: add the melted chocolate and blend until smooth. I prefer semi-sweet for this spread, but you can also use milk or dark chocolate. High-quality chocolate bars are best for this recipe (chips will work but not as well).
- Add oil and sweetener: add 2 tablespoons of desired oil and 1 tablespoon honey; blend until smooth. I prefer coconut or hazelnut oil, but olive oil works too. Add only 1 tablespoons of honey—the more liquid sweetener added, the thicker/stiffer this spread will become. If you want the spread to be sweeter, add ground coconut sugar or confectioners’ sugar.
How to store homemade nutella
Because this homemade nutella doesn’t contain preservatives (and hasn’t been pasteurized), it should be stored in the refrigerator. (If you plan to use the chocolate hazelnut spread within a few days, you can store it at room temperature.)
Keep in mind, the nutella will harden in the refrigerator. To soften up the mixture and bring it back to it’s creamy state, microwave the chocolate spread in 15-second increments (for a total of 30–45 seconds) until drippy.
How long does it last?
Stored in the refrigerator, homemade nutella will last up to 1 month.
Is homemade nutella healthy?
Per 2-tablespoon serving, this homemade Nutella recipe is significantly healthier than the store-bought version.
Homemade
125 calories
3.5g sugar
5.5g carbs
Store-Bought
200 calories
21g sugar
22g carbs
Variations:
- Sweeten it up, use ¼ cup to ⅓ cup confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar) instead of honey.
- Swap the melted chocolate for ¼ cup cocoa powder.
- Use milk chocolate instead of semi-sweet chocolate for a sweeter version.
- Swap the semi-sweet chocolate for dark chocolate (at least 72%) for a less-sweet version.
How to use homemade nutella
- Spread onto crepes, pancakes, or waffles.
- Spread onto banana bread, carrot bread, and sweet potato bread.
- Sandwich between homemade graham crackers.
- Swirl into or drizzle over ice cream.
- Drip strawberries, bananas, and apples in nutella.
You might also like…
While on social, tag me @ZESTFULKITCHEN ON INSTAGRAM or tag #zestfulkitchen on social media if you make a recipe!
If you make this homemade nutella recipe, leave a comment and rating below! To pin this recipe and save it for later, click the button on any of the photos, or the red button on the bar below the recipe.
PrintHealthy 6-Ingredient Homemade Nutella Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 mintues
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups (16 servings) 1x
- Category: Sauce/Dip
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Creamy and smooth, this homemade nutella recipe is toasty, just sweet enough, and SO much better than the store-bought version. An added bonus—it’s significantly lower in total calories and sugar.
Ingredients
- 3 cups raw hazelnuts*
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1 (4-ounce) bar semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
- 2 tablespoons hazelnut oil, coconut oil, or olive oil, plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350ºF (176ºC). Arrange hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet; toast until fragrant, golden brown, and skins start to loosen from nuts; 12–15 minutes.
Let nuts cool slightly; transfer to a large kitchen towel, fold half of the towel over nuts. Using your hands, roll nuts around to remove most of the skins. (The more skins you can remove, the creamier the dip will be.)
Discard skins and add nuts to a high-powered blender or food processor (high-powered blender is best). Blend nuts on low speed until a creamy, smooth butter is formed, scraping down sides as needed; about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt chocolate over a double boiler or in microwave in 20 second increments until smooth.
Add vanilla, salt and almond extract to nut butter and blend to combine.
Add melted chocolate to nut butter and blend until completely smooth. Add oil and honey and blend until completely smooth. Add additional oil as needed to reach desired consistency. Season nutella with additional vanilla and salt to taste.
Transfer nutella to a clean glass jar and store in the refrigerator for up to a month. The nutella will harden when chilled. To loosen the nutella and bring it back to it’s drippy state, microwave the spread in 15-second increments until soft, about 30–45 seconds.
Notes
Hazelnuts: If you already have toasted hazelnuts that’s great! Just warm them for a bit in the oven (350ºF (176ºC)), this will help release the natural oils, making it easier to blend.
Sweetness: if you would like a sweeter nutella, add ground coconut sugar or confectioners’ sugar. Avoid adding more liquid sweetener (honey or maple syrup) as it will create a stiffer Nutella.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 125
- Sugar: 3.5g
- Sodium: 74mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Carbohydrates: 6g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: homemade nutella, nutella recipe, nutella recipe