Love that popular store-bought chocolate hazelnut spread, but looking for something a bit more nutritious? This healthy chocolate hazelnut butter is the recipe you need! Made with five simple ingredients, this recipe features more hazelnuts and less added sugar than the store-bought version. It’s reach, creamy, and perfect for slathering on an apple or using in a sandwich.
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Ingredient Notes
Here’s a photo of all the ingredients you’ll need – just five! – along with ingredient notes:
- Roasted hazelnuts – I like NOW Real Food® Roasted Hazelnuts (disclosure – client); they work really well in this recipe. You can order them on Amazon or directly on NOW’s website (if you purchase on their website, you can save 20% with code CHRISSY). But you can also grab any hazelnuts you spot at the grocery store too.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – NOW also has a great cocoa powder as well that you can order from their site or Amazon, or you can grab any standard unsweetened cocoa powder from the grocery store.
- Chocolate chips – I like regular dark chocolate chips in this recipe. If you’re trying to cut down on added sugar even further, though, you could use a no-added-sugar option like Lily’s Dark Chocolate Baking Chips, which are sweetened with stevia.
- Salt and Vanilla – For flavor!
Instructions
You’ll find the full recipe amounts and instructions in the recipe card below, but here’s a helpful overview with photos and tips. Luckily, this recipe is incredibly easy to make!
Place everything in a small food processor.
Process in 1-minute intervals for about 5 minutes total. It will take a while to form the correct texture – you’ll notice it’ll start clumping together, then eventually it’ll break down into a creamier spread. Keep processing until it has the right texture, scraping down the sides if necessary.
Note that the texture of this will be a bit different than what you purchase in the store, because the store-bought version has sugar and palm oil as the largest ingredients by weight, while this homemade version is focused heavily on packing in a lot of nutritious hazelnuts. It’ll be a bit thicker, but will taste amazing.
Recipe FAQ
Here are some common questions that may come up as you’re preparing this recipe:
Store in a jar in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Absolutely. Simply choose chocolate chips that are dairy-free and vegan-friendly, like Enjoy Life, and the recipe will fit those dietary needs.
You can spread it on a sandwich, toast, or pancakes, swirl it into oatmeal, use it as a dip for fruit, or add it to smoothies for a chocolate twist.
Nutrition Benefits
First off, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying the store-bought hazelnut spreads – they are delicious! But as a dietitian, I like creating homemade versions that offer a little more nutrition, so you have another option. This recipe is great because it…
- Has less added sugar
- Doesn’t use added oil
- Uses more hazelnuts in the base
- Has satiating fats, making it great for pairing with carbohydrates in a snack (I love this with an apple; so satisfying and filling!)
- Is a good source of magnesium, an important mineral for active people
- Is an excellent source of Vitamin E, which acts as an antioxidant in the body
More Homemade Nut Butters
If you’re looking for more homemade nut butters and spreads, be sure to give one of these a try:
- Gingerbread almond cashew butter
- Homemade macadamia nut butter
- Maple pecan macadamia butter
- Chocolate coconut macadamia spread
- Homemade peanut butter
- Homemade cashew butter
I hope you enjoy this recipe. This on a crisp apple is one of my all-time favorite snacks! If you get a chance to try it, feel free to leave a recipe rating or comment below.
Healthy Chocolate Hazelnut Butter
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups roasted hazelnuts
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup dark chocolate chips (or no-added-sugar chocolate chips)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place everything in a small food processor and process in 1-minute intervals for about 5 minutes total, scraping down the sides if necessary, until creamy. Enjoy!
Notes
- Depending on the power of your mini food processor, it may take a while to achieve the right texture – just continue processing in one minute intervals. Keep in mind the texture of this will be much thicker than store-bought versions, since this recipe uses more hazelnuts and less sugar.
- If you want to reduce the added sugar further, use no-added-sugar chocolate chips.
- Makes about 9 servings of 1 ½ tbsp each (approximate).
Nutrition
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