Hazelnut Chocolate Spread
Prep. Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Servings
2 cups
Difficulty
Easy
Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, dairy-free, egg-free
Making this spread at home was a game-changer for me—on one hand, it means I can enjoy dairy-free hazelnut chocolate spread whenever I like (seriously, why does every store-bought one have dairy?!), and on the other, this simple recipe offers a preservative-free, clean-label product. The chocolate chips have their own list of ingredients, true, but if you use a high-quality brand (such as 'Enjoy Life') it is a great kind, especially compared to most store-bought versions, with the long ingredient lists. For this recipe, you’ll need roasted, skinless hazelnuts. If you can’t find them ready to use, you can easily roast them at home. Just pop them in the oven at 400F/200C for about 10 minutes, then rub them in a towel to remove the skin. And remember—always use fresh, tasty hazelnuts! Trust me, you don’t want to make the mistake of using moldy ones (been there.. yikes!).
Ingredients
12oz (340g) roasted hazelnuts, without the skin
3.3oz (100g) dairy-free mildly-sweetened chocolate chips
Instructions
If you're using hazelnuts with the skin: preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast for 10–12 minutes, until skins darken and crack. Watch closely to prevent burning.
Let them cool slightly, then rub the hazelnuts in a clean kitchen towel or between your hands to remove most of the skins (It’s okay if some remain.)
Once you got your skinless roasted hazelnuts, soak them in boiling water for 20 minutes.
Discard the water, and place the hazelnuts in a food processor with a steel-blade or high-speed blender and blend until they turn into a smooth butter. This can take 5–10 minutes; scrape down the sides as needed.
In a microwave, melt the chocolate chips for 30 seconds, stir as much as possible and microwave for 30 more seconds. Stir again and repeat until you get a smooth chocolate mix.
Pour the chocolate into the hazelnut bowl and mix well.
Store at room temperature in an airtight glass container.
We took a batch of this spread on our weekend RV excursion to Mammoth Cave, KY (read all about it here!), which was such a fun treat for everyone.
Notes
The chocolate can be replaced with cocoa powder: to the hazelnut butter, add 2 tbsps unsweetened cocoa powder and 1/2 cup of coconut brown sugar or Maple syrup, or your preferred sweetener. Mix well until consistent and combined, and store as described above.
Feel free to tweak the quantities of the cocoa and sweetener per your taste. I like the hazelnut flavor more dominant, so I wouldn't add so much cocoa.
The Latest Bite
No-Bake Pistachio Ice Cream Cake
I love ice-cream cakes, and it is so hard to find vegan ones in stores, so I knew at some point I'd want to try and whip a recipe up, but one thing that's always a factor for me is whether or not it'll be a time-consuming project or not. If I need to use my mixer, food processor or oven, it means I need to plan for more dishes and more time spent on this, and that's where I sometimes hold off on exploring and developing new recipes. I was not only aiming for an easy-to-make recipe here, but also one that requires very few ingredients and as allergen-friendly as possible. This makes it a store-in-the-freezer dessert for when I have unexpected guests, or when we are on the road and want an indulgent treat.
Made primarily from raw pistachio butter, coconut cream and almond flour, this easy no-bake cake is elemental and holds texture and flavor impressively. Compliments are guaranteed!