Nutella is sinfully delicious, but the ingredients are downright troubling. It’s packed with artificial flavoring and has 21 grams of sugar per two-tablespoon serving—not to mention there’s more sugar in it than there are hazelnuts, so it’s closer to candy than actual food.
Luckily, you can easily make a healthier Nutella alternative at home. Our recipe is tastier, simpler, and more nutritious, plus it stars the most essential ingredient of all—hazelnuts. Three extra ingredients (salt, vanilla extract, and a small amount of dark chocolate) are all you need.
For a two-tablespoon serving, our version saves you 18 grams of sugar and slashes the saturated fat in half. You also get twice the amount of protein and fiber, plus all the antioxidant benefits of dark chocolate.
If you have five minutes, you can make this chocolate hazelnut spread recipe (which riffs from our even easier Hazelnut Butter Recipe). Eat it by the spoonful or try it in these delicious Nutella-friendly recipes. No artificial flavors, no emulsifiers, and no unnecessary amounts of sugar necessary—just pure nutty, dark chocolate decadence.
How to Make It
Place hazelnuts, salt, chocolate, and vanilla into a blender. Starting on the lowest speed, blend mixture until crumbly—about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Increase speed and blend about 1 to 2 minutes until smooth and creamy, scraping down sides with a rubber spatula as-needed.
Use the rubber spatula to scoop chocolate hazelnut spread into an airtight container. Keep refrigerated.
Chef's Notes
We used dry-roasted, unsalted hazelnuts (one 16-ounce bag from Trader Joes) for convenience and nutrition. This variety contains no added salt or oils, which can add sodium, calories, and fat. You can roast raw hazelnuts yourself if preferred.