🌰 Better-for-You Nutella (Vegan + Sugar-Free)

Mary Draper
Nov 13
2 min read

Skip the store-bought spread — this creamy, chocolatey better-for-you Nutella lets you choose your sweetness! Make a naturally sweetened version (with maple syrup, dates, or coconut sugar) or go sugar-free and low-carb with your favourite sweetener substitute.

Made with just a handful of wholesome ingredients — roasted hazelnuts, cacao, coconut oil, and a pinch of sea salt — it’s dairy-free, soy-free, and refined sugar-free, perfect for spreading on your favourite homemade toast (hello, flax–millet–sorghum bread - see our last post!). 🌰🍫

Ingredients

1 cup hazelnuts, roasted & skins removed
2 tsp coconut oil
¼ cup cocoa/cacao powder
¼ cup sweetener of choice (see notes)*
1½ tsp vanilla extract
pinch sea salt
up to 1/4 cup warm water or plant milk, as needed (see notes*)

Instructions

Spread hazelnuts on a baking tray & roast 10–12 min at 350°F, shaking halfway through, until skins darken and nuts smell toasty.
Let cool slightly, then rub hazelnuts in a kitchen towel or between your hands to remove most of the skins.
Add hazelnuts to a food processor or high-speed blender & blend until a smooth butter forms — about 5–10 minutes, scraping sides as needed.
Add 2 tsp coconut oil & blend another minute until creamy.
Add cacao powder, sweetener, vanilla, salt & blend again until uniform.
Add milk a few splashes at a time, if required to smooth out the consistency especially if you’re using a granulated sweetener
Transfer to a clean glass jar & store in the fridge for up to 4 weeks (it’ll thicken slightly when chilled).