A few years ago, I flew to Chicago for a blogging conference. By some miracle, the November weather cooperated and stayed fairly nice with temperatures in the 50’s and absolutely no snow in sight (I’m definitely a warm weather California girl!), which meant I really looked forward to exploring the city.
I arrived over a full day before the conference began, so after grabbing breakfast from a local smoothie and breakfast bar, I wandered around Millenium Park to see the infamous Chicago jelly bean (aka Cloud Gate!) and Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park. That afternoon, I bought a ticket for a riverboat tour, and our witty and vivacious guide talked nonstop as the boat chugged along up and down the Chicago River, pointing out iconic scenes and buildings while entertaining us with stories of their histories. It was worth every penny to sail with this company!
Later, on the second day of the conference, I decided to explore more of the city’s food scene with Jane, my sweet friend, and her cousin. After lunch at the grand opening of Latinicity, we walked over to Eataly, a combination of restaurants and a marketplace, all boasting authentic flavors imported directly from Italy.
As food bloggers typically do in places like that, we slowly walked through every inch of the massive two-story building, snapping photo after photo and accepting every free sample offered our way by the kind and generous employees. Somehow, we mostly restrained ourselves, ending up with only one or two items to purchase in our hands until…
We spotted the little dessert shop downstairs, directly adjacent to a gelato stand and Nutella shop. I picked out two dainty yet impressive pastries from the first stall, a teensy sliver of cake and a little domed chocolate hazelnut cake, then made my last stop before exiting Eataly at the Nutella shop.
Jars of that sweet chocolate hazelnut spread filled rows upon rows of shelves, all in various sizes, ranging from small 13-ounce ones all the way up to 11 pounds. Some of the medium-sized options even displayed cute sayings on their labels, like “me & you” or “miss you” or “good luck.” I thought about buying a jar for my mom, seeing as it’s one of her favorite treats… Yet I remembered at the last second that she was trying to eat healthier and remove as many sweet temptations from her pantry as possible, so I placed the jar I momentarily held in my hand back on the shelf with its friends.
But now, far too many months later, I finally perfected this recipe for the Ultimate Healthy Homemade Nutella! It tastes exactly like that famous hazelnut spread, perfectly creamy and deliciously sweet with rich chocolate tones, and it’s easy to make. You only need 4 ingredients!
The only downside? It’s just as tempting and addictive as the classic original… So I’ve learned to make a double batch. It disappears much too quickly otherwise!
WHAT IS NUTELLA?
If you’ve read everything in my blog post so far, then you probably have a pretty good idea of what Nutella is… It’s a sweet, creamy, cocoa-kissed nut butter spread made from hazelnuts. Yum! The original Nutella starts with sugar and palm oil, and it also includes skim (nonfat) milk, vanilla, and soy lecithin to help keep all of the ingredients well mixed…
Yet I actually found that this healthy homemade Nutella tasted exactly the same without any oil, dairy, or vanilla. And it was incredibly smooth and creamy — no lecithin necessary either!
I even bought a jar of Nutella and did a side-by-side taste test. Nobody could tell the difference between my healthy homemade Nutella and the original!
I literally jumped up and down in my kitchen with excitement. Finally perfecting this recipe for the ultimate healthy homemade Nutella felt like a massive achievement — and the best day ever!
INGREDIENTS TO MAKE THE ULTIMATE HEALTHY HOMEMADE NUTELLA
This recipe is very simple and straightforward, but the ingredients and equipment make a big difference in the flavor and texture. Therefore, I wanted to cover all of that with you to ensure your batch turns out perfectly. So let’s talk about the 4 ingredients that you’ll need to make your own jar of this ultimate healthy homemade Nutella!
Hazelnuts. You’ll start with hazelnuts. Seeing as this is a chocolate hazelnut spread, it’d be impossible to make without them! The smaller local grocery stores in my neighborhood don’t actually sell hazelnuts, so I bought mine online.
While browsing, I noticed that the raw (aka “natural”) ones cost about half as much as the roasted ones. Since it’s really easy to roast nuts (we’ll talk about that soon!), I opted for these raw hazelnuts.
Cocoa powder. Besides its hazelnuts, Nutella is also known for its sweet flavor and chocolate undertones, which means you’ll need cocoa powder! I recommend using regular unsweetened cocoa powder. It adds a much richer flavor than Dutched or “special dark” cocoa powder! You only need a small amount. If you add too much, it’ll overpower the hazelnut flavor… So use this method or a kitchen scale (← even better!) when measuring to ensure your healthy homemade Nutella tastes just like the original.
Sweetener. There are a few different options for the sweetener. I like using granulated sucralose or concentrated stevia to make this healthy homemade Nutella sugar-free. (The version made with granulated sucralose tasted exactly the same as the original Nutella!)
Other sugar-free, clean eating, and no-calorie sweeteners include allulose, confectioners’ style erythritol, and monk fruit. Some people detect an aftertaste or minty undertones with some of these, so keep that in mind when deciding which one to add to your batch!
Tip: If you’re worried about any aftertaste or undertones, then take a little taste of the pure sweetener before using it.
It’s important to use a granular sweetener, rather than a liquid like pure maple syrup or honey, to make your ultimate healthy homemade Nutella. Liquid sweeteners add too much liquid volume to the hazelnut spread, so it would turn out more like watery soup.
But other granular sweeteners do work, if you’re not a fan of the ones I mentioned! I haven’t tried every single one, but coconut sugar, regular cane sugar, and even confectioners’ sugar should work. Just pick the one that tastes the best to you!
Salt. To balance the sweetness and bring out the nuttiness of the hazelnuts, you’ll add in a pinch of salt. I prefer a bright pop of salt, so I usually sprinkle in a teensy bit extra!
HOW TO MAKE THE ULTIMATE HEALTHY HOMEMADE NUTELLA
Now that you’ve gathered those ingredients, let’s go over how to make this ultimate healthy homemade Nutella!
Toast the hazelnuts. This is only necessary if you bought raw hazelnuts, like I did! If you purchased toasted or roasted ones, then skip this and head straight to the next bit.
After toasting your hazelnuts in the oven, you must let them fully cool before making your ultimate healthy homemade Nutella for the best consistency and flavor! There’s something else you have to do as well…
Peel. Peel the skins off of your roasted hazelnuts! Yes, this takes a bit of time, but it makes a huge difference in the texture of your healthy chocolate hazelnut spread. Just pop on a podcast or movie to play in the background while you work. It makes the time pass by much faster while you’re peeling those skins off!
I know it feels tedious and a little pointless but… Skipping this step leads to a substantially grittier texture. If you take the time to rub the skins off of your hazelnuts, you’ll end up with the smoothest and creamiest homemade Nutella imaginable. I promise it’s worth it!
So pinky swear promise me you’ll peel off those hazelnut skins, okay??
Blend. For the equipment, you’ll need a blender with a strong motor and extremely sharp blades. I use this Ninja blender! It’s really affordable compared to the pricier options from BlendTec and Vitamix, but it still yields a really smooth and creamy (and perfect!) consistency in this ultimate healthy homemade Nutella recipe.
I’ve tried making this homemade chocolate hazelnut spread with my food processor, but its blades aren’t quite as sharp… Which resulted in a grittier consistency, not nearly as smooth or creamy. The flavor was still great, but the blade sharpness makes a huge difference in the texture!
Tip: If your blender blades aren’t quite as sharp, you can typically add a little bit of neutral-tasting oil to get a smoother and creamier consistency.
You’ll add the hazelnuts first and blend them until they’ve yielded a very smooth and creamy nut butter. Scrape down the sides as needed; the blades often fling small hazelnut chunks and bits onto them! Once it looks like peanut butter or almond butter, sprinkle in the remaining ingredients, pop the lid back on, and keep blending until they’re fully incorporated.
At this point, after transferring your healthy homemade Nutella to a jar, the only question is…
What’s your favorite way to eat this? With fruit, on toast, or straight from the jar with a spoon? 😉 And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your ultimate healthy homemade Nutella!
The Ultimate Healthy Homemade Nutella
Ingredients
- 1 cup + 6 tbsp (165g) roasted, peeled, and unsalted hazelnuts (see Notes!)
- ½ cup granulated sweetener (see Notes!)
- 2 tbsp + 1 tsp (11g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Add the hazelnuts to a high-powered blender (see Notes!), and blend the hazelnuts until smooth and creamy, with a texture similar to thin honey, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Add the sweetener, cocoa powder, and salt. Blend until everything is fully incorporated and smooth. Transfer to a glass jar or airtight container, and refrigerate.
Notes
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Healthy Nut-Free Nutella
♡ Healthy Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies
♡ Healthier Strawberry and Nutella Crêpes
♡ Healthy Homemade Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter
♡ Healthy Homemade Dark Chocolate Almond Butter
♡ Healthy Homemade Vanilla Bean Almond Butter
♡ …and the rest of Amy’s healthy homemade nut butters!
Would this recipe be enough for let’s say a small jar of Nutella size? Or do we need to double up?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Angie! It depends on what you mean by a “small” jar. 😉 I’ve seen jars of Nutella as small as 1 oz (basically a large single-serving!), as well as 7+ oz and 13 oz. The 13 oz jar seems to be the most popular one sold in stores, so if that’s the one you’re referring to, then you’d need to make a double batch.
I can’t wait to hear what you think of this homemade Nutella if you try making it!
Hi Amy, thanks for doing this wonderful blog for is. Any idea how many calories will be there in 1 tbsp of this home made Nutella. My son is planning to lose some weight and I don’t want him to crave for anything so that he can quickly give up on his healthy eating habits.
You’re so thoughtful to make healthy homemade treats for your son, Zoya! He’s truly lucky to have you. 🙂 The full nutrition information (including calories!) is actually included directly underneath the recipe box. I know it can be easy to miss!
I can’t wait to hear what you and your son think of this homemade nutella!
I just finished making this, love that this is a recipe you have because I love Nutella! I cracked, roasted and peeled the hazelnuts myself, and weighed everything in grams to be exact. I used the powdered erythritol mentioned in the recipe (soNourished brand) but I did sub dutch cocoa powder. I processed it all in my food processor because the blender didn’t work for solid foods. Immediately after adding all the other ingredients, I can tell the Nutella has thickened up considerably- to the point that it’s almost thicker than real Nutella. When I taste it I get a blast of winter cold in my mouth, and can taste hardly more than that- what did I do wrong? It seemed like too much sugar to add – maybe I should have reduced it? Or maybe my scale is off? I also want to know if the flavor changes as it sits. Thank you!
It means so much that you tried my recipe, Rachel! For the taste, would you be willing to do a quick experiment? If you try eating a small amount of your So Nourished powdered erythritol plain and all by itself, does its flavor match that cold wintery taste that you noticed in your homemade nutella?
As for the texture, I’ve actually covered how to achieve the same smooth and creamy consistency as regular nutella in the text of my blog post above, along with what to do if the texture of your homemade nutella is coarser or thicker. I know it can be really easy to miss, but I promise it’s there — as well as in the Notes section of the recipe underneath the Instructions! 😉
Yes, I realized the issue must just be me not being used to erytherol sweetener- I might get used to it over time! Maybe for my taste it would have been better to use half real sweetener to ease me into it 🙂 after trying a few times I can taste more of the hazelnut and chocolate.
The texture was actually fine it was definitely smooth enough and got less thick in the fridge. It does look, feel and smell just like real Nutella. Thanks for the recipe, it was really fun to try and I’m sure I will be able to incorporate my Nutella into other snacks and recipes!
Yes I realize it was really me just not being used to this type of sweetener! The texture is actually great and as I try it more I can taste more of the hazelnut and chocolate. I’m sure I’ll be able to incorporate it into other snacks and desserts. Thank you for the fun recipe!
Of course — I’m so happy you’re enjoying it, Rachel! 🙂 I think your idea of starting with half the erythritol, if you decide to make this recipe again, and increasing if needed is really smart. I’m glad the texture was smooth and less thick after being in the fridge — and that you can taste more of the hazelnuts and chocolate flavor too!
If it’s helpful, I’ve used this homemade nutella to make these nutella chocolate chip cookies. Just in case you’d like any ideas of how to incorporate it into snacks and treats! 😉
Yes, me again, trying yet another recipe. (Three Amy recipes in three days!) I’m going crazy with the recipes because I’ve finally found a sugar substitute I’m actually willing to eat. (Besti allulose and monk fruit blend, for anyone curious.) I love Nutella, but never eat it because it’s just too much sugar and other junk. This recipe turned out great, though next time I will use half the amount of salt, because I can really taste it too much. My question is about the calorie count. Your nutrition labels says 88 cals per tbsp, but when I calculate I keep getting higher numbers. I’m coming up with 104 even when I up the servings to 14 to account for how much is left in the blender. Should I be upping the servings even more for calculation purposes? (I’m logging foods in MyFitnessPal so want to make sure I’m getting approximately the right calories and other nutrients.)
Three recipes in three days?? That’s the BEST kind of compliment there is, Jennifer!! I’m honored — and thank you so much for taking the time to share and let me know! ♡
For the calorie count, different calculators can come up with different amounts for the exact same recipe, and even using different brands of ingredients can affect the totals as well. Since some calculators can display noticeably different numbers for cups vs grams of nuts, I generally use grams for them to be as accurate as possible. I used to use the SparkRecipes calculator (it’s no longer free — bummer!), and then I switched to this one. It has a decent ingredient database and seems to have numbers that match the nutrition labels of most baking ingredients. I don’t have much experience with MyFitnessPal’s calculator or ingredient database, so I’m not sure how it compares to the one I currently use.
If you’re open to testing out the nutrition calculator that I use, does it display different values for this homemade nutella compared to MyFitnessPal?
When you first responded to this comment, I received an email saying there was a new reply, but when I came to the website, it wasn’t visible. This just happened with another comment, which I placed on your biscuits. When I try to see that response, even my own comment isn’t visible. So something glitchy is happening with the website. I went back to check on this one, which had disappeared before, and see it’s here. Weird.
Anyway, thanks for sharing your nutrition calculator–I think it makes it easier to do the calculations by weight than the MyFitnessPal one does. MyFitnessPal also (annoyingly) has many different listings for each ingredient. I think I’ll use your calculator to help me double-check what I come up with, because I have to use my app for tracking purposes. When I double-checked the matches MyFitnessPal had made to my ingredients, I saw that both the cocoa and the hazelnut ones were incorrect. I now have corrected them and come up with something much closer to yours. I used this Nutella to make the most delicious chocolate hazelnut gelato in my Ninja Creami. OMG. Thanks so much for bringing this favorite of mine back into my list of foods I can eat for something other than a special occaion!
That’s so strange, Jennifer! Thanks for bringing it to my attention. Everything is working normally for me, but I’m checking with my tech team to see if they notice anything amiss on our end. When you clicked on the links from the email updates, were you using a regular computer or a mobile device? Also, what internet browser did you use? If you’re able to share those details, it would be really helpful for my team!
It’s my pleasure! I’m glad you were able to find ingredients that were a better match and provided more accurate numbers for the nutrition information. Making nutella gelato sounds amazing — that’s such a fun idea! My brother recently got a Ninja Creami, so maybe I’ll have to see if he’d be willing to give that a try it in sometime… 😉
That trip to Chicago was such fun – great as always to get to spend time with you and my cousin. We both love you!! We should look into doing it again – I miss seeing your beautiful face!!
I miss and love you both right back, Jane!! It would be SO fun to do that again. I’d love to see you both again — it’s been far too long! ♡ Sending you big hugs and lots of love!
Hi, I am looking forward to trying this recipe. Question, does this need refrigerated after making and how long does it last? Thanks!
We really appreciate your interest in this recipe, Kerstin!
We’ve actually covered the best way to store this in the paragraph directly underneath the recipe title in the recipe box! We know it can be really easy to miss that though. 😉
I’d love to hear what you think about this homemade Nutella!
Place thrroasted hazenuts inside a kitchen towel and rub them and the skin will come off really easy!
If I want to make it with confectioners sugar instead of the sweetener how much sugar should I use?
That’s a great tip about peeling hazelnuts, Maria! I’ll have to give that a try sometime! I think confectioners sugar would work! We’d recommend using the same amount (½ cup). I’d love to hear what you think if you decide to make your own batch of homemade Nutella!
It took me two tries but when I reread the recipe I saw it said to let the hazelnuts cool completely. I can attest that it will not work if the nuts are not cooled completely. The blender has to be strong too. This one’s a keeper!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this homemade Nutella, Victoria! That’s such high praise, to call it a keeper. I’m honored! ♡ Thank you for taking the time to comment and let me know — it truly means a lot!