Healthy Nut-Free Nutella

 

 
While out shopping during the holidays, a festive display at the back of the store caught my eye. Despite the very full basket swinging from my arm, I wandered over to peek at the seasonal decorations and treats.

I smiled as I strolled down the aisles, especially at the sight of the crunchy gingerbread cookies, sweet peppermint bark, thick gourmet marshmallows, and red candy canes in the stocking stuffer section. When I arrived at the final shelf, I paused and reached out, momentarily holding a very tempting item in my fingers…

The cutest little Nutella jar I had ever seen! Less than one ounce, just enough for a serving or two, those jars looked perfect for tucking into the bottom of my family members’ stockings as a sweet and fun surprise. And then…
 

 
I remembered that many of them have developed issues with dairy. And what I intended to be a thoughtful gift might turn into the exact opposite!

I placed the teeny tub back on the shelf, but the wheels in my head kept spinning as I walked towards the front of the store to pay. “Could I make my own homemade Nutella instead? It doesn’t have any dairy…”

I turned around for a brief detour down the nut aisle, but upon discovering that the store didn’t sell hazelnuts — a critical ingredient for Nutella — I realized two important things: (a) I’d need to find tiny jars too, not just hazelnuts, and (b) even if I purchased a fresh bag of hazelnuts online, it’d show up on my doorstep well after I left town to spend Christmas at my parents’ house. Oops.

Yet that motivated me to finally perfect a recipe that had been on my “To Do” list for at least four years…
 

 
This healthy homemade nut-free Nutella! It’s just as smooth and sweet as that classic name-brand chocolate spread, but this one is made without dairy, sugar, or nuts. Instead, I opted for something else that’s much easier to find than hazelnuts — in just about every grocery store!
 

 

QUICK OVERVIEW – HEALTHY HOMEMADE NUT-FREE NUTELLA

Difficulty: Easy, including for many beginner bakers — or, in this case, homemade seed and nut butter makers!

Taste: Bright and sweet with a nutty flavor and warm chocolate notes.

Texture: Thick, smooth, and creamy (similar to peanut butter or cashew butter!).
 

 

INGREDIENTS TO MAKE HEALTHY HOMEMADE NUT-FREE NUTELLA

Let’s go over the ingredients you’ll need to make homemade nut-free Nutella. You only need four — and that’s half the amount that you’d find in a jar of Nutella at the store!

Sunflower seeds. This is what I substituted in place of hazelnuts! Sunflower seeds are much easier to locate compared to hazelnuts. (I often end up purchasing hazelnuts online because they’re so difficult to find!) Almost every major grocery store stocks sunflower seeds, as well as places like Target and Walmart, and they’re cheaper than hazelnuts too!

Sunflower seeds generally have a mild flavor, which is one key reason they work so well as a hazelnut replacement in this homemade “Nutella” recipe. They add a similar nuttiness, yet because they’re seeds (not nuts!), they yield a chocolate spread that’s completely nut-free and a delicious alternative for anyone with nut allergies.

While testing this nut-free Nutella recipe, I actually found that sunflower seeds yielded a more accurate consistency, one that was thicker and closer to that of regular Nutella, when compared to my traditional healthy homemade Nutella made with hazelnuts. Crazy, right?
 

 
My best guess is that Ferrero (the company that produces Nutella!) relies on other ingredients and emulsifiers to thicken their chocolate hazelnut spread so it’s not as thin and runny at room temperature. As for me? I just pop my homemade Nutella in the fridge instead! Yet I didn’t need to do that with this homemade nut-free chocolate spread. It had a beautifully smooth and thick consistency at room temperature — and even when still fresh and warm from the blender. 

Tip: Look for shelled, roasted, and unsalted sunflower seeds. They’re ready to use straight from the bag! The salted variety also works; simply reduce the amount of salt when making your homemade nut-free Nutella. (Skip the unshelled ones — it’s definitely not worth the time and effort to crack open that many cups of sunflower seeds!)

So to recap… Sunflower seeds are easier to find, cheaper, provide a delicious nutty taste, and produce a beautifully thick and smooth consistency. If you’re keeping track, that’s a win-win-win-win-win!
 

 
Unsweetened cocoa powder. You only need a small amount! Just enough to taste the chocolate notes without overwhelming the nutty flavor that’s so iconic of Nutella.

For the best results, use regular unsweetened cocoa powder (also called natural or natural unsweetened cocoa powder). It has a better, richer flavor compared to Dutched or special dark cocoa powder. Because of their different acidity level, I’ve found that those latter two taste more muted and bland. Regular unsweetened cocoa powder was a clear winner and yielded the best flavor that matched the chocolate notes of classic Nutella.
 

 
Sweetener. There are a few different options, so it’s a bit like a choose-your-own-adventure novel. (Did anyone else read those as a kid?) My favorite was granulated sucralose, but many other granulated sweeteners also work, such as stevia, monk fruit, erythritol, coconut sugar, or even regular granulated or powdered sugar. Use whatever sweetener you like best!

Tip: Some of these granulated sweeteners can impart a background flavor or aftertaste. If it’s a sweetener you haven’t worked with very much, taste a bit of it plain — before you add it to your blender! — to avoid ruining your batch.

I don’t recommend “regular” liquid sweeteners like pure maple syrup, honey, or agave. They add too much liquid volume and practically turn your homemade Nutella into soup!

Salt. The fourth and final ingredient! A sprinkling of salt rounds out the flavor and balances the other three ingredients.
 

 

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY HOMEMADE NUT-FREE NUTELLA

Now that you’ve gathered the ingredients, let’s talk about how to make the best homemade nut-free Nutella. It’s really easy and straightforward — I promise!

Good blender. I love my trusty Ninja blender! It has a strong motor, incredibly sharp blades (it feels dangerous to wash them without gloves!), and a more affordable price tag than a Vitamix or Blendtec. It’s what I use to make my homemade nut butters, and I love how its sharp blades produce such a smooth and creamy consistency — without any added oil.

Tip: I purchased my blender as part of a bundle deal. Although that specific bundle doesn’t seem to be available anymore, this is the same blender!

A food processor works too! From my experience, their blades tend to be duller, so it takes longer and the chocolate spread’s consistency can be grainier and not as velvety smooth. However, you can easily fix both of those hiccups by adding a bit of neutral-tasting oil!

Regardless of which you use, make sure your blender or food processor has a strong motor. It needs to run for a while to turn the sunflower seeds into a creamy spread, and it’d be a shame if it burned out or broke down partway through!
 

 
Seeds first. Add only the sunflower seeds to your blender to start — nothing else! The other ingredients can hinder the process of grinding down the seeds and turning them into a smooth and creamy spread.

Scrape down the sides. While they spin, the blades will catapult teensy fragments of sunflower seeds onto the sides and lid of your blender, so occasionally turn it off to scrape those bits back down below to rejoin the rest.

Tip: I use one of my mini spatulas to do that. They’re so handy for squeezing into those tight spaces — and they’re really cute too!
 

 
Be patient. Yes, it’s going to take some time. Yes, it’s going to take some patience. Yes, you might wonder if the sunflower seeds particles will ever turn into a smooth spread that even somewhat resembles Nutella. (Spoiler alert: I definitely did!) But with enough spinning, scraping, and waiting, you’ll end up with a creamy sunflower seed butter — and then it’ll be time to add the other three ingredients!

Check the bottom. After pouring in those other three and letting the blender run another minute or two, turn it off and check the bottom at the very center, where the blade attachment sits. I’ve found some of the plain sunflower seed butter often hides there and doesn’t end up mixing with the other ingredients. If that happens to you, just scrape it out (carefully!) and run the blender a bit longer to incorporate it.
 

 

FAQS ABOUT HEALTHY HOMEMADE NUT-FREE NUTELLA

Is this homemade “Nutella” nut free, sugar free, dairy free, vegan, low carb, or clean eating?
Yes — to all of the above! This chocolate spread is naturally vegan, dairy free, gluten free, and allergy friendly because it’s made with sunflower seeds (no nuts!). Depending on the sweetener that you choose, your homemade nut-free “Nutella” can also be sugar free, low carb, and clean eating.

What are the best sunflower seeds to use?
Shelled, roasted, and unsalted, if you can find them! Shelled, roasted, and salted ones are the next best thing. Don’t bother with unshelled ones… It’s not worth the time or effort to crack all those open by yourself!
 

 
What about the best cocoa powder?
Regular unsweetened cocoa powder, which is also called natural or natural unsweetened, produces the best flavor. I don’t recommend Dutched or special dark cocoa powder; they don’t produce as rich of a taste. (See the “unsweetened cocoa powder” section under the “Ingredients to Make Healthy Homemade Nut-Free Nutella” header above for more info!)

And the best sweetener?
One that you enjoy! 😉 Just make sure it’s granular (or a highly concentrated liquid, like my trusty liquid stevia). Traditional liquid sweeteners like pure maple syrup or honey will turn your nut-free chocolate spread into soup. See the Notes section for some of my recommendations!
 

 
What are some ways I can use this homemade nut-free Nutella?
I love pairing it with berries, bananas, or other fresh fruit; spreading it on bread, toast, bagels, or English muffins; drizzling it on pancakes, waffles, or crêpes (← you can find my recipes there!); or even slathered across slices of banana bread. Basically… Just about any way you’d eat peanut butter!

What are some things I can make with this homemade nut-free Nutella?
I recommend starting by baking a batch of these chocolate chip cookies! You can also use it in place of the jam filling in these cookies, substituted for the almond butter in these bars, in place of the peanut butter in these parfaits, or substituted for the peanut butter in these banana brownies.

How should I store this homemade nut-free Nutella? And how long does it last?
Store it in an airtight container. (I really like using glass jars, like these or these!) You can easily leave it at room temperature for a week or two, maybe more, or store it in the refrigerator to make it last longer (more like months!).
 

 
Now all that’s missing is a fresh round of strawberries… Or maybe just 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 healthy nut-free Nutella!

View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
 
 
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡  The Ultimate Healthy Homemade Nutella
♡  Healthy Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies
♡  Healthy Strawberry Nutella Crêpes
♡  Healthy Homemade Peanut Butter
♡  Healthy Homemade Almond Butter
♡  Healthy Homemade Cashew Butter
♡  Healthy Homemade Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter
♡  Healthy Homemade Dark Chocolate Almond Butter
♡  …and the rest of Amy’s healthy homemade nut butters!