Happy Valentine’s Day, my loves! ♥

Some of us love this day and some of us could do without. I’ve played for both sides but tend to lean towards loving it because hello…

Chocolate.

And by chocolate, I mean Nutella.

And by Nutella, I mean this Easy Vegan Nutella.

Nutella feels like something we can love every year, all year round, no matter what, but especially on Valentine’s Day when chocolate-covered strawberries are essential. Before buying store-bought Nutella (made with skim milk and whey protein), consider this healthier, dairy-free vegan version of your favorite chocolate hazelnut spread, mmmkay? Plus, no added oils in this recipe!

By the way, after making this dreamy spread, I’m totally crazy for hazelnuts… they are everything. This heavenly spread is super versatile! Lather it on toast, dip strawberries and fruit in it, spread it on crackers (I like these by Crunchmaster!) or savor by the spoonful…

How do you make Vegan Nutella?

First, you roast hazelnuts for 10 minutes to warm up the natural oils and loosen the skins (your kitchen will smell amaaaaazing). I bought roasted hazelnuts and re-roasted them again, but you could also use raw. The reason I used pre-roasted hazelnuts was because much of the skins were already removed, which will give you a less bitter tasting spread, so if you’re roasting raw hazelnuts, be sure to remove as much of the skins as possible!

Next step is to blend.

And blend. And blend. Whole, roasted hazelnuts, grounded down to the tiniest crumb, slowly swirling into the silkiest hazelnut butter heaven for the most lick-able end result. Talk about dreamy…

Instead of using my fancy blender, I opted for a basic food processor because honestly, I want you guys to try this without needing a high-speed blender! To my surprise, the process was simple and weirdly satisfying… watching hazelnuts transform in the food processor is nothing short of magical. After blending for a while, while stopping to scrape the sides down every couple minutes, you’ll notice the textures slowly transform from crumbly to grainy to smooth and creamy. Be patient! It will happen.

Adding oil is unnecessary but if you really want, feel free to add a couple teaspoons.

Next, we swirl in melted chocolate, vanilla and sea salt.

Depending on the taste you’re going for, you can make it sweeter by adding in coconut sugar, or make it extra chocolate-y by adding in cacao powder.

Easy Vegan Nutella

Total Time: 35
Yield: 2 1x

Scale

Ingredients

3 cups roasted (or raw) hazelnuts
3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

optional

2–3 tablespoons cacao powder* (for extra chocolate-y flavor)
2–3 tablespoons coconut sugar** (for extra sweetness)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and add line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add hazelnuts to baking sheet and spread out evenly. If already roasted, roast again for 10 minutes to warm the natural oils. This will make it easier to blend into butter. If raw, roast for 15 minutes.
Remove tray from oven and carefully transfer hazelnuts to the center of an old kitchen towel. Fold edges over to cover and using your hands. roll the nuts around to loosen/remove remaining skins. They won’t be perfect, but try to remove as much as possible!
Add hazelnuts to a food processor (or high speed blender). Blend on low until crumbly and grainy. Scrape down the sides and keep blending until a creamy nut butter is formed. Takes about 10-15 minutes total. Be patient!
Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips in microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring in between. Don’t burn it! Set aside.
When the hazelnuts turn into creamy hazelnut butter, pour in the melted chocolate, vanilla and sea salt. Blend until well combined. Do a taste test and adjust sweetness/chocolate flavor as needed, by adding either coconut sugar or cacao powder, if desired.
Pour into a clean mason jar and enjoy!

Notes

Store at room temperature, up to 3 weeks.
* The more cacao you add in, the more bitter it will taste.
** Can also add in liquid sweetener instead of coconut sugar, but the nutella will become thicker.