4-Ingredient Nutella (Vegan + GF)

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Bowl of our DIY vegan gluten-free Nutella made with simple ingredients

Confession: This one time, in college, I ate a half jar of Nutella…in one evening…after dinner…on Ritz crackers.

Oh, don’t act like I’m the only one with no self-control.

Roasting hazelnuts on a baking sheet for making homemade healthy nutella

This recipe is a reader request! I’m smitten with nut butters and shocked I haven’t attempted one with hazelnuts yet. Things had to change.

Origins of Nutella

It’s believed that nutella was invented in the 1920s by an Italian pastry chef named Pietro Ferrero. He thought of the idea when seeing factory workers going to work with tomato and cheese sandwiches. He knew a sweet, chocolatey hazelnut spread would be an inexpensive, popular alternative for spreading on sandwiches. And he was right!

The spread was originally called “Supercrema” but was changed to “Nutella” in the 1960s. Soon after that, it became wildly popular in Italy and later, throughout the world!

Rolling roasted hazelnuts in a towel to remove skins

How to Make Nutella

This recipe is simple requiring just 4 ingredients and 30 minutes start to finish.

It’s also delicious, vegan, gluten-free, and ridiculously close to the real thing. Win-win!

It all starts with the hazelnuts, roasted to warm up the natural oils and loosen the skins. Then blendy blend!

Blender showing steps for How to Make DIY Nutella

It all happens so fast.

The nuts turn into butter and then you add the melted chocolate and give it a whirl and WHOA – you have homemade Nutella on your hands!

The only thing left to do is figure out what to put it on…

Waffles
Pancakes
Toast
Cakes
Cupcakes
Banana Bread
A spoon

The options…oh, the glorious options.

Bowl of our delicious homemade vegan Nutella


I think you guys are going to love this spread! It’s

Creamy
Chocolaty
Rich
Perfectly sweet
Spreadable
Simple
& Versatile

I tested this recipe two ways, knowing not everyone would want the melted-chocolate version. Although the melted chocolate yields a much creamier, superior Nutella, you can also substitute cacao or cocoa powder and sweeten it with maple syrup (see notes).

See the texture/color difference below. Either way, still delicious!

Two bowls of homemade nutella with different options for sweetening

If you try this recipe, let us know how it goes! Leave a comment and rate it.

And don’t forget to take a picture and tag it @minimalistbaker on Instagram! We’d love to see what you come up with. Cheers, friends!

Jar of our delicious homemade gluten-free vegan Nutella recipe

4-Ingredient Nutella (Vegan + GF)

Simple, 4-ingredient Nutella that’s vegan and gluten-free! Perfect for baked goods, pancakes, waffles, fruit, and more! Plus, options for both cacao and chocolate.
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Wooden stick in a jar of homemade Vegan Nutella
4.62 from 207 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 20 (2-Tbsp servings)
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Italian-Inspired, Vegan
Freezer Friendly No
Does it keep? 2-3 weeks

Ingredients

  • 3 cups raw or roasted unsalted hazelnuts
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 2/3 cup dairy-free dark chocolate (chopped // we used Trader Joe's 72% Dark Chocolate // see notes for cacao version)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and add hazelnuts to a baking sheet in a single layer. If raw, roast for a total of 12-15 minutes. If already roasted, roast for 8-10 minutes just to warm the natural oils and loosen the skins. This will make it easier to blend into butter.
  • Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Then transfer to a large kitchen towel and use your hands to roll the nuts around and remove most of the skins (see photo). You want to get as much as possible off because it yields a creamier Nutella. But it doesn’t have to be perfect!
  • Leaving excess skin behind, add hazelnuts to a food processor or high-speed blender (a high-speed blender yields best results). Blend on low until a butter is formed – about 8-10 minutes total – scraping down sides as needed.
  • In the meantime, heat the chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave in 30 second increments. Set aside.
  • Once the hazelnut butter is creamy and smooth, add the vanilla and salt and blend well. Then add melted chocolate a little at a time and blend again until well incorporated. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt or vanilla if desired.
  • If your Nutella isn’t sweet enough, add stevia to taste, or 1-2 Tbsp coconut sugar, maple syrup, or agave (amount as original recipe is written). NOTE: Just know the more liquid sweetener you add the firmer/stiffer the Nutella will get, so add sparingly.
  • Transfer to a clean jar and store at room temperature for everyday use for 2-3 weeks or more.

Video

Notes

*If you don’t want to use melted chocolate, sub cocoa powder with a varied result (we prefer the melted chocolate version!). Once the nut butter has formed, add 3 Tbsp cacao or unsweetened cocoa powder, vanilla, and sea salt and purée. Once incorporated, add 1-2 Tbsp coconut sugar (our preferred), maple syrup, agave, or honey if not vegan. PLEASE NOTE: The more liquid sweetener you add, the firmer/stiffer the Nutella seems to get. Blend until creamy and smooth.
*Recipe as written yields roughly 2 1/2 cups nutella spread.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.

Nutrition (1 of 20 servings)

Serving: 1 (two-Tbsp) serving Calories: 152 Carbohydrates: 5.6 g Protein: 3.5 g Fat: 14.4 g Saturated Fat: 2 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 58 mg Fiber: 2.6 g Sugar: 2.3 g

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  1. Marnie HARRISON says

    The “Nutella” recipe is great! I followed the recipe as written except added a tbsp of coconut sugar. Next time I’ll try maple syrup. I make sunflower butter regularly and this will be a delightful change. I only wish that someone could come up with an easier way to get the skins off of the hazelnuts!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Marnie! Thank you for sharing! We think there are blanched hazelnuts available online which could solve that issue.

      • Marnie HARRISON says

        Thanks for the suggestion! If they have been blanched, will they still respond as well to roasting (warming the oils) and then grinding into a nice blended butter? Or will the heating of the blanching process impact this? Thanks so much for your knowledge!!

  2. Judy says

    Absolutely superb. I think it’s much better than commercial Nutella. I used Ghirardelli chocolate chips. The price of hazelnuts is outrageous right now where I live. Would you have any suggestion for what proportion to use when substituting part of the amount of hazelnuts?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Judy, we’re so glad you enjoy this recipe! Are you hoping to sub some of the hazelnuts with another nut? If so, we think almonds or pecans would be lovely. You could likely sub up to half without much impact on the flavor. Hope that helps!

  3. Marion says

    This was delicious!

    Blending technique:
    You will need a good blender to make it and possibly some breaks inbetween to avoid it overheating. I used the ice crushing mode which worked great. In some of the comments people point out that the mixture is too dry. That means you need to keep on blending (without adding water). It’ll be dry before like magic at une point it becomes more buttery and liquid. I was surprised by how liquid de nut butter was.

    Chocolate:
    I used 100g dark chocolate and a little under 400g hazelnuts (that’s what I had at home). It turned out great but the hazelnut flavour is stronger than the chocolate which surprised me. I added a splash of maple syrup which made the whole mixture only a tiny little sweeter. If you use dark chocolate too this is likely how it’ll turn out.

    Delicious on lightly toasted bread! I recommend it. Will definitely make some more also as gift for friends.

  4. Mattia C. says

    Hi, that’s one of the very few recipes that do not involve water (which is a must for me as I’d like to make a room temperature shelf-stable spread), I’m intrigued, however my goal is something really chocolate-forward…

    Do you think swapping 415g of hazelnuts with like 300g of cashews and 115g of sunflower/peanut oil* and using for that like 150g of 80% chocolate + 50g icing sugar could result in a smooth spread that won’t split?

    *hazelnuts have roughly 60% fat and cashews roughly 40% fat, this would balance it + add some more to compensate the higher chocolate amount and added sugar

  5. Allicia says

    Just made this. It’s fabulous. Used a good quality 85% dark chocolate and just a splash of maple syrup. Most of it made it to the jar!

  6. Veronica says

    Hi
    I made this but maybe I didn’t blend the Hazelnut till very smooth buttery and went ahead to finish it with 50ml room temp drinking water as it was so dry.
    I made it 2 days ago, jarred it and left it at the counter and today it has turned bad. Why do you think this happened? We live in a very hot country, Singapore. Thanks.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Veronia, did you add the water to the hazelnut butter? If so, that likely caused it to spoil.

  7. Ovi says

    Okay I need help. The first time I made this recipe it was delicious. The second and third time not so much. At a certain point, the mixture turned really chunky and my Vitamix was overheating and the smell coming from it was not good. It turned out really dry, thick and sticky and I was worried that if I kept blending it that the blender would burn it and I wouldn’t be able to eat it at all. I put it in the fridge and I am wondering if I can put it back in the blender to see if it can smooth out or turn creamier? It was so good the first time and I wish I knew what I had done differently. I used your homemade chocolate recipe instead of using store bought chocolate chips. Could that have made a difference?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Ovi, we’re so sorry it hasn’t gone well these past two times! It sounds like the mixture is seizing up, which can be caused by using liquid sweeteners.

  8. Charlotte says

    The metric version asks for 93 g of chocolate, the imperial version for 2/3 of a chocolate bar. The chocolate bars I am familiar with are all 100 g. Howe can 2/3 if 100 g be 93 g?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Charlotte, the imperial measurement calls for 2/3 CUP, not 2/3 bar. Perhaps that’s the confusion?

  9. Sarah says

    Made as recipe is written and it is wonderful! So glad to be able to share a dairy free version with my kiddos. Thanks for sharing with us!

  10. Shannon says

    I tried a different recipe first, it was highly rated but when I added the cocoa powder it seized. Disheartened, the kids waited patiently while I tried this one with chocolate chips and it went flawlessly! It tastes great and the instructions on specific blending time were way more helpful and honest compared with other recipes which was also a big help. Thank you!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so sorry you didn’t enjoy it, Jake. Would you mind sharing what you disliked about it? We’d love to help troubleshoot, if possible!

  11. Gillian says

    Fabulous recipe. Works well, I have used both 72% and 52% chocolate in the past, the second doesn’t need any extra sweetener! Nutella for grown ups!

  12. myfoxmystere says

    For those who are allergic to chocolate, you can substitute cocoa powder with carob powder in the same proportion. I haven’t made this yet, but I made a pumpkin pie with carob powder mixed in with the pumpkin filling to give the pie a cocoa flavoring. I used Bob’s Red Mill Carob powder, and could taste a chocolate like flavor in the pumpkin filling. I’ve also used the powder in coffee to give coffee a mocha flavor, and it worked. So this should theoretically be able to make a chocolate free Nutella spread for those who have dietary restrictions from chocolate due to natural oxalates in chocolate. Carob has a lower oxalate level than cocoa.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Aw, thanks so much, Jan! If you’re referring to unsweetened baking chocolate, we wouldn’t recommend it. Unless maybe you melted it along with extra coconut sugar before adding to the blender?

  13. Veronica S. says

    I followed the recipe to the T. Mine came out chunky and dry. Its thick. I used my food processor. I can try my blender but I think I need something to smooth it out.
    Any suggestions? An oil or a liquid?
    Btw, I love making all your recipes, this is a 1st for me.
    Ty

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Veronica, it sounds like it needed to keep blending longer or perhaps the food processor isn’t very powerful? Try blending longer! It becomes a chunky, dry texture before it becomes smooth.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Kay, are you referring to the version in the recipe notes? If yes and you’re used to the flavor of monkfruit, it should be fine!

  14. Midori says

    I have made this recipe a few times and it turned our great. Well enough that I jarred it and gave it as small gifts to my sisters. It’s like the healthy version of Nutella. I followed the instructions word for word and had no issues. I did not use liquid sweetener to avoid any issues with the consistency.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Love this, Midori! It really does make such a sweet gift. Thank you for the lovely review! xo

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Rebecca, it won’t taste quite as much like Nutella, but we think almonds would still make a very delicious spread!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Lisa, it won’t taste quite as much like Nutella, but we think it would still be a very delicious spread!

  15. Sarah says

    The one thing I would add: once you have scraped out as much of the chocolate-nut deliciousness as you can, add a little plant based milk (or nuts and water) to your blender and whizz up a chocolate hazelnut smoothie to help clean out the last little bits from the blender!

  16. Hana says

    Hello,

    Thank you for all these amazing recipes!

    Could you please let me know how much 1 cup of nuts weights in grams? I know you have a metric converter but it suggests different amounts for your different nut butter recipes. The amount also differs from other website converters. As a European who doesn’t use cups as a measurement, I feel quite confused about the right amount.

    If that’s possible for you, I would really appreciate it.

    Thank you in advance, Hana

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Hana, we’re so glad you enjoy our recipes and sorry for any confusion! The weight will depend on the type of nut, but for hazelnuts, 3 cups is ~415 grams.

  17. Nadine says

    I have been using this recipe for years! My son is 15 and still asks for it! It’s easy to make and it’s delicious… Don’t hesitate!

  18. Sara says

    So weird that the syrup makes this thicker? Any idea why? Mine thickened quite a bit but so far still spreadable, I hope it’s still spreadable when it cools. I think I’ll try sugar next time so that doesn’t happen.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Sara, sometimes adding too much liquid can cause chocolate to seize which creates that firmer texture.

      • Julie says

        Would adding coconut oil help? We got the perfect flavor but it’s thick (just like you warned)

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

          Hi Julie, if the thickness is an issue of the chocolate “seizing”, then it’s best to add a tiny bit of hot water at a time (~1 tsp) and mix until the consistency smoothes out again. Hope this helps!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Yes, we’d recommend just a couple minutes to help the skins peel off and release the oils.

      • Alice says

        The first time I tried this recipe with the Cocoa powder and I thought it was a bit bitter. The second time was with melted chocolate and it was perfect. I did manage to blend it with an immersion blender, which took me about 14 minutes to blend the hazelnuts. The end product is really tasty! If you’re like me and bought unshelled hazelnuts though, be prepared to spend an hour cracking the nuts…

  19. Neil Deshpande says

    Many thanks for this recipe, which I am using to eliminate one of the last commercial products from my 12 yr old’s diet.

    I made this using chopped partially skinned nuts in 1/2 cup bags from Target and coconut sugar I did not grind into a powder and the result is a bit drippier and grittier than the commercial version.

    Any thoughts on a fix? Thank you in advance.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Neil, If you want it thicker, you can blend for less time or refrigerate to thicken. Hope that helps!

  20. Stacy says

    I just looked this up because I’ve been wanting to make this for awhile, but I thought this had medjool dates in it. Am I thinking of a different recipe??

  21. Mahalia In Shanghai says

    Lovely! I’ve tried both ways and defs using chocolate and coconut sugar Keeps winning ♥️

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Courtney, we’d estimate ~3/4 cup or 192 g, but haven’t tried it that way ourselves!

  22. Tiffany says

    This recipe is absolutely terrible I would not recommend it to anybody I followed all the instructions exactly as they were and what I ended up with looks like cookie dough it was all granulated and it was hard I’m not very impressed I spent a significant amount of money and time on this before you post a recipe perhaps you should test it

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so sorry that was your experience, Tiffany. Is it possible you added a liquid sweetener? As mentioned in the notes, that can cause the mixture to become stiff. Another possibility would be if using a blender or food processor that isn’t powerful, it could have trouble blending.

  23. Sarah says

    Wow, absolutely delicious! I’m having to stop myself from spoon feeding myself the whole jar! The kids love it too!

    I halved the recipe and it made a 450g jar! The hazelnuts took a long time to form a butter, about 20-25 mins. I had to keep scraping every 30 seconds at one point as they were all forming a paste under the blade. I didn’t think I was going to get there but I was patient and eventually I had a beautiful hazelnut butter!
    Thank you for this awesome recipe!

  24. Jane Doe says

    Probably long since relevant but I had the same problem after I added maple syrup to sweeten. The mixture went from smooth and silky to granular and chunky like chocolate does when it burns. I think it was a temperature problem as I just let the blender keep going on low to chew it up slowly and intermittently stopped and mixed manually with a fork. With enough time it got back to a smooth consistency! Hope this helps.

  25. Taylor says

    It says to use 3 cups of hazelnuts – what measurement do I need if I’m making this recipe with hazelnut butter? Thank you!

  26. Kim says

    Great!

    I added a lot more stevia than the recipe calls for, I must have a sweet tooth! Great recipe, easy to follow.

    I baked on convection and 12 minutes for the raw nuts was too long, don’t make the same mistake I did, miscalculating oven temperature.

    So delicious!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thank you for sharing your experience, Kim! With convection we’d suggest decreasing the temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit. We’re so glad you still enjoyed the recipe! xo

  27. Fleur says

    I love this recipe but I am having a recurring issue that my blender just isn’t getting things smooth. It’s a Kenwood, which I thought would be good enough, but recipes involving nuts never go smoothly…
    Could you please let me know what type of blender you use, or processor or whatever gives you smooth nit butters?? I feel I need to replace mine now I am cooking more with raw ingredients and blending has become an everyday thing. I also have a Ban X, but haven’t been brave enough to try it for nut butters, as I love it dearly for the jobs I do use it for and don’t want to damage it ( it can powder sugar from granulated, and cinnamon from stocks, but a butter has more resistance and I think itay struggle)

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Fleur, we’re so glad you enjoy the recipe! We’d suggest checking out our blender review. For this recipe, we used a Vitamix. Hope that helps!

  28. Cassandra says

    Made this using chocolate chips and coconut sugar for extra sweetness and after looking at reviews I started with 1/4 tsp salt then a pinch more after tasting. Made it for pancakes tomorrow morning but cant stop eating it by the spoon! So good have missed nutella Thank you for this recipe

  29. Elle says

    I have no idea what went wrong, but after I added the chocolate, the oil from the hazelnuts separated from the meat and left me with what looked like dried up brown playdough floating in a sea of grease.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Oh no! So sorry this happened to you Elle. This can happen from over-processing (blending too long) or if your hazelnuts are slightly older. Let us know if there is any trouble-shooting we can help with!

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

          Oh no! So sorry, Brittany. We haven’t tried it, but it’s possible that you could transfer the mixture to a heatproof bowl and warm it up over a double boiler (this is a trick sometimes used to salvage split buttercream frosting). Gently mixing it afterwards might allow the ingredients to come back together in an emulsion. We aren’t sure if it would work but it could be worth a try? Let us know how it goes!

    • John Doe says

      Probably long since relevant but I had the same problem after I added maple syrup to sweeten. The mixture went from smooth and silky to granular and chunky like chocolate does when it burns. I think it was a temperature problem as I just let the blender keep going and intermittently stopped and mixed manually with a fork. With enough time it got back to a smooth consistency.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Sorry to hear that, Wynne! For next time, you can definitely reduce to just a pinch or 1/4 tsp and adjust up to taste.

  30. Marian says

    Just made this. If I make again I’d only put a tiny pinch of salt in it. The flavour up front is lovely but way too salty for my liking. I can remember Nutella being salty at all.

  31. Yuri says

    So easy and amazzziiiinnngg!! It’s hard to not eat the entire jar with a spoon! I used the food processor and it was juuuust a tad grainy but I was too lazy to transfer to the vitamix to make it super smooth. Will be definitely making again and again!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Emma, we haven’t tried that! Our only hesitation is that the maple syrup might cause the mixture to seize. Let us know if you try it!

  32. Tomer says

    Thank you for the recipe!

    I tried it a couple of times so far.
    The 1st time, it turn out beautifully. Not too thick and not too thin.

    The 2nd time, the taste was similar, but it turned out a bit thicker, and less spreadable.

    The 1st time, after storing it in a jar, I could see it had some liquid / oils (from the nuts?) on the bottom. But the 2nd time, it did not have any, and was thicker and less spreadable.

    I used the same amounts in both batches. Measuring cups and Spoons, same weight etc. Both times I added 1 tbsp of maple syrup. Also I did not add vanilla.

    I wonder what I could have done differently in the process? The one thing I can think of is maybe I let the chocolate cool a bit more / less before adding it – could this affect this? And if so, should I let it cool or just add it while still warm, right after it had melted?

    BTW, I had lasted me nearly 3 months and still tasted good. I couldn’t test further because I ate it all by then.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hm, so interesting! Thank you for sharing your experience, Tomer! The temperature of the chocolate could be a factor. It should be warm, but not hot when adding. Another idea could be how long it blended.

      • Tomer says

        Thank you!

        I already made another batch yesterday, and it came out perfect!

        I payed extra attention to the small details, in order to know the steps for next time.

        And I added the melted chocolate slowly and after it cooled a bit.

    • AnnMarie says

      I made this recipe without roasting nuts as they were skinless , but next time I will still roast as I think it seized . One big clump , but a very tastefully clump Indeed. I used my new vitamix immersion blender but I think next time it will be the regular vitamix. I just couldn’t get it smooth . Any tips? Not giving up !
      Thanks !

      • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

        Hi AnnMarie, roasting and using the regular Vitamix should help with the issues you’re having. Let us know how it goes!

  33. Alex says

    So I did this. And, it just wouldn’t get creamy. It became buttery enough that it looked like the pictures. And then I added the melted chocolate. It became grainy. Tasted gread, smelled amazing, but.. I added a little cacao powder. Nothing. Still grainy. Hm.
    THEN I ADDED OATMILK. HUUUUUGE MISTAKE. Now I have a super oily brownie-like batter, that tastes amazing, but grainy and dry.
    I don’t know what to do with it – it’s beyond saving that much is clear, but.. any idea as to what I could use it for instead?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Oh no! Sorry to hear that, Alex. We wonder if it would work in brownie batter? Such as a recipe that calls for dairy-free milk and nut butter. Or smoothies? Hope that’s helpful! In regard to it becoming grainy with the melted chocolate, we wonder if the chocolate got heated too much? Or if the brand had some sort of additive that didn’t work well?

      • Alex says

        Thanks, they’re as good a guess as any! Might try the brownie (:
        As for the chocolate it was probably too hot yes haha

  34. Elisha says

    So good! I made this last night and it was delicious. I’ve never been a fan a Nutella in the jar but this was amazing. Thanks!

  35. Lindsey says

    I just made this and it is delicious. I’m eating it on toast with freshly picked strawberries on top. So good. I need to order more hazelnuts. Thanks for the awesome recipe.

  36. Mollie Benton says

    I used dairy free mini chocolate chips and it is absolutely delicious! It took a while because I was a bit meticulous about the skins but I love the resulting smoothness. Thank you for the recipe!

  37. Maureen says

    Hello,

    About to begin this recipe for the first time – looking forward to it! I see the honey/agave/maple syrup or stevia options for adding sweetness if preferred. Do you know/think a date or two work to add sweetness without adding the liquid that stiffens the butter?

    Thank you very much for your help!

    Take care,
    Maureen

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Maureen, we tried that, but found it makes it like a dough so wouldn’t recommend it.

  38. Carolyn says

    I made a half batch in the Vitamix and used Dutch process cocoa powder plus added 2 teaspoons of powdered Monk fruit sweetener. The nuts, which still had at least half the skins on, took about 80 seconds to get super creamy, stopping twice to scrape down the sides and using the tamper. After all the other ingredients it was a tiny bit on the runny side so I added in 1 teaspoon of maple syrup to thicken, which I think was about 1/2 teaspoon too much, but still spreadable. Oddly when I put it in a glass jar it smoothed out a little. Tastes great but I might use a pinch less salt next time. I like that it is not so sickly sweet.

      • Elfi says

        Hi I made this with 2pkts hazlenuts, 1.5 bars Lindt 75% chocolate, used vegie salt & 1tsp honey, no maple syrup. I didn’t mix in Thermomix until nuts were like butter as I wanted texture! OMGOSH it is delicious, like ferrero roche! Will be making tiramisu truffles & this is so much better than nutella! Thank you from S/Australia!

  39. Rachel says

    It is too thick. It was really creamy straight out of my Thermomix, and I put that into an empty glass jar that I had, and screwed the lid on shut. But after a few hours, it had solidified into a hard chunky and unspreadable dry paste. I remembered seeing other homemade Nutella recipes online (even the Thermomix ones) which recommended putting in milk and/or oil. So what I did was I gently microwaved the chunky spread in the glass jar under half power for about 2 mins until it warmed up and became runnier, then I added in about 80ml of sunflower oil and stirred the hell out of that so it incorporated into the spread. It made the warmed spread really funny, like the consistency of a slightly thin milkshake. But hopefully once it cools down, it will be the right consistency for spreading. I do live in England, it’s the middle of winter now, my kitchen isn’t heated, so it does get a bit chilly in there when no one’s cooking. I don’t want a spread which I have to refrigerate to keep fresh so I refuse to add in any milk of any sort into it. Well, hopefully once it’s cooled down in a couple hours, it will be spreadable!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Rachel, sorry to hear that was your experience. It sounds like it hardened due to the kitchen temperature. We’d suggest storing it in a warmer spot, if possible, or maybe placing near the stove or in a warm water bath before serving to help it soften.

  40. jaimie says

    im happy with this recipe but its not very sweet
    also the texture is pretty runny but right when you add maple syrup it thickens up to a butter like texture, i like the texture though

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Jaimie, thanks for sharing! We’d suggest using a sweeter chocolate next time (such as semisweet chocolate chips). Hope that helps!

  41. Elena says

    Love it! The hazelnuts blended very well, they were in a liquid-ish form. I added melted chocolate, transferred the mixture into the jar, and placed it in the fridge because it was a bit runny. After two hours the spread thickened and it became creamy. I expected that the taste would be similar to Nutella, but it reminds me of Ferrero Rocher – which I always loved. Thanks for the recipe!

  42. Sarah says

    After making this I would agree it never comes out perfectly smooth, but I let my food processor just run for about 5-10 more min after which helped a lot. It was also saltier and a little more bitter than I expected, but I added 1/2 a cup of powdered sugar and it was perfect. Almost better than real Nutella!!

  43. SB says

    Past a few minutes in the Vitamix nothing really changes, you’ll never get butter but a grainy paste, no big deal. Next time I’ll replace the 1/2 tsp with only a pinch of salt to get rid of the salty aftertaste ruining the chocolate/hazelnut experience of that otherwise good recipe

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      So sorry to hear that was your experience! Is it possible you made a smaller batch and it didn’t go over the blades? We used a Vitamix and didn’t have any issues with consistency.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Anna, that can happen if too much maple is added and unfortunately can be hard to reverse. Using melted chocolate works best in this recipe.

  44. Amy L Simeon says

    This did not work at all.
    1. Vitamix did not turn hazelnut into butter even after the roasting.
    2. Tried an expensive dark chocolate bar.
    3. Never tasted creamy
    4. Very grainy

    After making it by the recipe to improve it:
    Tried adding a variety of things to make it taste better: coconut milk powder, cane sugar, maple syrup, cocoa butter, SO Delicious creamer.

    Ended up throwing it away.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Amy, we’re so sorry to hear that was your experience! Was the mixture fully above the blades? We wonder if in a wide base Vitamix, there isn’t enough volume to get it above the blades (which is what gets it creamy).

  45. Kelly says

    Could you please share where you usually buy hazelnuts? I looked at Amazon but a lot of the reviews say they were rancid.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Kelly, Typically Trader Joe’s or Natural Grocers. But any natural foods store should have them!

    • Raji says

      Omg i tired this recipe turned out so good. .my daughter loves it. Thank you so much for the recipe. Also i follow your recipe for Almond milk. Soo good

    • Jennifer says

      I buy roasted, peeled hazelnuts at Costco and they worked well. I did roast them a little more before I threw them in the blender

  46. Ellen Zouras says

    Hello! Has anyone tried adding cocoa butter or coconut oil to the cacao powder version of this, to “smoothen it out”? Wondering if they would mess it up entirely. Thanks in advance :)

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We haven’t tried that, but it sounds promising! It looks like another reader did something similar. You can see what they did if you press “ctrl+f” on a PC or “command+f” on a mac- a find bar should pop up that allows you to search for the specific word (“cacao butter”) in the post and comments.

  47. Tali says

    I made this today:
    1. I couldn’t for the life of me get the hazelnut peel off so I left it on.
    2. despite using my brand new Vitamix it did not become paste but was not grainy either.
    3. I added only 1/4 tsp of pink Himalayan sallt
    4. I used Hershey’s Special dark Chocolate Chips (2/3 cup) I know it is not vegan (and we are not at my house) but I couldn’t find any vegan chocolate at our local grocery store and I wanted to make it today.
    5. I had to add 6 tbs of Kirkland Almond Milk. It is still far from the original Nutella consistency but it is spreadable. It tastes delicious!!!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoy it, Tali! It should be smooth and creamy, but not quite the thick consistency of store-bought nutella (since that’s due to additives). Thanks so much for sharing your experience! xo

  48. harry aden says

    hi

    just wondering why all recipes including this one call for whole hazelnuts .
    you have to roast them so they should be warm for blending…

    why can’t one use store bought ground walnuts and grind that up further?

    no-one ever mentions it as a option?

    thanks

    • Marko says

      All home made Nutella recipes call for hazelnuts because Nutella is made from hazelnuts. It is that unmistakeable flavour of hazelnuts that has been giving Nutella an irresistible delicious flavour… for about hundred years now. If you would like to experiment with walnuts and create a totally different new spread, go ahead and good luck! Just don’t call it Nutella please, as it has nothing to do with Nutella.

  49. Nanci Malone says

    I’m making it now, using a food processor (Vitamix motor started to smell)- is there an expected time for nuts to become ‘butter’? More than 15-20 min? Love your site and your amazing recipes, thanks for the help!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Nanci, it will depend on the strength of your blender/food processor. But it usually takes us about 8-10 minutes with a food processor.

      • Nanci says

        Absolutely true! I assumed cause my food processor was big and loud – that it was powerful, lol

        Thanks for your reply and thanks again for sharing these recipes!

  50. Salty says

    Way too salty, and not very sweet. I much prefer other people’s recipes that are made from hazelnuts, dates, cocoa powder, and a little bit of almond milk as needed to moisten. Wasted a bunch of perfectly good hazelnuts. I think everyone who rated this didn’t follow the recipe..

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi, So sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy this one! Did you use sea salt? We find it adds a pleasant saltiness and other readers have really enjoyed this one. We could see standard table salt not being as pleasant.

  51. Megan says

    I just made this and wow I am SO HAPPY <3 I was too lazy to rub the skins off of the hazelnuts and it turned out amazing. I was a bit worried that my ninja blender wouldn't be able to handle it but VOILA *Chef Kiss* A masterpiece, thank you so kindly for this recipe!

  52. Logan says

    I think my hazelnuts were… dry? maybe already roasted and I didn’t notice so they got extra baked YIKES. Added a good amount of coconut milk (canned kind) since I don’t have avo or coconut oils at home to thin it out.

    I also didn’t have anything but bakers chocolate so I added 2/3 cup of that, + probably another 1/3 cup of maple syrup and the coconut milk and it came together DELICIOUSLY

  53. Eliza says

    The first time I tried making this, my food processor actually seized up and broke! I had to send it away for repairs. Clearly, not powerful enough! This time around I pre-crushed the hazelnuts with a mallet in a plastic bag before processing them. However I think I lost a lot of the oils my hazelnuts had released that way because they got left behind inside the bag. So, drier hazelnuts + weaker food processor meant I needed to add a good amount of coconut oil to get this to butter texture, which was also on the grittier side (again, due to food processor power). With the proper equipment I’m sure I could have achieved even better results. My husband and I were very pleased regardless & enjoyed it very much!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks for sharing, Eliza! Sorry it took a couple tries to get it right! Nut butters can be hard on appliances!

  54. Alex says

    I’ve made this recipe twice – it tastes absolutely wonderful :)

    However, when making it this time, after a couple of days it turned really really stiff. That did not happen the first time. Any idea what might’ve caused it? And whether I can do anything to fix it? It’s quite useless for its intended purpose – to be drizzled on breakfast. Not very ‘drizzable’, lol!

    It still tastes amazing though, so finding other purposes for it isn’t hard haha!

      • Alex says

        You know what? I actually came to think of that after having sent the comment. The colder temperatures are likely the problem.

        Either way, I just enjoyed it on some toast with banana and I have absolutely no further complaints – mouthwatering :P

    • Stiff and delicious says

      Hello! I tried it today. I roasted and removed the skin from hazelnuts. I started to blend the hazelnuts in my processor, it didn’t turned into butter yet, when I added the melted chocolate and the rest of ingredients. It started to blend again and suddenly I observed that it started to separate.
      Now it is a stiff piece of “Nutella” in hazelnut oil. Tastes amazing! What can I do to smooth it’s consistency?
      Thank you so much!

      • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

        Hi, it sounds like maybe the chocolate got added too early which caused separation because of the oil. You could try blending more. But for next time, we’d suggest making sure the hazelnuts get to a butter consistency before adding the melted chocolate.

        • S.Delicious says

          Thank you! For sure I will do it next time. I managed to correct the consistency with some milk, as my children asked me) The taste was like “real Nutella” and a lot healthier! :) Wish you wonderful holidays! ⭐️🎄👏

  55. Campbell says

    OH MY GOODNESS! This is so good! I was little hesitant to try this recipe because it seemed “too simple” but I am so glad I did! This tastes just like Nutella and my whole family loved it!!

      • Kate says

        Not happy with te outcome. I blended for about 6-7 minutes and the hazelnuts went into a coarse butter paste but nowhere near smooth. Chocolate didn’t sweeten the thing enough so I added date siroup which ruined the texture even more. In the end neither taste or texture resembles the nutella. Its just as dry and unpleasant to eat as peanut butter which I hate. Its just as my own pervous attmpts on the topic:( it’s
        shame because I’d love a vegan version that tastes good.

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

          Hi Kate, we’re so sorry to hear that was your experience! Some readers seem to love this and others have trouble getting a creamy texture – we’re not sure what’s causing the discrepancy. Did you make any modifications? What type of blender were you using?