Better Butters: Chocolate Hazelnut Butter

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Welcome to another post in the Better Butter series! It’s hard to deny the fact that Nutella is delicious. My favorite crepe filling while traveling in Paris was most definitely Nutella and banana. But what if you could make a healthier version at home? Today, I’ll share my recipe for chocolate hazelnut butter and compare the ingredients to Nutella.

Nutella

Ingredients

These are a little hard to read, so here they are in order:

• Sugar

• Palm oil

• Hazelnuts

• Skim milk

• Cocoa

• Soy lecithin as emulsifier

• Vanillin: an artificial flavor

Look at all those ingredients! Ingredients on labels are listed in descending order, meaning that sugar and palm oil are the two most prevalent ingredients in Nutella.

Palm oil

One of the main concerns with palm oil is that it is often not sustainably harvested, which causes damage to the environment. Low production costs make it very widely used in packaged foods and other household items, like body lotions and soaps. This is a great resource to find out if the foods you eat and the household products you use contain palm oil that is sustainably sourced and better for the environment.

Additionally, palm oil contains mostly saturated fat, so it is best to limit and choose oils higher in monounsaturated fats instead, such as olive and avocado oils.

Homemade

My chocolate hazelnut butter contains just hazelnuts and chocolate chips. I like to buy unsalted hazelnuts that are roasted and already have the skin remove to cut down on the work. You can also use whole hazelnuts and roast them yourself, then remove the skin.

I like using Simple Truth’s 72% cacao dark chocolate chips, but any will work! Make sure to choose dairy-free chocolate chips for a dairy-free spread.

Equipment

I use this Cuisinart food processor to make all kinds of nut butter and it works great!

Chocolate Hazelnut Butter

Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped and roasted hazelnuts
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Place chocolate chips in food processor and pulse for 30-45 seconds, just until chips are roughly chopped.
2. Add hazelnuts and turn the processor on high. The hazelnuts and chocolate will first turn into a flour. You'll need to stop and scrape the sides often.
3. Continue running on high until the hazelnuts and chocolate turn into a smooth and creamy butter. This usually takes 5-10 minutes, but will take longer if your hazelnuts aren't as finely chopped or roasted to start.
4. Once smooth and at your desired consistency, scoop into a jar.
5. Allow to cool, then store in the fridge.

Storage

Store homemade chocolate hazelnut butter in the fridge. It will usually stay fresh for 3-4 weeks. I like to let it warm up for 15-20 minutes on the counter before eating.

Making nut butter isn’t as difficult as it may sound, so I hope you’ll try making it at home! Chocolate hazelnut butter can be eaten anyway that you like. I think it tastes great right off the spoon, but feel free to spread it on toast, crackers, pancakes, waffles, or fruit. It also makes a great homemade holiday gift for friends and family. Enjoy!