Oh, that craving! You know the one—when you absolutely need that rich, dark, velvety chocolate hazelnut goodness, and nothing else will scratch the itch. But goodness, have you seen the ingredient list on the store-bought stuff lately? So many oils and additives I can’t even pronounce!
That’s why I nearly threw a party when I finally perfected my Homemade Nutella Recipe. Seriously, it’s ridiculously easy, and the results are just superior. We’re talking about pure roasted hazelnuts giving you that amazing deep flavor, and *you* control the sugar, which is my favorite part. Trust me, once you make this super simple chocolate spread from scratch, you won’t look back. It elevates everything, whether you’re dipping into it or spreading it thick on toast. You’ll want to check out my Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip next time you need easy indulgence!
Gather Your Ingredients for the Homemade Nutella Recipe
Getting this easy Nutella recipe together is half the battle, and honestly, it’s mostly just measuring! You don’t need a ton of fancy things, just the good stuff. We are using whole roasted hazelnuts to get that deep, earthy flavor that makes this homemade hazelnut spread taste authentic. Don’t forget the salt; it wakes everything up, trust me!
- 2 cups whole roasted hazelnuts (make sure they’re dark!)
- 1 cup fine powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil (or another neutral oil)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- A tiny pinch of salt
If you love chocolate milk in the morning, you have to try my Chocolate Almond Milk Recipe next!
Specific Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
The hazelnuts are the star, so they absolutely must be fully roasted. If they come out pale, your spread will taste chalky instead of rich and nutty. If, after we process everything, you find your spread is clinging too tight to the sides of the processor—too thick for spreading—don’t panic! That’s normal. Just drizzle in another tablespoon or two of that vegetable oil until you get that perfect, silky consistency. It’s simple tinkering!
Step-by-Step Instructions for Your Homemade Nutella Recipe
Okay, this is where the magic happens, and honestly, it requires a little bit of patience, which is tough when you’re craving chocolate spread immediately! But stick with me on Step 1, because that’s the secret sauce for this easy Nutella recipe.
You’ll be using your trusty food processor for this whole recipe—it’s the workhorse! We need those nuts to give up all their oils completely. If you need a break from the noise, go check out my Homemade Wonton Soup recipe; it’s much quieter!
Achieving Perfectly Smooth Hazelnut Butter
Toss those 2 cups of roasted hazelnuts right into the bowl. Now, put the lid on and start processing. This is not a quick job; you have to let the machine work! It will go from chunky bits to a powder, then to a rough paste, and finally, to a glorious, smooth butter. Seriously, set a timer for 10 to 15 minutes! Stop every couple of minutes just to scrape down the sides—trust me, those bits on the edge are lazy and won’t blend themselves.
Combining Dry and Wet Ingredients in the Homemade Nutella Recipe
Once your hazelnut butter is completely smooth—like liquid gold, basically—it’s time to transition. Add in your powdered sugar, your cocoa powder, the vegetable oil, the vanilla extract, and just that little pinch of salt. Put the lid back on and process again until everything is beautifully incorporated. You’re looking for one uniform, thick, intensely chocolatey spread. Once it’s all mixed and looks gorgeous, spoon it right into your airtight container!
Tips for the Best Homemade Nutella Recipe Results
Okay, now that you’ve got your creamy, dreamy chocolate spread, let’s talk about making sure every batch is a five-star winner. Making this homemade hazelnut spread is super easy, but a few tiny tricks can elevate it from great to absolutely unforgettable. You really want that perfectly spreadable texture, right?
The biggest tip I can give you is patience during the initial nut processing. If you stop short and the hazelnuts are still chunky when you add the sugar, the sugar particles won’t dissolve properly, and bam—you’ve got a grainy chocolate spread instead of silky luxury. Keep scraping and keep blending until that hazelnut butter is running smoothly. It’s worth the noise!
Also, don’t be afraid to tweak the oil slightly if you need to! Every brand of cocoa powder, for instance, seems to absorb liquid differently. If you taste it and it feels just a bit too stiff for your liking—maybe you want it runnier for drizzling over pancakes—just slowly add another teaspoon of vegetable oil while the processor is running. Blend for 30 seconds after each addition until it flows exactly how you want it. It’s your hazelnut spread, so make it your perfect texture!
If you are looking for other ways to control your pantry ingredients, you absolutely must try my recipe for Homemade Ketchup Recipe next. Controlling sugar in condiments is just as important!
Storage and Shelf Life of Your Homemade Nutella Recipe
Once you’ve made this incredible homemade hazelnut spread, the next big question is, “Uh oh, how do I save it?” Because we skipped all those weird stabilizers the big companies use, storage is super simple, but you do need to be mindful.
The absolute best way to keep your Homemade Nutella Recipe fresh is in a good, airtight container. I prefer glass jars because they seal the tightest. You can absolutely keep this right on your counter, especially if you plan on eating it within a week or so. At room temperature, it stays perfectly spreadable. It might firm up slightly if your kitchen is cool, which is fine—it’s just the natural oils settling.
Now, if you’ve gone and made a huge batch—and who hasn’t when they first taste it?—put the extra jars in the fridge. Refrigeration is the key to longevity. It will definitely get much firmer in the cold, almost like cold peanut butter. If that happens, don’t worry! Just scoop out what you need and let it sit on the counter for about 15 or 20 minutes before you plan to use it. That little bit of patience brings back that perfect, spoonable texture we love so much for this easy Nutella recipe.
If you store it correctly, this fresh hazelnut spread should last happily for several weeks in the fridge, maybe even a month, though I highly doubt it lasts that long around here!
Serving Suggestions for Your Homemade Nutella Recipe
Okay, now that you have this lush, homemade hazelnut spread sitting there calling your name, you need ways to use it (besides just standing over the jar with a spoon, which I totally do sometimes). This spread is so versatile!
Start simple! It’s obviously fantastic swirled over warm toast or slathered on crêpes. But don’t stop there! It melts beautifully, so try drizzling a little warm homemade Nutella over a bowl of vanilla ice cream—heavenly. It’s also amazing folded into plain Greek yogurt to make it taste like a decadent dessert yogurt.
My absolute favorite use, especially when company is coming over, is using it as a base for a quick dip. You just need to thin it slightly with a splash of milk or cream cheese. If you want an incredibly easy crowd-pleaser, you must try using this spread as the secret ingredient in my Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip. Just swap out the melted chocolate chips for a few spoonfuls of this fresh hazelnut spread, and watch people devour it! It adds such a depth of flavor that store-bought stuff just can’t touch.
Oh, and fruit! Sliced bananas or strawberries dipped into this easy Nutella recipe feel like a gourmet treat, but they take zero effort. Enjoy making your kitchen smell like your favorite candy shop!
Variations on the Homemade Nutella Recipe
The base recipe for this homemade hazelnut spread is absolutely rock-solid, which means we can get a little playful with the mix-ins! You don’t have to stick strictly to cocoa and hazelnut; this is your kitchen, after all. A little creativity goes a long way in making your homemade Nutella truly yours.
My biggest suggestion for variation is playing with the main chocolate element. If you want a slightly richer, deeper chocolate flavor, swap out half of the cocoa powder for melted dark chocolate—about 4 ounces should do the trick. Make sure you let the chocolate cool down a bit before adding it, or it can seize up the spread!
Want to tinker with the sweetness? If you find powdered sugar a bit too much, you can absolutely substitute it with something like monk fruit sweetener or even substitute a portion of it with a fine almond flour for a less sweet, slightly grainier, yet totally acceptable result. It’s all about what texture you prefer in the end.
And don’t forget the spices! A tiny pinch of cinnamon or even a very small dash of cayenne pepper can bring an unexpected warmth to the finished chocolate spread. It just deepens the chocolate flavor so beautifully. It reminds me a little bit of the complexity you get in a rich Boston Cream Poke Cake, just in spread form!
If you aren’t strictly vegan or avoiding dairy, a teaspoon of instant espresso powder folded in right at the end makes the chocolate notes sing. It won’t taste like coffee, promise, it just gives the hazelnut spread an extra layer of beautiful complexity.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Homemade Nutella Recipe
You’ve made the spread, but maybe you’ve run into a snag, or perhaps you’re just super curious before you start! I get tons of questions about making this easy Nutella recipe at home, so I figured I’d put the biggest ones right here. No question is silly when you’re chasing that perfect hazelnut spread!
Can I make this Homemade Nutella Recipe without a food processor?
That’s a tough one, honestly. Can you *technically* do it with something else? Maybe a super, I mean SUPER high-powered blender, but I wouldn’t recommend it for your first batch. This recipe relies heavily on getting that rich hazelnut butter stage, which means prolonged, heavy processing. A standard blender will likely overheat before the nuts ever release enough oil. You really need that sturdy scraping action of a good food processor to get that luxurious, smooth texture for your homemade hazelnut spread. Stick with the processor for guaranteed success!
Why is my Homemade Nutella Recipe grainy?
Graininess is the number one texture complaint, and I can usually trace it back to two things only: roasting or processing time. If your hazelnuts weren’t roasted dark enough, they haven’t released nearly enough oil, so the sugar feels gritty floating in dry nut dust. If they were roasted well, it just means you need to be more patient on the machine!
You need to push that processing time past the 10-minute mark, maybe even to 15. Keep scraping down the sides! The oils have to be fully incorporated into the sugar so it dissolves, making the whole mixture slick and shiny. Don’t give up until it stops looking like grit and starts looking like melted chocolate taffy.
How does this homemade hazelnut spread compare to store-bought?
Oh, comparison time! It’s night and day, I promise. Store-bought versions have a lot of processed vegetable oils, palm oil, and stabilizers. Our easy Nutella recipe uses simple, whole ingredients—just nuts, sugar, and cocoa. The flavor of freshly toasted hazelnuts is so much deeper and more aromatic than anything you get in a jar.
Plus, and this is huge for me, you are in total control of the sugar content. I use a full cup of powdered sugar, but if you want it less sweet, you can cut that back substantially without ruining the consistency, which you certainly can’t do with the brand names! It’s fresher, cleaner, and tastes exactly like rich hazelnut chocolate should taste. If you need more inspiration after making this, check out my guide on 4 Exquisite No-Bake Cake Recipes for more simple delights!
Nutritional Estimates for Homemade Nutella Recipe
Now, I know we aren’t making this amazing homemade hazelnut spread for its health benefits—it’s pure indulgence, right? But it’s always handy to have a general idea of what you’re scooping onto your spoon! Since we’re using such simple, whole food ingredients here, you can feel a little better about this decadent treat compared to the store-bought stuff we talked about.
Here are the rough estimates for a serving size of 2 tablespoons of our rich chocolate spread. Remember these numbers are just a guideline. If you use a different type of oil or measure your roasted hazelnuts slightly differently, things can shift! If you’re curious about sugar in general, take a peek at my thoughts on The Surprising Sugar Content of Fruits for some perspective.
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: About 200
- Sugar: 15g
- Fat: 15g (mostly healthy fat from the hazelnuts!)
- Protein: 4g
- Fiber: 3g
See? All that goodness comes right from the nuts and cocoa! It’s mostly fats and natural sugars, which is what you expect from a delicious hazelnut spread. The key takeaway is that you are boosting your healthy fat intake while enjoying an incredible homemade treat. Enjoy every lick, because you earned it!
Share Your Homemade Nutella Recipe Success
Whew! We did it! You have successfully created a batch of the most incredible, rich, homemade chocolate hazelnut spread. Now comes the best part: enjoying it, and then telling me all about it!
I am genuinely so excited for you to taste this. I want to see what you’re spreading it on! Did you go classic with toast? Did you use it as a decadent filling in a cake? Or maybe you just ate half the batch standing over the container with a sturdy spoon? Don’t be shy—I’ve been there!
Please, take a moment to leave a comment below after you’ve tried this easy Nutella recipe. Seriously, your feedback helps other bakers decide if they should try it next, and I read every single comment. Let me know how smooth your hazelnut butter turned out and if everyone in your house managed to keep their hands off it for more than five minutes!
If you loved making this, I have tons of other simple, yet impressive recipes you might adore. You should definitely head over and check out my post on Delicious Cookies for a Bake Sale next time you’re in a baking frenzy. Happy scooping!
Print
Homemade Nutella Recipe
- Total Time: 15 min
- Yield: About 2 cups 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Make your own hazelnut chocolate spread using simple ingredients.
Ingredients
- 2 cups roasted hazelnuts
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Place the roasted hazelnuts in a food processor. Process until they form a smooth butter, scraping down the sides as needed. This may take 10 to 15 minutes.
- Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and salt to the food processor.
- Process until the mixture is completely smooth and well combined.
- Transfer the spread to an airtight container.
Notes
- Ensure your hazelnuts are fully roasted for the best flavor.
- If the spread is too thick, add a small amount of extra vegetable oil until you reach your desired consistency.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 0 min
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Processing
- Cuisine: General
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 15
- Sodium: 10
- Fat: 15
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Unsaturated Fat: 12
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 18
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 4
- Cholesterol: 0
Keywords: homemade Nutella, hazelnut spread, chocolate spread, easy Nutella recipe