Better Than Nutella… Try This Chocolate Hazelnut Spread Recipe!

For those of you who have been watching my blog over the past 9 years (I can’t believe I’ve been blogging for 9 years?!?!?!) you know that my relationship to food has been a bit rocky.

I LOVE to cook. And I LOVE to eat. And with my weight fluctuating up and down (and then up and down again and again), I always waver between super healthy and super extravagant meals, and I rarely strike a healthy balance in between.

Since I have recently discovered that I am dairy and gluten sensitive, I have decided simply cut those culprits out of my diet, and the rest is fair game. I’m choosing to limit adding sugar and alcohol to my diet, but they are not off limits. I’m going to give this way of eating a solid year and see if I can’t bring my relationship with food back into a healthy, wholesome space.

All of that said, THIS RIGHT HERE is exactly the kind of recipe I would normally avoid like the plague while on a diet. Even if it’s made up of relatively wholesome and whole ingredients and uses stevia instead of sugar it’s… gasp!… a dessert! *clutches pearls*

So making this snack to enjoy with my kids felt really really good. It’s a lovely guilt free snack, and if you’re a fan of Nutella type snacks, you should check it out!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts

1/3 cup cacao powder

2/3 cup powdered stevia

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of sea salt

3 tablespoons coconut oil, warmed so that it’s a liquid

Preparation:

1. Place hazelnuts in a food processor. Process until the nuts turn into a smooth paste (you may need to scrape the bowl a few times so all the nuts get ground up evenly.)

2. When the nuts have been processed into hazelnut butter, add the stevia, cocoa, vanilla and sea salt. Process again until smooth.

3. Add the oil and process once more. Add enough oil to obtain a spreadable consistency.

This spread is great as a dip for fruit, spread onto your favorite bread, or, (let’s be honest here), eaten straight with a spoon! Enjoy!