Healthy Nutella Spread

Name: Healthy Nutella Spread
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 cups of raw Hazelnuts; 18 dates pitted (soaked if hard); 5 Tbsp of cocoa powder; 250 ml of nut milk (a bit more if you want it runnier); 1 tsp of Miso paste; 1 pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

This indulgent and decadent chocolate spread is everything I want on my pancakes, on toast or as icing on a chocolate cake. It’s sugar free, oil free and guilt free. I indulge in a few spoons on its own every now and then. It’s easy and fun to do with kids.

Ingredients

2 cups of raw Hazelnuts
18 dates pitted (soaked if hard)
5 Tbsp of cocoa powder
250ml of nut milk (a bit more if you want it runnier)
1tsp of Miso paste
1 pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions

Step 1 – Pre heat the oven at 160C. Roast the Hazelnuts for 12-15 mins. Keep an eye on them, they roast very fast depending on your oven. We want lightly golden hazelnuts.

Step 2 – Let the Hazelnuts cool down a bit. As soon as you can touch them, wrap inside a clean tea towel and leave for 3 mins. Rub the towel with your hand to loosen most of the skins.

Step 3 – Blend until a butter is formed, about 8-10 minutes, depending on your food processor. Scrape down sides as needed.

Step 4 – Add the dates and blend until they break down and you get a coarse sandy texture.

Step 5 – Add the cocoa powder, miso paste and half of the milk, blend until you get a thick butter. Add the remaining milk and a bit more if needed until you get your desired texture.

Step 6 – Transfer the chocolate spread to a clean glass jar and store in the fridge for up to 2-3 weeks.

Cayenne Pepper: Like the miso, cayenne brings warmth and enhances the chocolate flavours. This is a quite grown up Nutella, you can leave this out if you are doing it for children.

About the Ingredients

Hazelnuts: Try to get raw Hazelnuts. If you get them roasted, you still need to roast them in the oven for 4-6mins, it will help to release the oils and will produce a smoother spread.

Dates: You can easily pit them by opening in half. If they are a bit hard soak them in boiling water for at least 30 mins.

Cocoa Powder: I’m using raw organic Cacao powder. If you can, use Dutch processed cocoa as it is darker and less bitter. Dutch processed cocoa has a neutral ph and is not acidic like natural cocoa. It contains less caffeine but also less antioxidants and flavonols.

Nut milk: I’m using almond milk in this recipe but any nut milk will work here. I would avoid soya as it is a bit more watery and we want it to be as creamy as possible.

Miso Paste: This may sound a strange ingredient to have on a chocolate spread but believe me it works. Chocolate gets more intense and complex with a bit of saltiness and umami flavour.