Finally, a Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread Without the Guilt

There’s a lot to love about the combination of chocolate and hazelnuts, but mass-market spreads are loaded with sugar (it’s the first ingredient!).  Turns out, you don’t need that much sweetness to enhance this classic combo. This Paleo-friendly, vegan version has all the flavor you want—with no refined sugar or palm oil.

Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread

Yield: 1 cup
Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients for this Vegan and Paleo Recipe

1 cup hazelnuts
2 tablespoons cacao powder
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tablespoon coconut cream
2 tablespoons raw honey or maple syrup
3 tablespoons coconut sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spread the hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for about 12 minutes, until they’ve browned a little and the skins are blistered a little. Wrap them in a kitchen towel and rub vigorously to remove as much of the loose skins as possible. Let cool completely.

In a food processor, grind the hazelnuts until they form a paste. Add the cocoa powder, oil, coconut cream, honey, sugar, vanilla, and salt and continue processing until the mixture is smooth.

Scrape your spread into a jar or other resealable container, and cover. Keep in fridge for up to 2 weeks. 

Photo credit: Paul Delmont