I first discovered Nutella when my family moved to Italy when I was in third grade. This healthier (less sugar) homemade version is not completely smooth think of it more like a natural peanut butter versus Jif. If you’re wed to a perfectly smooth spread, you can strain it through a fine mesh sieve. (Straining will reduce the yield to about one and one half cups.) Store in an airtight container, at room temperature, for two months.
Ingredients
- 2 cups hazelnuts
- 1 cup toasted hemp seeds
- ¼ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
- Kosher salt
How to Make It
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread the hazelnuts on a small, rimmed baking sheet. Toast, until just beginning to smell fragrant, 10 to 12 minutes. Rub the nuts in a clean dishtowel to remove the skins (don’t worry if a few of the skins are still attached).
- Place the skinned hazelnuts, hemp seeds, cocoa powder, sugar, and vanilla in a food processor. Process, stopping the food processor and scraping down the bowl as necessary, until the butter is smooth and creamy, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the melted chocolate. Process until combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt.