SHARE
One part of switching to a more plant-based diet over the years has been discovering and experimenting with how to turn my favourite old treats into healthier, nutrient-dense and even more delicious versions! I sort of fell in love with it straight from the get-go, creating chocolate zucchini milkshakes, raw vegan cheesecakes, chocolate coconut bliss balls, healthy bounty bars, cauliflower crust pizza, coconut rice pudding (I could go on forever) and still love making them to this day! I also think we can all relate when I say nutella is totally addicting! I used to eat a spoonful every night. Unfortunately, the ingredients aren’t super healthy and my body just doesn’t like it anymore. So, naturally you can tell how amazed I was when heard that you could create something even better, both taste-wise and nutrients-wise. This recipe is also great because you can tweak it to your preference, whether you prefer yours smooth and creamy or a little more thick like, either works! I also have to mention the great benefits of this little guy, because that’s a HUGE bonus! Using raw cacao powder will provide you with a great source of iron, protein and it also has antioxidant properties. Hazelnuts are also a great healthy buddy because they contain Flavonoids, which are known to help support brain health and help reduce symptoms associated with allergies – pretty neat huh? You can see that I used coconut milk in this recipe because I love the consistency it gives, but you can substitute it with water if you prefer!
Life is pretty darn great sometimes. The fact that I can eat healthy chocolate hazelnut spread with a spoon all day makes me pretty happy. And of course I want you guys to be able to enjoy it as much as I do, so I thought I’d let you in on the secret! So without further adieu, Healthy Chocolate Hazelnut Spread!
Healthy Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
- 200g of hazelnuts
- 1/4 cup coconut milk or almond milk (both work great)
- 1/4 cup water
- 3-4 tbsp raw cacao powder
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of sea salt
- Preheat your oven to 375F.
- Spread the hazelnuts evenly onto a baking tray with baking paper on it. Roast the hazelnuts for about 10-15 minutes. Keep an eye on these and make sure they don’t burn. You want them to be super crunchy and golden, but not burnt.
- Let the hazelnuts cool on the baking sheet. Once cooled, rub off (with a paper towel or your hands) as much of the skin as you can, but its not that important if you don’t have time for this. Then transfer the nuts to a food processor. Blend the hazelnuts until they form a flour-like consistency.
- Add the coconut or almond milk, water, raw cacao powder, maple syrup, vanilla extract and sea salt and blend for about 5 minutes. Be patient, blend until the mixture is super creamy!
- Store in a clean, sealed jar in the fridge. Should last up to 10 days, but mine never lasts that long anyways!
- You can use agave syrup instead of maple syrup, but the maple really compliments the hazelnut flavour.
