If you love Nutella but want a healthier option with real ingredients, this is the recipe you’ve been waiting for. Made with just roasted hazelnuts, raw cacao and honey, this homemade version is rich, chocolatey, and incredibly satisfying – without any palm oil, refined sugar, or additives.
The secret is patience. Blending the roasted hazelnuts long enough turns them into a smooth, creamy nut butter. From there, it’s just a matter of adding the cacao and honey until you reach that silky Nutella-like texture. It’s dark, intense, and naturally sweet – exactly how I love it. If you prefer something a little milder, you can absolutely adjust the sweetness to your taste.
This healthier Nutella is amazing on toast, stirred into yoghurt, drizzled over porridge, or straight off the spoon. It’s free from refined sugar, high in healthy fats, and packed with antioxidants from the cacao. And honestly? I think it tastes better than the real thing.
Homemade Vs Store-Bought
While store-bought chocolate spreads might be convenient, they often come loaded with palm oil, refined sugar, and unnecessary additives. Making your own at home means you control exactly what goes in – just wholesome ingredients like nuts, cacao and natural sweetener. It’s not only better for you, but also tastes richer and more real. You get all the chocolate-hazelnut flavour without any of the hidden extras. Once you try this homemade version, it’s hard to go back.
Ways To Enjoy It
Spread it on toast, spoon it into porridge, drizzle over pancakes, or dip fresh fruit into it – there’s no wrong way to enjoy this. It also makes a great wholesome gift if you pop it into a pretty jar.
It pairs beautifully with sliced bananas, sourdough toast, or oatcakes. You can also use it as a healthier chocolate filling for crepes or baked oats.
Tips
- Use Fresh Hazelnuts: The fresher the nuts, the creamier the result. Avoid pre-roasted or salted ones.
- Roast Evenly: Don’t skip the roasting – it helps release the natural oils that make the spread smooth.
- Cool Before Blending: Let the nuts cool completely before blending so they process more efficiently.
- Scrape Often: Stop the processor every few minutes to scrape down the sides. It helps achieve a smooth texture.
- Adjust Sweetness Early: If you want a sweeter result, add the extra honey during blending – not after.
Swaps
Hazelnuts: You can use almonds or cashews, but the flavour will be different and won’t replicate Nutella.
Cacao powder: Unsweetened cocoa powder works just as well if you don’t have raw cacao.
Honey: Maple syrup is a great vegan option, but start with less and adjust to taste.
Salt: A small pinch of sea salt or Himalayan salt really brings out the chocolate flavour.
Storage
Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat in a dry pan to bring back some of the flexibility or crunch.
Freezer: Not ideal for freezing once cooked, but you can freeze the chickpea flour batter in a sealed container and defrost it overnight in the fridge before cooking.
More Chocolate Treats
- Cioccolata Calda – Italian Hot Chocolate
- 4-Ingredient Healthier Chocolate Mousse
- 3-Ingredient Chocolate & Peanut Butter Bars
- Chocolate Chia Pudding
Homemade Nutella – 3 ingredients
Ingredients
- 200 g hazelnuts
- 30 g cacao powder
- 50 g honey or maple syrup
Instructions
- Roast the hazelnuts in the air fryer for 6 mins at 170C
- OR in a pre heated oven at 180C for 7 mins
- Roast the hazelnuts and let them cool down completely.
- Add hazelnuts, cacao powder and honey into a food processor and blend.
- It took me a while to get to this unbelievable consistency, just don’t give up until it looks like this.
- Add a pinch of salt too, I think it really enhance the flavour.
- Store into a little hermetic jar. I used a mustard size type of jar that would hold ~185g of product.