Just by coincidence, both myself and another friend have been doing 'do-it-yourself Nutella experiments this week.

I'll post a recipe after I finish my 'trials', but here's the process:

sugary junkfood nutella is normally made of:

hazelnuts
oil or fat
half and half
sugar
vanilla


I made my low-carb version out of :
-hazelnuts put through a food processor (it can't be anywhere as smooth as the 'real' Nestle product- I tried a Champion juicer with the "blank" screen also, which didn't make it much finer)

-unsweetened baking chocolate*(which I'm planning on replacing with caffeine-free wondercocoa)*
(TLC recommends avoiding wondercocoa. Try to get in touch with raw food suppliers and use raw, unfermented cacao powder instead!)

-coconut oil

-coconut milk

-vanilla

-frontier hazelnut extract

-Nustevia liquid

It came out SOO amazingly good.

Most people who tried mine agreed it was a bit too coconutty (and it definitely doesn't taste like the 'real' thing, but it's good anyway). I'll post proportions when I figure out what they should be after a few more experiments with this.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Tarilee,

This sounds amazing!!!!!!! If you get the actual measurements for each ingredient, I'd love to have it!

I haven't been able to replicate this because my local Trader Joe's doesn't have hazelnuts at the moment, but here are a few tips I learned in talking to people on another food forum about how to make this taste like 'the real thing':

-toast the hazelnuts first and then rub the skins off using a towel. People also said this is exasperating and doesn't work very well. I noticed that the dessert I made tasted a bit bitter, and I can see how the skins cause this.

-everyone else who's tried this seems to say that you have to run the food processor for quite a while (something like 3-5 minutes I think) and that at one point the nuts semi-liquify in the process and make a really smooth spread like the sugary 'processed' version. I think that's probably key- mine were a bit gritty.

"people" also said that you can make other kinds of nice smooth nut butter by running nuts in the food processor for 5 minutes or so.



I'm thinking that this dessert/spread would be really good made with almonds, too, which means you could buy them already skinned (though that costs more), or maybe you could make a Nutella substitute by starting with almond butter so you don't have to mess with a food processor.

And, this was absolutely heavenly as a spread for some of the chocolate flax muffins described in another post in this section.

I tried this again with other nuts- Yep, the food processor is the way to go. I've now tried this with the 'Will It Blend' blendtec blender, a Vitamix, champion juicer, and a plain old food processor, and the food processor does just as good of a job. You just have to run it long enough. I haven't figured out a way to make it as smooth as the Nestle paste, but who cares- it's good anyway.

I used glycerine, to taste, instead of stevia last time, and it was really good, no weird aftertastes since nuts are just a bit bitter anyway.

Coconut milk again... I tried it without the hazelnut extract, and with cocoa powder instead of baking chocolate, and it was fine. I keep making it and having it taste like 'dark chocolate' more than I want- it seems like they really stuff the 'real' version full of milk powder in proportions I can't replicate with a vegan alternative.

I still don't have exact proportions, I keep improvising.

HI Maria

You've probably seen this already but I found these two recipes for home made Nutella on a website called sugoodsweets. The second recipe is more difficult and richer. Obviously, you'd need to adapt due to sugar content, but might be a good basis for your experiments?

By the way, it is possible to buy ready roasted hazelnuts and I've seen some online labelled as blanched (i.e with skins removed). That's got to be preferable to the roasting followed by rubbing with tea towel routine, has it not?


Helen

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Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread (easy version)

Yield: about 12 ounces (1 1/2 cups)

2 cups whole raw hazelnuts
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
up to 1/4 cup vegetable or nut oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place hazelnuts in a single layer on a shallow baking pan. Toast until the skins are almost black and the meat is dark brown, about 15 minutes. Stir the nuts halfway through baking to ensure an even color.
2. Since the skin is bitter, you’ll want to discard them. Wrap the cooled hazelnuts in a clean kitchen towel or paper towel, and rub until most of the skins have come off. Don’t fret if you can’t get off all the skins.
3. Process nuts in a food processor, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally, until they have liquefied, about 5 minutes. First, you will get coarsely chopped nuts, then a fine meal. After a little while, the nuts will form a ball around the blade, and it will seem like you only have a solid mass. Keep processing. The heat and friction will extract the natural oils, and you will get hazelnut butter!
4. When the nuts are liquified, add in the sugar, cocoa and vanilla. Slowly drizzle in enough oil to make a spreadable consistency. Since the mixture is warm, it will be more fluid now than at room temperature.
5. Transfer the spread to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator for1-2 months. For best results, stir the chocolate-hazelnut spread before using.

Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread (caramel base)

Caramel instructions from Chocolate and the Art of Low-Fat Desserts by Alice Medrich

Yield: about 12 ounces (1 1/2 cups)

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 cups whole raw hazelnuts
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt

1. Preparation: Line a baking sheet with foil. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Make the caramel: Combine the sugar and water in a 3- to 4-cup saucepan. Do not stir again during the cooking. Cover and bring sugar and water to a simmer over medium heat. Uncover and wipe down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush or a wad of paper towel dipped in water. Cover and cook for 2 minutes, or until the sugar is completely dissolved. Uncover and cook until the syrup turns a pale amber. Test by spooning a drop or two of the syrup onto a white saucer. Swirl the pan gently, continuing to cook and test the color until the syrup darkens to a medium amber color.
3. Pour the caramel immediately onto the lined baking sheet. Tilt sheet to spread caramel as thinly as possible. Let harden completely, about 15 minutes.
4. Toast the nuts: Meanwhile, place hazelnuts in a single layer on a shallow baking pan. Toast in the oven until the skins are almost black and the meat is dark brown, about 15 minutes. Stir the nuts halfway through baking to ensure an even color.
5. To get rid of the bitter skins, wrap the cooled hazelnuts in a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. Rub until most of the skins have come off, but don’t worry if some remain.
6. Make the nut butter: When the caramel is completely cool, break it into pieces and pulverize in a food processor. Try to get the caramel as fine as possible at this stage (it won’t get finer once you add the nuts).
7. Add the nuts and process until they have liquefied, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Be patient; the nuts will go from a fine meal, to forming a ball around the blade, to nut butter. Add the cocoa, vanilla and salt and process until smooth.
8. Transfer the spread to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator for1-2 months. For best results, stir the chocolate-hazelnut spread before using.

Notes:

* Please use whole raw nuts, and toast them yourself to intensify the flavor. Pre-toasted or pre-chopped nuts are often spoiled.
* To further intensify the nut flavor, use unrefined nut oil (for version 1), which is tan in color. Refined nut oils have the color and flavor removed. Peanut oil is especially cheap in Chinese supermarkets. I bought 20 ounces for $2.38! There’s a lesson: if you’re looking for a “gourmet” ingredient, try an ethnic market.
* To make any standard nut butter, use this procedure but omit the powdered sugar, cocoa, vanilla and extra oil. Add 1/2 tsp salt and 2 tbsp granulated sugar. Try making your own cashew butter: you may never go back to peanut butter again!

Another good way to get a smooth texture is to use a coffee grinder for chopping the hazelnuts. This really works well.

Here's what looks like an easier recipe for Nutella, which I found on the Elana's Pantry website. It needs adapting, of course.

I have never eaten Nutella, but it strikes me that you could cut out a lot of the work by just addng the cocoa, sweetners and a little oil or water to shop bought hazlenut butter. If it's supposed to be crunchy, you could just process some hazlenuts (without bothering to roast them or remove skins) and mix those in.

Helen

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Recipe fom Elana's pantry

Homemade Nutella
1 cup hazelnuts
¼ cup cocoa powder
5 tablespoons agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon hazelnut oil
pinch celtic sea salt

1. Roast the hazelnuts at 350° for 8-10 minutes until they darken a bit and smell fragrant
2. Transfer the hazelnuts to a towel and rub off the skins if you can (I didn't have a lot of luck with this)
3. In a food processor, grind the hazelnuts to a smooth butter, about 5 minutes, scraping the sides as needed
4. Add the cocoa, agave, vanilla, oil and salt and process until well blended, about a minute
5. Store in a glass mason jar in the refrigerator
6. Bring to room temperature prior to serving

Makes 1 ½ cups

My chocolate hazelnut spread had a consistency that was a bit stickier or gummier than peanut butter. If you want to thin out your spread, add more hazelnut oil. I think this treat has a very similar taste to Nutella, though find the consistency not as creamy. Everyone in my house still seemed to enjoy it as this hazelnut chocolate spread vanished pretty quickly. Even though it's not exactly the same thing, I like having a decadent treat and at the same time knowing exactly what's in it!

I like the idea of jazzing up some store bought hazelnut butter. You know me . . . . Always looking for the easy way!

I love your phrase "shop bought"! You add a nice dimesion to this forum, Helen. I don't know anyone else from England. You have broadened my horizen!

Always hoping the best for you!! You are a person I admire so much!

Gay

Hi Gay Ann

I suppose you say "store bought"? I'll have to recall some more UK-only phrases to tickle your fancy.

My boss is American (living in Belgium) and she often points out words I use that she doesn't. The other day I told her that I had found something particularly "galling". She guessed that it meant annoying, but she doesn't use the expression herself. Mind you, she's heavily influenced by French and possibly out of touch with your language. The other day, I was writing to her about swedes and was careful to say that they were called rutabagas in the US. She claimed never to have heard the word or indeed to have seen the vegetable when I sent her a picture!

I've just noticed I've taken on a strange spelling of hazelnuts above. Good thing my boss doesn't read this. (You know I edit other people's work for my job!)

Hope you have a good holiday w/e.

Helen

I never noticed. Although, I hate finding my own typos - even on the forum!

Hope you have a nice weekend too!

Gay

GayAnn, where do you find this hazelnut butter?

I LOVE hazelnuts. They are the top nut for me. And Nutella is/was HEAVENLY. When I get to a point where I can tolerate agave, I am definitely trying to make my own. But I have never seen hazelbutter. And if I did, I'd expect it to cost me a nostril or two...

I have any answers. I've never had hazelnut butter or Nutello, but they both sound good. I'm like you - love hazelnuts. I imagine you can google it. Bet it's expensive.

I know the hazelnuts I buy are $9+ a pound. But I don't care. I don't eat too many treats. The Nutello sounds good though. What do you eat it on? Or do you just spoon it in your mouth because it's so good?

Let me know what you find.

Gay

Hi Deeb

We can get hazelnut butter in the UK made by either Meridian or Biona. I think these are both European companies. It may be that this is a product we can get here, which you can't in the US - makes a change!

If you know some companies that make almond butter, do a search (or contact them) and see if they also produce hazelnut butter.

I actually like hazelnut butter even more than almond butter. It's really delicious.

Good luck and please post if you find some available.

Helen

I made something like this recently by adding stevia, coconut milk, and unsweetened bakers' chocolate to a little almond butter or cashew butter (I think this website says to avoid cashews though). It was really easy and amazingly good. It made a 'chocolate ganache' sort of frosting.


I figured out that the problem I had with the first recipe posted, where I said that it tasted like dark chocolate, was due to the alcohol content in the hazelnut extract ( I think) and vanilla extract I used. It would be better to add it to something hot (like the melted chocolate) to evaporate the alcohol. Or not use those kinds of extracts to begin with- glycerine based ones are certainly available in some flavors.