Made with toasted hazelnut, cocoa powder, and dates, this delicious and easy homemade vegan Nutella is going to change your life! Spread over your toast, your muffins, on crackers, use it as a frosting for cakes or cookies – make it your way!
Why will you love this healthy vegan Nutella recipe?
- It is vegan, keto, paleo, low carb, free of artificial sweeteners, gluten free, and super easy to make
- Fast – it only takes 15 minutes to make
- Healthy – loaded with healthy fats, antioxidants, and fiber
- Customizable – you can use any plant-based milk, vanilla, or add melted vegan chocolate to make it creamier
- Satisfying – spread over toast, muffins, use as frosting for cakes and cookies, this vegan Nutella is loaded with fiber and healthy fats and will satisfy your chocolate cravings without food additives, gums and fillers of the store-bought chocolate spreads
- A family favorite – my kids loved this healthy vegan Nutella, it was gone by the third day, the whole jar. I am sure your family, especially your kids, will be asking for it. You will be confident to give this to your kids without worries and knowing that you are giving your family something nutritious, fulfilling, and yummy.
Key ingredients and items you need for this vegan Nutella
Ingredients
- Raw whole unsalted hazelnuts – the better the quality the better your spread will taste. Nature’s Garden has whole roasted hazelnuts without the shell ready for baking.
- Medjool dates pitted – if your dates have seeds, make sure to take the seeds out. The Fruit Bliss Organic Deglet Nour Dates are a great option or Joolies Organic Whole Medjool Dates
- Unsweetened cacao/cocoa powder – the better the quality the better the taste of your spread. You can alternative use melted semi-sweet chocolate chips. We love Navita’s Organic Cacao or Hershey’s.
- Vanilla extract – use a good quality vanilla extract or a vanilla bean. We used Pure Bourbon Vanilla Extract from Trader Joes and it is very tasty. Simply Organic Madagascar vanilla flavor is also very delicious.
- Water or almond milk – we used the water where the dates were soaked. I wanted the spread to have a dark color, but that is just my preference. When adding milk, the spread tends to add white to the mix and it looks more like a milk chocolate. However, the milk gives an extra creamy consistency. I would go for a coconut milk due to its creaminess and coconutty yummy flavor. However, coconut milk contains saturated fats, so I use coconut milk sparingly. In addition, I try to limit my use of coconut oil. On a personal note, I suspect that my daily cups of matcha with coconut milk elevated my cholesterol levels, so I limit coconut products now. Unsweetened almond milk, soy milk, or cashew milk can be a great alternative.
Items
- Measuring spoons: 1 teaspoon, 1/4 teaspoon, 1 tablespoon
- Measuring cups: 1 cup, and 1/2 cup
- Whisk or mixing spoon
- Food processor or high-speed blender
- Baking tray to roast the hazelnuts
- Kitchen towel to help remove the skin of the hazelnuts
What makes this vegan Nutella “healthy” and what are the nutritious benefits?
This healthy vegan Nutella is loaded with healthy fats, fiber, and antioxidants. It is made with natural ingredients including hazelnuts, cocoa powder, and dates. It is also plant based, gluten free, dairy free, vegan, keto, paleo, low carb, and naturally sweetened. Can this be possible? Yes, believe me, it is.
Health benefits of hazelnuts:
Hazelnuts are loaded with healthy fats such as omega-3s fatty acids, antioxidants, and nutrients. But beware they are also high in calories. They are a source of Vitamin E, Thiamin, Magnesium, Copper, Manganese, Vitamin B6, Folate, Phosphorous, Potassium, and Zinc (1).
- One serving of 10 hazelnuts contains (1):
- Calories: 88
- Fat: 9 grams
- Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
- Sodium: 0 milligrams
- Carbohydrates: 2 grams
- Fiber: 1 gram
- Sugar: 1 gram
- Protein: 2 grams
- Health benefits of unsweetened cocoa powder: cocoa has numerous health benefits including help with inflammation, heart, brain, blood sugar, weight control, teeth, and skin (2). It has high content of iron, fiber, copper, magnesium, manganese, and other minerals. It contains fatty acids that are good for the heart including oleic acid stearic acid, and palmitic acid (2). For maximum health benefits of cocoa, use non-alkalized cocoa powder or dark chocolate with more than 70% cocoa. Chocolate is combined with lots of sugar and fats, so limit store bought chocolate consumption and balance your meals toward the natural foods including fruits, vegetables, legumes, and seeds. A 100-gram bar of dark chocolate with 70 to 85% of cocoa contains (3):
- 11 grams of fiber
- 67% of the DV for iron
- 58% of the DV for magnesium
- 89% of the DV for copper
- 98% of the DV for manganese
- Health benefits of Medjool dates: Dates are a great source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They are also high in antioxidants, stimulate digestion, may help lower the risk of heart disease, and support heart health, among other benefits. Dates are versatile and you can easily make them part of your diet. You can have them raw, stuffed, in smoothies, or use as natural sweetener in desserts. One serving of dates (2 dates or 48 grams) has (4).
- Calories: 133
- Carbs: 36 grams
- Fiber: 3.2 grams
- Protein: 0.8 grams
- Sugar: 32 grams
- Fat: 0 grams
- Calcium: 2% of the Daily Value (DV)
- Iron: 2% of the DV
- Potassium: 7% of the DV
- Copper: 19% of the DV
- Vitamin B6: 7% of the DV
- Magnesium: 6% of the DV
How to make healthy vegan Nutella step by step
- Hazelnuts – Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). Place the hazelnuts in a baking sheet and bake for about 10-15 minutes just to warm the natural oils. Stir every 5 minutes. You will know when a bit of oil is visible coating the hazelnuts. Your hazelnuts will look shinier. This will make it easier to blend into butter. Take out of the oven and let them cool down. Place the hazelnuts in a dish towel and rub them to loosen the skin. Remove the skin as much as possible and place in a food processor.
- Dates – Take the seed out of the dates and any hard parts, usually at one end of each date. In a small pan, bring 1 cup of water to boil and soak the dates for about 15 minutes.
- Hazelnut butter – Add hazelnuts to a food processor or a high-speed blender. Blend on low until a butter is formed scraping down as needed, about 5 minutes total.
- Add the soaked dates and 1/2 cup of the water where you soaked the dates to the same food processor or strong blender where you have the cashew butter and puree until smooth, scraping down sides as needed.
- Add cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt, and pulse to combine until smooth, Nutella-like consistency. Enjoy with your favorite snack or breakfast, or by itself with a spoon! You may process a little longer if you want a silky consistency. Some prefer a chunkier consistency, like I do.
- Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It keeps for about 2 weeks, but I recommend discarding after 5 days.
Useful tips and tricks for a delicious vegan Nutella
Substitutions
- The cocoa powder can be substituted by 1/2 to 2/3 cup dairy-free dark chocolate. Prepare a double boiler on low heat on your stovetop, and add the chocolate chips until they melt. Then, add to food processor last of all ingredients, and process for about a minute.
- You can use both, cocoa powder and chocolate chips. Add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder and 2 tablespoons of a melted chocolate bar or chocolate chips.
- The hazelnuts can be substituted with cashews, almonds, or any nut you like. Check our cashew’s Nutella recipe. You can use any nut butter already made.
- 1/2 cup of milk can substitute the water.
Chunky or Silky
For a chunky consistency process your hazelnuts for about 5 minutes. For a smoother consistency, process the hazelnuts for about 8-10 minutes or more.
How to serve this vegan Nutella or what to serve it with?
- Pancakes
- Toast
- Crackers
- Banana bread
- Waffles
- On top of fruit
- Serve with a spoon and enjoy by itself
- Cupcakes
- Frosting for cakes or cookies
How to store this healthy vegan Nutella? Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It keeps for about two weeks, but I recommend checking for freshness and discard after five days.
More recipes you may like
- Vegan Nutella with Cashews
- Hot Cocoa Vegan Mix
- Healthy Vegan Lemon Curd
- Vegan Mexican Arroz con Leche
- Chocolate Chia Pudding
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This post may contain affiliate links. For Details see our Privacy Policy and Disclosure.Healthy Vegan Nutella
This healthy vegan Nutella is made with only 5 ingredients and is naturally sweetened with dates.
Ingredients
Instructions
-
Hazelnuts
Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). Place the hazelnuts in a baking sheet and bake for about 10-15 minutes just to warm the natural oils. Stir every 5 minutes. You will know when a bit of oil is visible coating the hazelnuts. Your hazelnuts will look shinier. This will make it easier to blend into butter. Take out of the oven and let them cool down. Place the hazelnuts in a dish towel and rub them to loosen the skin. Remove the skin as much as possible and place in a food processor.
-
Dates
Take the seed out of the dates and any hard parts, usually at one end of each date. In a small pan, bring 1 cup of water to boil and soak the dates for about 15 minutes.
-
Hazelnut Butter
Add the hazelnuts to a food processor or a high-speed blender. Blend on low until a butter is formed scraping down as needed, about 5 minutes for a chunky consistency or about 8-10 minutes for a silky consistency. It will almost seem a liquid consistency.
-
Add the soaked dates and 1/2 cup of the water where you soaked the dates to the same food processor or strong blender where you have the cashew butter and puree until smooth, scraping down sides as needed.
-
Blend your vegan Nutella
Add cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt, and pulse to combine until smooth, Nutella-like consistency, and enjoy with your favorite treat!
-
Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It keeps for about 2 weeks, but I recommend discarding after 5 days.
Note
Substitutions
- The cocoa powder can be substituted by 1/2 to 2/3 cup dairy-free dark chocolate. In your stovetop prepare a double boiler in low heat, add the chocolate chips until they melt. Then, add to food processor last of all ingredients, and process for about a minute.
- You can use both, cocoa powder and chocolate chips. Add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder and 2 tablespoons of a melted chocolate bar or chocolate chips.
- The hazelnuts can be substituted with cashews, almonds, or any nut you like. Check our cashew's Nutella recipe. You can use any nut butter already made.
- 1/2 cup of milk can substitute the water.
Chunky or Silky
For a chunky consistency process your hazelnuts for about 5 minutes. For a smoother consistency, process the hazelnuts for about 8-10 minutes or more.
How to serve this vegan Nutella or what to serve it with?
- Pancakes
- Toast
- Crackers
- Banana bread
- Waffles
- On top of fruit
- Serve with a spoon and enjoy by itself
- Cupcakes
- Frosting for cakes or cookies
How to store this healthy vegan Nutella? Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It keeps for about two weeks, but I recommend checking for freshness and discard after five days.
