Homemade Nutella
212 Comments
Updated Feb 12, 2023
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Homemade Nutella beats the store-bought version any day. Blended with pure cacao and lots of hazelnuts, it’s silky smooth, deeply chocolatey, and secretly healthier.
Jars of homemade almond butter or chia seed jam are essential spreads in my kitchen. They add a deliciously creamy texture to warm baked goods, or a touch of sweetness to a simple bowl of oatmeal. But when I’m craving something a little chocolatey, this homemade Nutella is my saving grace.
Unfortunately, store-bought Nutella contains dairy, soy, and processed sugar – a lot of processed sugar. That’s why it’s so addictively sweet.
And while I wouldn’t go so far as to call this version healthy, it’s certainly healthier and far less processed. Toasted hazelnuts (which make your house smell amazing), are blended with raw cacao powder (that’s rich in antioxidants), and sweetened with a touch of coconut sugar. The results are unbelievably creamy, decadent, and rich in that same chocolate-nutty flavor.
Ingredients For The Best Nutella Recipe
With just six ingredients, this homemade nutella recipe comes together easily. And bonus – it’s naturally dairy-free and vegan.
- Raw Hazelnuts: This star ingredient adds the most delicious nutty flavor and pairs beautifully with chocolate.
- Coconut Oil: Helps to make the consistency a bit more smooth and creamy.
- Coconut Sugar: An unprocessed sugar that gives just the right amount of sweetness.
- Cacao Powder: I like to use cacao powder, but you can also use cocoa powder.
- Vanilla Extract: Deepens the richness of this spread.
- Salt: A pinch to balance out the sweetness.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below
How To Make Homemade Nutella
The base of this recipe is a quick hazelnut butter made in your food processor. And to achieve that creaminess, you need to roast your hazelnuts to help release their natural oils. So preheat your oven to 350F and continue with the steps below.
- Roast the hazelnuts. Spread them out on a sheet pan and cook for about 10-12 minutes, until the skins darken and crack.
- Remove the skins. Once the hazelnuts are cooled, transfer them to a kitchen towel. Grab up the corners of the towel to create a sac and give them a good rub until the skins are removed.
- Blend into a butter. In a food processor, blend the hazelnuts for about 5 minutes until it becomes a creamy butter. Then add the oil and blend for another minute.
- Add the rest of the ingredients. Add the sugar, cacao, and vanilla and blend until it’s combined. (I recommend turning the coconut sugar into powdered sugar before blending so it’s less gritty).
- Store or serve. Pour and scoop the Nutella into a storage container (it will firm up slightly as it cools) or enjoy right away.
Ways To Use Homemade Nutella
If you’re wondering, what should I put this on? Think warm baked goods and fresh cut fruit that transforms into indulgent breakfasts, sweet snacks, and of course – desserts.
- Spread it onto my paleo zucchini bread, paleo banana bread, or gluten-free toast.
- Drizzle it over paleo chocolate waffles or paleo pancakes.
- Drink it with milk for a cozy Nutella hot chocolate.
- Layer it inside cassava flour crepes or my paleo chocolate cake.
- Dip it with fresh strawberries, sliced bananas, apples, or even pineapple chunks.
A Few Questions Answered
- Do you have to pre-roast your hazelnuts? Yes! Similar to how you roast almonds before making almond butter, roasting helps to release oils from the nuts to create a smoother butter.
- Can you use a blender instead of a food processor? Yes, you can. But just make sure to double the recipe as you need a minimum quantity of ingredients in the blender container, to blend properly.
- Can you add chocolate to this recipe? Absolutely. Heat about 1/2 cup of chopped chocolate bars (use semi-sweet or dark chocolate) in the microwave. Then slowly add this into the final mixture and blend until everything is combined.
- Why is my nutella not super creamy? Make sure that your plain hazelnut butter is really creamy before adding the rest of the ingredients. If that butter doesn’t blend smoothly, add in a bit more coconut oil.
- Can you use honey or maple syrup instead of coconut sugar? I tried it and the liquid sweeteners made the batch of homemade Nutella seize up, to no longer be beautifully spreadable. I even tried re-thinning it with oil and water, but it never returned to the perfect consistency of this version. So stick with coconut sugar or an organic powdered sugar.
- Will the nutella firm up in the fridge? Yes, it will. But just 5 minutes at room temperature will soften it up again. It will also soften on warm toast to become smooth and spreadable, as pictured below.
Storage Instructions
While you might be tempted to store this homemade Nutella in your pantry – don’t. It won’t last very long. Store-bought versions have been processed with high-heat pasteurization and preservatives, allowing them to be shelf-stable at room temperature.
For this homemade version, store it in a container in the fridge for up to 2-3 weeks. And if you want it to be extra creamy again, just microwave it for 15-20 seconds to soften it back up.
Homemade Nutella Recipe Video
Watch the video below to see how I make it!
More Easy Chocolate Recipes
While this recipe is one answer to a chocolate lover’s dream, just wait until you give these desserts a try!
- Chocolate Avocado Pudding
- Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- Chocolate Chia Pudding
- Chocolate Mug Cake
- Almond Butter Cups
- Chocolate Hummus
- Chocolate Pots De Creme
If you make this recipe, let me know how it turned out! I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below.
How to Make Homemade Nutella
Description
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw hazelnuts
- 2 tbsp coconut oil or hazelnut oil
- 2/3 cup coconut sugar
- 1/3 cup raw cacao powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F. Then, place the hazelnuts on a sheet pan and spread them out. Roast for 10-12 minutes, or until the skins become dark and cracked.
- Let the hazelnuts cool to the touch, then transfer them to a kitchen towel and rub them until the majority of the skins have been removed.
- Place the hazelnuts into a food processor and blend for 5-6 minutes, or until you have a creamy hazelnut butter. Add the oil and blend for another minute.
- Add the sugar, cacao and vanilla and blend until fully combined. If you can powder the coconut sugar in a spice grinder before combining, even better.
- Pour the nutella into a storage container (where it will firm up slightly as it cools) or enjoy immediately.
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Recipe originally published September 2016, but updated to include new photos and information.
how long would this store for? (like in the fridge, freezer or countertop)
For this homemade version, store it in a container in the fridge for up to 2-3 weeks. And if you want it to be extra creamy again, just microwave it for 15-20 seconds to soften it back up.
Hi Lisa, Will dry roasted/unsalted hazelnuts work for your recipe?
If that’s the only hazelnut you can find, that’s fine.
I made this recipe except I lessened the sugar amount by 2/3 and it was still amazing! I love how the hazelnut flavor really shines through and it tastes so much better than Nutella.
Glad you enjoyed this homemade nutella recipe!
I just made this recipe after 2 failed attempts using 3×5 card recipes I had in my file box. This recipe is simple and divine. I am Italian and French and grew up on this product so I can attest to it’s true genuine quality taste and texture. I did a couple of tweeks that I believe made a HUGE difference: used MCT oil (which is clarified coconut oil that won’t harden) and slowly, very slowly added it to my creamy nut butter as it was processing, and did the same thing as I added the cocoa powder and powdered coconut sugar. Sending a care package to my kiddos whom I’ve raised on this and can’t wait for them to ask for more! – Bella
Glad your Nutella finally turned out perfectly with the MCT oil!
Hi Lisa,
I make your recipes all the time and this is first one that has never worked out. Just could not get
the consistency. Tried more oil but no luck. I did it in the vita mix but both times did not work. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.
In gratitude
Anna Marie
Hi Anna Marie – it’s really hard to say without knowing more details. It might be that the nuts weren’t roasted long enough to release more of their natural oils.
Damn you, Lisa!
I made this and it is WAY better than I thought it would be. I think I’ve gained 10#.
Lacking a food processor, I made it in my Vitamix blender. I had to double the recipe, no less, as I have a 64oz container. Didn’t quite have enough filberts, so topped it off with the cashews I had on hand. Using the blender was actually OK, as my coconut sugar was hard as a rock, but it made short work of that. In fact, the whole thing took about a minute and a half. Nice and dreamy creamy, chocolatey, smooth and just thin enough to slowly pour over nice cream. There are just too many foods that taste good with this. Even just dipping a banana is great. Had to be careful, a little glopped off my waffle, and stained my white shirt.
How could you do this to me! 🙄😁
Was going to amend/update my first comment, but Reply was the only option:
After dispatching that first batch in 3 days, day 4 saw me making another batch, again in my Vitamix. This time I found roasted, unsalted filberts with no skins. That seemed perfect as I made quite a mess rubbing off all the skins in a dish towel, with the first batch. So, I made it the same as the first time, except I had plenty of Hazelnuts and didn’t need to add cashews to double the recipe for my blender container. There’s a difference in that this batch came out much thicker. It still tastes great, but is noticeably thicker. Im sure adding a bit more oil would ameliorate this.
That said, I expect different batches of nut butters to be a bit different, but this is different in that the first batch actually could be very slowly poured over things like yogurt, whereas this batch definitely cannot. I’m wondering whether the cashews made that much of a difference, and/or that I roasted raw Hazelnuts myself (and rubbed off all their skins). Cashews tend to yield a creamy texture, but 1/2 cup at most of the cashews seems like undue influence. Do Hazelnuts vary a lot in oiliness? Appreciate any ideas.
Mmmmm this looks amazing.
I don’t have a food processor but I do have a vitamix. I’m wondering if you have made this recipe in yours and if so, was it creamier in the vitamix?
Also do you think I use a different, neutral-tasting oil instead of coconut?
Thanks s for any input!
I haven’t tried this in a vitamix, but you might be able to pulse it in there and really use the tamper to push the ingredients down. If you try it, let me know how it turns out! As for oil, you can do either or.
Yes, your Vitamix will make short order of this recipe. Depending on your container size (mine’s 64 oz) you may need to double the recipe (this comes out so good, I’m thinking of tripling it for the next batch). Just make sure to get it up to full speed quickly and use that tamper to push things down. It took me about a minute and a half, and it came out quite smooth – just slightly grainy.
I always hated Nutella, but I guess this really isn’t Nutella.
BEWARE: this is dangerous stuff. It tastes great on darn near everything, even just in some plain yogurt. And now I need to start an exercise program or something. I’m about to polish off the batch I made, yes, all by myself. And this is day 3!
AMAZING! so delicious! Once I start eating it, I can’t stop… I’ve been eating it right off the jar with the spoon;) Even my little sister who is not into healthy food said that it is delectable and is literally like nutella but in other consistency (as my food processor is not that strong, the consistency was rather crumbly despite adding way more coconut oil than it was stated in the recipe). Also, I subsituted coconut sugar for honey and it was just fine!
Happy to hear both you and your little sister are loving this Nutella recipe!
I’ve been making this frequently for years. So much more delicious than processed, industrial Nutella. Good on toast or right off a spoon. Addictive!
Homemade versions are the way to go! Glad you enjoyed this recipe Kari :)
I would like to have the quantities of the ingredients used. Is this possible?
You can always find the full list of ingredients and instructions towards the bottom of the post :)
Hello, wondering how long this will keep?
Store it in a container in the fridge for up to 2-3 weeks. And if you want it to be extra creamy again, just microwave it for 15-20 seconds to soften it back up.
Just now reading your question. I agree that 2-3 weeks should be fine, but you may find it has a tendency to disappear well before that. While a bit annoying, the upside is that I get a lot of practice making more of this recipe.
LOVE THIS TO DEATH!! I literally can’t wait to wake up just to have Nutella toast! This is dangerously good stuff. The fact that this is so much more natural and fresh without preservatives and other trash ingredients puts my mind so much more at ease than eating the famous brand name.
I did try blitzing the coconut sugar in a grinder but it didn’t make that great a difference which surprisingly worked out just fine. I love the extra gritty crunch! Absolute total win for me! I may be going overboard here but I’m ready to engrave my kitchen walls with this recipe so that I will never ever lose it or forget it. Thank you Lisa!!
Thrilled to hear you’re loving this homemade Nutella recipe so much Michele! It really is such a delicious treat :)
Can I use almonds because a family member has allergies to hazelnuts?
Nutella is a hazelnut spread, so it’s going to change the recipe completely if you use almonds. Unless you want to try a chocolate almond spread – go for it!
Don’t get me wrong, this is very good, but it doesn’t have neither the taste nor the texture of nutella, not even close, but this is good.
The packaged version is definitely much more creamier and sweeter. This homemade version is healthier riff on it, without any additional additives or preservatives :)
Just made it and is a crumbly, firm paste, nothing liquidy about it. Is just about spreadable. I added an extra tbsp coconut oil, still not liquid. Taste is very much bitter (I used 100% dark cocoa powder. Not sure how to use it now.
You can always add a bit more sugar if you’d like!
I’m doing all the right things, my nut butter is very creamy but when I add the rest of the ingredients it turns up very hard. Any ideas as to why that may happen?
Love it 😍
Hi there,
I just wanted to know if the nutritional info is for one serving, not only for this recipe but for all your recipes in general?
Hi Robbyn – the nutritional information will always be per serving :)
This is the absolute best Nutella on the planet! Okay, I have not had every single Nutella on the planet but now I no longer need to. I have tried this recipe three times already and it has worked perfectly every time. This time, I tried adding some powdered sugar in there instead of the full amount of coconut sugar and it seems a bit smoother even though I always powdered my coconut sugar first. I prefer it with a little powdered sugar in it. Thanks for the delicious recipe Lisa!
Happy to hear you’ve found a winning Nutella recipe Kelli!
My daughter and I made this as a more environmentally friendly alternative to Nutella (which is well loved in our household). The taste was great! My youngest doesn’t like coconut so next time we’ll try with hazelnut oil and hopefully make a fan of her. =)
Glad you and your daughter love this homemade Nutella!
Hello!
I would like to make homemade Nutella too but I don’t own a good food processor. Can you suggest me the one you use? Or how many watts does it need to be to make the nut into a runny butter ?
Thanks !
Hi Joanna – You can find the food processor I use in my Shop page. But you can also use a high powered blender to make this. Just scrape down the sides as you go and use a tamper to press the mixture down as it’s blending.
I’m interested in making your homemade Nutella. Can I get pre roasted hazelnuts? And if so, do I need to roast them again to make Nutella?
Hi Kay – I would not recommend pre-roasted hazelnuts for this recipe, as you need to roast them fresh to help release their natural oils. And you don’t want to roast already roasted nuts.
I bought some blanched hazelnuts and then roasted them before blending. it was SO much easier this way, as my first time was a big fail when I had to take them out of the shell, then roast, THEN try to rub the skins off.
So far this Nutella is a bit thinner than the original but it is still warm, so I’m sure as it cools it will thicken. Even if it doesn’t, this is a HUGE improvement from the stuff you buy at the store! THANK YOU for the awesome recipe. It’s only 4 stars because my sugar was gritty, next time I’ll use powdered, but that’s on me. Going to get my spoon now :)
Finally got it right after about 4 attempts. I should clarify it’s always me. Can never get the texture right (always tastes delicious though!) but the recipe is foolproof in terms of taste.
But I finally managed to get it liquidy and not a almond paste consistency.
I made it into delicious vegan refined sugar free Nutella ice cream by whipping up a container (c.270ml) of plant based double cream until soft peaks (I used Elmlea plant double) and added 200g homemade vegan condensed milk (made with cashews and sweetened with agave or maple syrup) and 1 batch (or in my case 2 half batches) of this Nutella and stuck it in my ice cream machine for an hour or so until my ice cream machine went off with it’s ice cream van tune then I froze it😋😋
I found you can use pre Blanched hazelnuts but they aren’t necessarily roasted, so roast them for 10 mins just as Lisa does normal hazelnuts.
I did add some oil and it got a little too runny (I’d recommend making it first then adding oil if it’s not the right consistency)
I’ve also worked out you can make it in a Vitamix. I used the A3500 (I think; not sure of the model number. The new one that one Lisa uses with the presets and different sized containers and Bluetooth) and halved the recipe to make 2 half sized batches (I used the mini container and the nut preset I used says to use 170g nuts for best results so I used 120g and it worked perfectly) I roasted the hazelnuts for 10 mins, used the spice grinding preset to grind the coconut sugar, then emptied it into a bowl with the cocoa powder and mixed together, then added the nuts and used the nut butter preset (these presets aren’t on the blender, but they available on the Vitamix Perfect Blend app as part of a myriad of additional presets) to make hazelnut butter and chucked in everything else and ran the nut butter preset again and it was perfect. If anyone out there is allergic to nuts, I’ve also experimented substituting the hazelnuts with the same amount of sunflower seed butter (or you could roast sunflower seeds and use them in place of the hazelnuts here but I’ve never done that and not sure how long you’d roast them for) as a Christmas present for a friend who’s allergic to nuts, (I also ran out of coconut sugar and subbed half brown sugar but all coconut sugar would work I presume) and it worked out great. Doesn’t have the exact same taste, because it’s sunflower seeds and chocolate not hazelnut and chocolate but still pretty good (I tasted it and liked it). You could probably also make this a chocolate tahini spread if you use sesame seeds. That’s probably next on my list since chocolate and sesame work together too.
It’s probably impossible to get the spread perfectly smooth, as there will always be the odd bit of chopped hazelnut but that adds to the charm. It doesn’t taste exactly like Nutella, which is definitely a good thing. Nutella is 55% sugar. This tastes more like gianduja (chocolate hazelnut spread before it became sugar laden Nutella) as you can actually taste the chocolate and the hazelnuts. My sister’s boyfriend says it tastes better than Nutella. I agree with that since you can actually taste chocolate and hazelnut instead of just sugar, and it’s nice to know it’s much healthier for you and also something I can actually eat (I’m allergic to cow’s milk protein, as well as gluten and eggs so fun-!-).
I’ve seen (and made) a recipe before that just heated /melted together hazelnut butter hazelnut oil and chocolate. Lisa, could you use melted chocolate instead of cocoa powder, or as well as cocoa powder to make it sweeter and chocolatey-er if you wanted?
Glad you were able to nail down this recipe! This homemade version will always be a bit gritty due to the hazelnuts, but it’s a much healthier version than the store-bought version, and just as delicious!
How long will this last in the fridge?
This will last for about 1-2 weeks!
O my goodness I just made it today and my kids said it tastes amazing I could eat the whole jar!!! Thank you for sharing this recipe I will be making this all the time. And to top it off totally a healthier version which having 5 kids I love that they love healthy stuff:) Thank you again:)
Glad the kids loved this one! Homemade Nutella is the best :)
Finally made this hazelnut spread today and my 2.5 year old and myself enjoyed some very yummy toast with some tea this morning for snack time. Amazing recipe. Followed it exactly and it came out perfectly!
Hi Amanda- Happy to hear and your kiddo enjoyed this homemade Nutella :)
Made this today, it was quite grainy which I’m okay with and not too sweet (which I surprisingly enjoyed) but if you want something that tastes more like nutella add about 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and eyeball some more oil to make up for that.
I am struggling to find out what serving size the nutritional information is based on though
Hi Bruna – This homemade (healthier) version is more on the grainy side and not meant to be as sweet :) But thanks for providing the tip for people who are looking for something much sweeter. As for the nutritional information, each serving is about 2 tablespoons.
I made this for Christmas gifts and it turned out so well. I saved a bit for myself. I have never had store bought Nutella and now I never will!
Hi Libby – Happy to hear these made for the perfect edible gifts! :)
Lisa, If you powder the sugar, do you still use 2/3 c after its powdered? I tried it both ways… one it was too dry, the other wasn’t sweet enough.
Hi Dari – Yes, I still use the same amount. I’ve measured after blending and the quantity is virtually the same.
I don’t normally eat sugar but an exception for this recipe. It’s so deeply nutty and chocolatey, I wish I could upload a photo. Many thanks Lisa for posting <3
So glad you enjoyed this Nutella recipe even though you’re not crazy about sugar!
Hi Lisa,
What a great recipe! I substituted the coconut sugar with erythritol because I’m doing keto and it turned out so good! My husband and I are really fans of all your recipes! Thanks again 😘
Glad this still turned out great with erythritol :)
Great recipe, made it my vitamix stainless steel container substituted the coving sugar for powdered swerve since I am keto and added an extra table spoon of coconut oil and it turned perfect! Great recipe!
Happy to hear you loved this recipe Alex!
This was delicious! I made it last night. I followed your directions exactly, grinding the coconut sugar, and I spread the Nutella over an “almond bread in a mug”. (Though I was tempted to use powdered monkfruit). Thank you for the recipe!
So glad you loved this Nutella recipe Candace! It really does taste almond bread in a mug haha!
I tried the nutella recipe but I didn’t turn the coconut sugar into powered and it came out gritty. Still flavorful. I needed to add an other 2 tbl of coconut oil. Next batch will be better.
Hi Michele – yes, it is slightly gritty if you don’t use a powdered form of the sugar, but still delicious as you mentioned. Hope your next batch comes out even better!
This looks so delicious! My husband and daughter are going to love this recipe! I can’t wait to give this a try!
Hope you all enjoy this recipe :)
Thanks to this recipe I can give my grandchildren chocolate Hazelnut spread again. Yummy!
This homemade version is the best! Hope the kids love this one :)
So so freaking good!!! Thanks for sharing it !
Of course! Glad you loved this recipe :)
Oh my goodness this is the most delicious and perfect recipe! Nutella is one of our family favorites and this was easy and scrumptious.
So glad you and your family enjoyed this homemade Nutella!
Oooooo… I have never thought to make my own Nutella before! Great idea. :)
Homemade versions are the best. Enjoy this spread Carrie :)
This looks gorgeous…. So I tried to make mine (actually before seeing your video, but I´ve seen some other recepies and I´ve made peanut butter and I thought I would give it a try… so I did, but I don´t why it didn´t go well… My theory is that i used maple syrup, and I think as it was cold and the hazelnut butter was not hot but warm, it make some kind of reaction and it form a paste a very thick paste (where it was allready a smooth and soft butter) and the hazelnut oil, like it was separated from the hazelnut “meat” that had already the cacao powder, vainilla, and the maple syrup…. I ended up making power balls, (which are great) but i really wanted to make nutell. I wonder if you know if my theory is right, or maybe something else I did wrong (which I don´t think, becuse everything else is the same you have LOL)… thank you, have a great day.
Hi Andrea – I do have a note on the post above about using maple syrup, and that it will seize up if you try it. I’ve unfortunately made that same mistake myself. ;)
Mine turned out very thick and pasty any way to thin it out ? I tried more coconut oil.
Thanks
Hi Maria – it sounds like you may not have roasted the hazelnuts long enough, to allow them to release their natural oils. The only way to thin it out would be to add a little bit more oil.
Hi Lisa, your recipe looks amazing! I want to try it but first I have a question. For how long can you refrigerate it?
Hi Alexandra – you can refrigerate it for several weeks, if not longer.
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for this recipe. I tried this today- followed every step, but unfortunately it didn’t become very runny. I tried adding a bit of maple syrup and Sweetened almond milk to make it runny but the end product looks more like brownie batter. But it still taste too delishh to not eat.
Do let me know where I went wrong.
Thanks again!
Hi Sneha – unfortunately, you can’t add maple syrup to this recipe or it will seize up and thicken. I mention that in the blog post above. If it wasn’t very runny, it sounds like your nuts may not have been fully roasted, which would allow them to release their natural oils. Glad you still loved the flavor of it though!