How to make Nutella

4.97 from 31 votes

Learn how to make Nutella at home with only four ingredients and a food processor. The result is dairy-free, oil-free creamy hazelnut spread!

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Why would you want to make homemade Nutella? Unlike store-bought, it is vegan and only calls four totally natural and completely pronounceable ingredients. I put it in baked goods like my Nutella Mug Cake or spread it on toast or as a dip for fresh fruit.

Homemade nutella in a large white bowl with spoon inside
Want to save this recipe?
Just type your email below and I’ll send it to you. And as a bonus you’ll get delicious new recipes from me!

And did I mention, this is such a fun activity to make with the kids?! They have chance to be part of transforming four simple ingredients into a magical final product. It really helps them understand more about the meaning of good-for-your ingredients and how our foods are made. Seeing the look on their face when nuts, cocoa and sugar turned into spreadable good-for-you Nutella was worth all the cocoa powder mess! 

Did you know the first two ingredients in store-bought Nutella are sugar and palm oil? In my homemade version, the first two ingredients are hazelnuts and cocoa powder. I avoid palm oil altogether and only add five tablespoons of sugar.

Ingredients to make homemade Nutella

4 ingredients to make the recipe
  • Hazelnuts, skinned. Look for the naked nut. Buy the hazelnuts marked “blanched,” which means the skins have been boiled or blanched off. They are lighter in color than regular hazelnuts. Or de-skin your own. See FAQs for directions.
  • Cocoa powder: Cocoa powder comes in two types: Dutch-processed and regular. Either is fine.
  • Powdered Sugar: If you do not have any, you can make your own powdered sugar by running regular granulated sugar through the food processor until it is dry and powdery.
  • Salt: Use regular fine-grained table salt here.

How to Make Nutella Spread

Roast the hazelnuts

  • Preheat the oven to 350° F. Place the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes.
Sheet pan to roast the hazelnuts before blending

Blend the Hazelnut Spread Ingredients

  1. Transfer warm hazelnuts into a food processor fitted with the blade attachment.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients – cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and salt.
  3. Blend until smooth paste forms, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
  4. Keep in mind, it could take up to 5 minutes to achieve the correct consistency depending on your food processor.
4 photos in collage to show the steps for blending the ingredients to make the spread in a food processor

Tips for Making Homemade Nutella

  1. Adjust sweetness to your liking. When you stop the food processor to scrape down the sides, taste the mixture and adjust with more powdered sugar as necessary.
  2. Add cocoa butter to get a more solid spread at room temperature. You’ll need about 1 ½ – 2 tablespoons of cocoa butter for 2 cups of hazelnuts.
  3. Up the cocoa powder. If you want a more chocolatey blend, add more cocoa powder to taste.
  4. Use chopped chocolate in the mixture for a richer taste. You can use about 2 ounces of milk or dark chocolate and blend it at the end after the mixture is combined.
  5. Introduce a hint of vanilla. Store-bought Nutella uses vanillin, an artificial vanilla flavoring. To replicate that taste, try a tiny splash of vanilla extract or vanilla paste. Start with ¼ teaspoon and increase to taste.
  6. Encourage your kids to help make it. This is a great one to share with kids since it includes tossing items into a food processor and watching the magic happen. Just be ready for some immediate dipping!
Enjoying nutella with rice with kids

Recipes to Make with Nutella

Frequently asked questions

Why do you have to remove the skin from hazelnuts to make Nutella?

The skins can be bitter and create a rough texture. For a smooth and more nutty taste, I recommend removing the skin or buying them without the skin.

How do you skin your hazelnuts for homemade Nutella?

Here are two methods.
1) Blanch the nuts for a minute or two in boiling water with a tablespoon or two of baking soda. Then, immediately plunge the nuts into ice water to cool. Remove, pat with a paper towel, and allow to dry a bit. Proceed to rub off the skins with your fingers or a paper towel.
2) Roast the nuts as directed and then use a clean kitchen towel to rub off the skin before blending.

How long does homemade Nutella last in the refrigerator?

In a tightly lidded jar, mine is good for up to a month. You could also freeze for up to six months.

Homemade Nutella in glass jar with spoon insdie

Once you learn how easy it is to make commercially popular products like Nutella at home, you’ll love how good it makes you feel to know you are eating healthy without additives and see what you’re eating!

More Cooking Tutorials

If you’ve found this cooking resource for How to Make Nutella helpful or if you’ve tried any recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience with this technique. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!

order MY book

The Feel Good Foodie Cookbook is now available everywhere books are sold!

How to Make “Nutella”

Learn how to make Nutella at home with only four ingredients and a food processor. The result is dairy-free, oil-free creamy hazelnut spread!
5 from 31 votes
Servings 8 servings
Course Tutorial
Calories 211
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Email This Recipe
Enter your email and I’ll send this directly to you. Plus you’ll get new recipes from me every week!

Ingredients
  

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Place the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes.
  • Transfer warm hazelnuts into a food processor fitted with the blade.
  • Add remaining ingredients and blend until a smooth paste forms, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. It could take up to 5 minutes depending on your food processor.

Notes

Storage: Store the homemade Nutella in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one month.
Photo Credit: Erin Jensen

Nutrition

Calories: 211kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 73mg, Potassium: 223mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 36mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Cuisine American
Course: Tutorial
4.97 from 31 votes (22 ratings without comment)

Rate and comment

Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. Vaishali Chanana says:

    Can I use maple syrup or honey instead of sugar?

    1. Yumna J. says:

      I’ve never used honey or maple syrup before, I think it would change the flavor profile and texture of the recipe.

  2. Zainab says:

    Omg this was amazing!! I grew up eating Nutella but stopped because of bad ingredients. This is so good!! But it definitely took longer than 5 minutes with my food processor. A good 10 minutes + . Thanks for the amazing recipe!!!

    1. Yumna J. says:

      The processing time does vary for sure, depending on the type of food processor you use. Glad it ended up working out!

  3. Trish Aston says:

    Keen to try

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Let me know what you think if you do!

  4. Ainn says:

    Hi can I use maple syrup?

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      I wouldn’t add maple syrup to this recipe, as it will change the flavor profile.

See All Comments