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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.
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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
- 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.
Blend the Hazelnut Spread Ingredients
- Transfer warm hazelnuts into a food processor fitted with the blade attachment.
- Add the remaining ingredients – cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and salt.
- Blend until smooth paste forms, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
- Keep in mind, it could take up to 5 minutes to achieve the correct consistency depending on your food processor.
Tips for Making Homemade Nutella
- 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.
- 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.
- Up the cocoa powder. If you want a more chocolatey blend, add more cocoa powder to taste.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
Recipes to Make with Nutella
- Nutella Mug Cake
- Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies
- Easy Overnight Oats
- Banana Pancake Dippers
- Stuffed French Toast
- Nutella Stuffed Cinnamon Sugar Muffins
- Nutella Stuffed Cookies
- 3 Ingredients Nutella Brownies
- Ultimate Nutella Milkshake
- Nutella Chocolate Cake
Frequently asked questions
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.
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.
In a tightly lidded jar, mine is good for up to a month. You could also freeze for up to six months.
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
- How to Make Almond Butter
- How to Make Cashew Butter
- How to Make Apple Butter
- How to Make Whipped Coffee
- How to Cook Pasta Perfectly
- How to Cook Brown Rice
- How to Cook Quinoa Step by Step
- How to Make Marinara
- How to Make Oat Flour
- How to Make Pesto
- How to Make Oatmeal
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!
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How to Make “Nutella”
Ingredients
- 2 cups hazelnuts skinned
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 5 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
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
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Can I use maple syrup or honey instead of sugar?
I’ve never used honey or maple syrup before, I think it would change the flavor profile and texture of the recipe.
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!!!
The processing time does vary for sure, depending on the type of food processor you use. Glad it ended up working out!
Keen to try
Let me know what you think if you do!
Hi can I use maple syrup?
I wouldn’t add maple syrup to this recipe, as it will change the flavor profile.
My paste was dry and crumbly. I added some oil to make it into a spreadable consistency.
Any ideas what I may have done wring?
It may have required more time in the food processor to really grind down the hazelnuts!
This looks so simple! However I can only see dry ingredients in the recipe. How does it become a paste?
It really is that simple! The hazelnuts have a natural oil that helps form the paste.
Wow! Will let you know how it went…
How much cocoa powder, sugar, and salt?
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
5 tablespoons powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
The full recipe can be found at the bottom in the recipe card.
Thank you for the recipe, I can’t wait to try it out! In terms of storage, does it have to be refrigerated? I just worry it will harden up and become difficult to spread. Can I keep it in the pantry instead and if so, for how long?
Thanks!
You’re so welcome! I recommend storing the homemade Nutella in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one month for food safety.
Can I use a blender? I don’t have a food processor!!
Yes, you can! However, it may take a little longer to blend into the right consistency.
This is fantastic! Made it with my kids today & it was so easy & tasty
Love it!!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I made it and love it!
Most welcome! I love that!!
Thanks for the simple recipe! SOOOOOOO good!
Most welcome! Thank you!!
I made this today and wow, the taste is amazing. And so easy to make. I used Sukrin powdered sugar. That is a healthier option with less calories. I also did a drop of vanilla extract in it. And like I said, the taste is amazing, like real nutella.
Yay! The vanilla extract sounds like a wonderful touch.
Yummy! Can’t wait to try this! Do you have any substitute recommendations for powdered sugar? Thanks!
If you do not have any powdered sugar, you can make your own by running regular granulated sugar through the food processor until it is dry and powdery. Sarah, from our community, said she tried date sugar instead of powdered sugar, and it came out excellent without any compromise on the taste, so you could also give that a try!
I just made this and it turned out to be excellent! I switched the powdered sugar for date sugar which made it healthier and without any compromise on the taste. Thanks Yumna for the great recipe!
Yay! Thank you, Sandra! I’m going to have to give it a try with date sugar.