An easy recipe for keto chocolate hazelnut spread. Sugar-free and made with just a few simple ingredients, it's creamy and delicious!
I adore this delicious spread! I might actually be a bit addicted to it. It's rich, deeply chocolatey, and the hazelnut flavor really comes through.
I really like having it for breakfast on some toasted almond flour bread. It goes really well with my morning coffee! ☕ (Another good one is this homemade walnut butter).
But is it any good?
The texture of this keto chocolate hazelnut spread is smooth and creamy. In a way, it is better than the spread that inspired it - the famous Nutella®.
Don't get me wrong. I obviously think that Nutella® is amazing. Who doesn't? But it is basically frosting, mild and very sweet, with just a hint of hazelnuts. This keto spread is darker, richer, and more complex.
The ingredients needed for this recipe
You will only need six ingredients to make this tasty recipe (the exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below):
Hazelnuts: I buy them raw and skinless, so all I have to do is lightly roast them.
Unsweetened cocoa powder: It's best to use Dutch-processed cocoa powder. It's less acidic than natural cocoa.
Sweetener: I use stevia. You can possibly replace it with a powdered granulated sweetener.
Avocado oil: a neutral-tasting oil. Sometimes I use macadamia oil. It's mild enough that it doesn't really affect the flavor.
Vanilla extract: Try to use the real thing - pure vanilla extract - and not the artificially flavored stuff.
Sea salt: Just a little to balance out the sweetness.
How to make keto chocolate hazelnut spread
It's a very easy recipe. You won't be working hard at all - your food processor will. Scroll down to the recipe card for the details. The basic steps are simple:
Roast the hazelnuts in your oven.
Process them in your food processor into smooth, loose hazelnut butter.
Add the remaining ingredients and process to combine.
You do need patience because it takes a while for the toasted hazelnuts to turn into smooth, loose butter. I saw several recipes that said five minutes. But in my KitchenAid food processor, on high speed, it takes a full ten minutes.
Getting smooth, loose hazelnut butter - as shown in the video below - is the key to this recipe's success and to preventing a grainy texture.
What sweetener to use?
I sweeten this keto chocolate hazelnut spread with stevia glycerite. Although many people object to stevia's taste, the glycerite formulation greatly minimizes the bitter aftertaste.
A full tablespoon is needed here, because of the large amount of cocoa powder. I tried using just 2 teaspoons of stevia, and it was still very good, but a little too bitter.
I realize that not everyone likes stevia. If you wish, you can probably replace the stevia with 1 cup of Swerve Confectioners. I haven't tried it myself, though.
More tips for making this recipe a success
I use avocado oil in this recipe because it's a neutral-tasting oil. Sometimes I use macadamia nut oil instead.
It's best to use Dutch-processed cocoa powder (cocoa processed with alkali), because it is milder and not as acidic as regular unsweetened cocoa powder. However, if you prefer, it's OK to use regular unsweetened cocoa powder.
How to eat keto chocolate hazelnut spread?
It's wonderful on low carb English muffins or on keto banana bread, and I love dipping strawberries into it. But more often than not, I just eat it with a spoon!
How to store it
I keep it on the counter, in an airtight container. It keeps well for about a week. In my house, it never lasts longer than that!
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Keto Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups raw, blanched, unsalted hazelnuts (10 oz)
- 6 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder (1 oz)
- 1 tablespoon stevia glycerite (equals 1 cup sugar)
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.
- Remove the hazelnuts from the oven and let cool for a couple of minutes.
- Add the still warm hazelnuts to your food processor. Process on high until the nuts turn into loose, fairly liquid butter, about 10 minutes, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the food processor bowl a few times during this process.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor. Process on low for a few seconds, then process on high until very smooth, about 3 more minutes, scraping the sides and bottom twice.
- Transfer the low carb "Nutella®" to an airtight container. It should keep on the counter for about a week.
WATCH THE VIDEO:
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 