Calling All Nutella Lovers = Home Made Nutella Recipe

I'll admit it, lately I've been craving Nutella. Although this treat tastes absolutely amazing it's packed with calories, sugar, and carbs. Yikes.

While scouring the internet for any homemade Nutella recipes I found this one from http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com. Now let's get to the good stuff. 

Ingredients

• 2 cups raw hazelnuts 
• 1 1/2 tbsp pure vanilla extract 
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder 
• 1/4 cup plus 3 tbsp agave( you can use xylitol, maple syrup, or confectioners sugar) 
• 1/4 tsp salt 
• 1/2 cup milk (I used Skim milk) 
• Optional: 2 tsp Hazelnut oil 

Directions

• Roast hazelnuts for 8-10 minutes at 400 F. 
• Rub them together in a paper towel to get the skins off. (It’s ok if a few stubborn skins won’t come off.) 
• In a food processor or a good quality blender like a Vitamix or Ninja, blend the nuts until they've turned to butter
• Add all other ingredients and blend until the consistency is smooth like Nutella.

Feel free to use a bit more hazelnut oil to make it a creamier consistency. I used a food processor and I blended off-and-on for about 3 -5 minutes. I noticed that the DIY nutella got a bit hot while being blended so don't be alarmed if that happens to you as well. I guess the blending of the nuts is a bit challenging for the food processor. The better the quality of your equipment the easier and quicker the process will be.

For a sugar-free version, you can replace the agave/maple syrup/sugar with an equal amount of xylitol. Feel free to try it out and let me know how it works out for you. 

Note:

• Makes about 2 cups
• This will last for up to a month if stored in room tempreture