Homemade Nutella

It's always more fun to DIY. Every week, we'll spare you a trip to the grocery store and show you how to make small batches of great foods at home.

Today: Unsatisfied with store-bought Nutella, Carey Nershi of Reclaiming Provinicial is making a version that's a bit less sweet, a bit more sophisticated, and far superior. 

I didn’t know Nutella existed until I spent a couple weeks in Germany my freshman year in college. (True story.) When I returned, eager to share tales of my European friends who ate chocolate for breakfast, I was shocked and delighted to learn that Nutella was widely available in the US, too. But, much to my dismay, it didn’t taste quite the same as the seemingly identical European variety: too sweet, too chocolatey. (I was happy to learn I wasn't just imagining things.) The only solution? Make my own.

This chocolate-hazelnut spread is a slightly grown-up version of the one you may be familiar with. It’s nutty and not too sweet, with equal parts milk and dark chocolate and the teensiest hint of almond. If you’d like to keep it dairy-free, you can substitute coconut oil and condensed almond milk. 

All in all, it’s a great (and dare I say far superior) alternative to the store-bought variety.

Homemade Nutella

Makes about 2 cups

To roast and peel the hazelnuts

1 1/4 cups hazelnuts
2 cups water
3 tablespoons baking soda

To make the nutella

1 1/4 cups hazelnuts, roasted and peeled
5 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
5 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
6 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons confectionery sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spread the hazelnuts out on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes, stirring every 5. 

When hazelnuts have finished roasting, bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Prepare a separate bowl of cool water and set aside on the counter. Once the water on the stovetop is boiling, add 3 tablespoons of baking soda, followed by the hazelnuts. Boil for 3 minutes, drain, then add the hazelnuts to the bowl of cool water. Peel hazelnuts and discard skins.

Blend hazelnuts in a food processor or blender until they form a thick, smooth paste. This should take approximately 5 minutes. It will be crumbly at first but the crumbs will begin to come together to form a butter.

Add the butter, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and extracts. Continue to blend until smooth, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. 

Melt together the chocolates and heavy cream in a double boiler, stirring until a smooth ganache forms. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. 

Once ganache has cooled slightly, add it to the food processor or blender and blend until just combined (around 15 seconds).

Transfer to jars and store in the fridge for up to 1 week. (The nutella will firm up slightly in the fridge, so let it sit out at room temperature for approximately 30 minutes to soften the consistency.)

See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.

Photos by Carey Nershi