Homemade Nutella Recipe (Chocolate Hazelnut Spread)
Jan 31, 2025, Updated Mar 15, 2025
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The Best Homemade Nutella Recipe you’ll ever try! Skip the store-bought Nutella jar and make your own creamy, dreamy hazelnut chocolate spread at home! Ready in minutes and made with love, it’s perfect for spreading, drizzling, or eating by the spoonful.
This homemade version is perfect for my Nutella milkshake and Italian butter cookies.
Why you’ll love this recipe
I grew up on Italian Nutella, so real Nutella runs in my blood, ha! I wanted to create a version that was just as good, if not better! With rich roasted hazelnuts, luscious cacao, a touch of vanilla, and just the right sweetness, this homemade Nutella is smoother, healthier, and more indulgent than any store-bought version you’ve ever tried.
- Healthier and Fresher: Made with simple, wholesome ingredients and no preservatives. This is REAL Nutella!
- Customizable Sweetness: Adjust the sugar to suit your taste.
- Incredibly Creamy: Thanks to roasted hazelnuts and a touch of oil, the texture is silky smooth.
- Bursting with Flavor: Real roasted hazelnut and rich cacao create an unbeatable chocolate hazelnut taste.
- Easy to Make: Ready in just minutes with a blender or food processor.
- Versatile: Perfect for spreading on homemade bread, drizzling over ice cream, baking, or just enjoying by the spoonful!
You’ll also love my chocolate olive oil cake.
Table of Contents
Recipe Ingredients
With a handful of ingredients, you can control the amount of sugar and stay away from palm oil with your homemade jar of Nutella.
- Hazelnuts: These form the creamy, nutty base of the spread. Roasting them brings out their natural oils and enhances their flavor.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds a warm, aromatic sweetness that complements the chocolate and hazelnut flavors.
- Cacao Powder or Cocoa Powder: The star ingredient for a rich, chocolatey depth. Choose high-quality cacao for the best taste.
- Sugar: Sweetens the spread to your preferred level. You can use granulated sugar, brown sugar for a caramel-like undertone, or coconut sugar for a natural option.
- Coconut Oil or Neutral Oil: Helps create a silky-smooth texture and spread the spread easily. Coconut oil adds a slight tropical hint, while neutral oils let the hazelnut and chocolate flavors shine.
- Salt: A pinch of salt balances the sweetness and enhances all the flavors, making the Nutella irresistibly delicious!
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Homemade Nutella
Enjoy your healthy homemade Nutella with just a few easy steps. Follow these Step-by-step photos and see the recipe card for more instrcutions.
Place the hazelnuts on a sheet pan. Clean any skin off of the hazelnuts with a clean kitchen towel.
Blend the toasted hazelnuts in a food processor or high-speed blender. This will take up to 15 minutes to create a smooth nut butter.
The hazelnut mixture will look thick and smooth.
Add the rest of the ingredients (cacao powder, sugar, vanilla, and coconut oil).
Blend until smooth and combined.
The best way to store homemade Nutella is in a sealed glass jar.
Making your own Nutella is worth it! Enjoy your creamy chocolate hazelnut spread.
My Pro Tip
Recipe Tips
Roast the Hazelnuts Perfectly: Roast until the skins blister and the nuts are golden. This enhances the nutty flavor and makes the spread extra rich.
Remove Skins Thoroughly: Rub the roasted hazelnuts in a towel to remove as much skin as possible. This prevents bitterness and creates a smoother texture.
Use High-Quality Cacao Powder: A good-quality cacao or cocoa powder makes all the difference for a deep, chocolatey flavor.
Blend Until Super Smooth: Be patient when blending. It may take 15-20 minutes to get the hazelnuts to a creamy butter consistency, especially in a food processor.
Adjust Sweetness to Taste: Start with less sugar and add more gradually. Taste as you go to get the perfect balance.
Add Oil Gradually: Use coconut or neutral oil to achieve a silky, spreadable texture. Add it a little at a time until the consistency is just right.
FAQ’s
This happens if the hazelnuts aren’t blended long enough. Keep processing until the natural oils are fully released and the texture becomes creamy.
Yes! It’s free of artificial additives, preservatives, and excessive sugar, plus you control the ingredients to suit your preferences.
Neutral oils like hazelnut, sunflower, avocado, or melted coconut oil are ideal. Choose one that won’t overpower the hazelnut flavor.
American Nutella tastes different because it contains more sugar and less hazelnut than European versions, which typically have a higher percentage of hazelnuts and use various oils, resulting in a less sweet, nuttier flavor profile. I have done taste tests on this comparing both, and there is a huge difference.
Honey and maple syrup are too runny for homemade Nutella and will change the consistency.
Natural oils from the hazelnuts may separate over time. Stir well before using, or add a small amount of lecithin to prevent separation.
Substitutions and Variations
- Hazelnuts: Swap with almonds, cashews, or pecans for a different nutty base. For a nut-free option, use sunflower seeds.
- Cacao Powder: Use unsweetened cocoa powder or dark chocolate (melted) for a slightly different chocolate flavor.
- Sugar: Replace with coconut sugar or brown sugar, if desired.
- Coconut Oil: Substitute with hazelnut oil, avocado oil, or sunflower oil. For a richer flavor, try using melted butter.
- Vanilla Extract: Use almond extract for a nutty twist or omit altogether for a more straightforward chocolate-hazelnut flavor.
Variations:
- Chocolate Boost: Add 2-3 ounces of melted chocolate or milk chocolate for an extra creamy and indulgent texture.
- Dairy-Free Creaminess: Add 2-3 tablespoons of oat milk or almond milk for a lighter, creamier texture.
- Spiced Nutella: Add a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, or even cayenne for a warm or spicy kick.
Equipment
I highly recommend a high quality food processor or blender (Vitamix) to get the creamy consistency.
How to Store
- Room Temperature: Store in a clean, airtight jar at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. This works best in cooler climates or if the spread is made without added dairy or milk.
- Refrigeration: For longer freshness, keep the jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Note: The spread will thicken when chilled. Let it sit at room temperature or warm slightly before use to soften.
- Freezing: You can freeze homemade Nutella in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and stir well before use.
The Nutella looks like the photo below after sitting in the fridge for 24 hours. It will naturally set up a bit!
Tips for Best Storage:
- Always use a clean, dry spoon to avoid introducing moisture or contaminants.
- Keep the lid tightly sealed to preserve freshness and prevent the spread from drying out.
- Avoid storing in warm or humid places to maintain texture and flavor.
Serving Suggestions
Here are a few delcious to enjoy your homemade Nutella recipe:
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Homemade Nutella Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups hazelnuts**, roasted, unsalted, skinned*, 240g
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup high-quality cacao powder
- ⅓ – ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted (or neutral oil, such as hazelnut or avocado oil)
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
*If you can’t find skinned hazelnuts, follow steps 1-2. **Even if you have the skinned and roasted hazelnuts I recommend in the link above, I still like to roast them for extra flavor for about 10 minutes, then skip to step 3.
- Prepare the Hazelnuts: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 10-12 minutes, or until the skins are slightly blistered and the nuts are fragrant. Be careful not to over-roast them.
- Remove the Skins: Let the hazelnuts cool slightly. Place them in a clean kitchen towel and rub them together to remove most of the skins. It's okay if a few bits remain.
- Blend into Butter: Transfer the roasted and skinned hazelnuts to a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend until the hazelnuts turn into a smooth, creamy butter. This step may take 15 minutes in a food processor, and you may need to stop occasionally to scrape down the sides. At first, the nuts will turn into a powder and then get smoother and smoother as you blend.
- Add the Remaining Ingredients: Once the hazelnut butter is smooth, add the vanilla extract, cacao powder, sugar (start with 1/2 cup and adjust to taste), coconut oil (optional), and salt. Blend again until fully incorporated and smooth. The optional oil helps achieve a luscious, spreadable consistency. Blend again for another 5-8 minutes until a silky smooth consistency is created.
- Adjust Sweetness and Consistency (Optional): Taste your spread and adjust sweetness or cacao as desired.
- Store and Enjoy: Transfer your homemade Nutella to a clean, airtight jar. Store at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or in the refrigerator for longer freshness. Let it come to room temperature before using, as it will thicken in the fridge.
- Serving Suggestions: Spread it on toast, use it as a filling for crepes, swirl it into yogurt, or enjoy it by the spoonful!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I followed the recipe exactly and mine turned into soup. I’m not sure what went wrong. Flavor wise it’s delicious but it’s literal soup. Any advice? I would love to give it a try again. I blended the hazelnuts in a food processor for exactly as long as the recipe says to. I think that was way too long.
Hi! Yes, soup like does not sound right :). I recommend looking at the process photos to see how mine looked. Also, you can try not adding the coconut oil. Also, it will firm up a bit over time. It is more runny at first since it is warm from the heat of the blade blending for so long. You can try refrigerating for a bit as well and it will naturally get more solid. It’s worth perfecting! Enjoy and let me know if that helps!
This is so much better than store-bought! Delicious.
This is utterly utterly delicious!!! Fabulously silky! Delectable!😊✨️💫👌.
Yay! So happy you loved it. We have kept a stock of this ever since I developed this recipe!
Creamy, healthy, and dreamy- this homemade Nutella is 100x better than the store-bought, and you can feel GOOD about what is in it! Enjoy on toast, gelato, fruit, and more!