Vegan Nutella (Paleo)
Posted: 04/08/19
Updated: 11/21/22
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This vegan Nutella tastes just like the chocolate hazelnut spread that everybody loves, but it’s paleo, dairy free, refined sugar free, grain free, and way healthier! Great with just about everything and super easy to make.
Nutella is one of those treats that so many of us eat “despite” our otherwise great, healthy diets. It’s worth it, right?
I mean… I’m not saying no. Nutella is creamy, rich, chocolatey perfection, and that’s a basic tenet of humanity.
Except you can make it yourself. Really easily. Paleo and vegan both! Did I mention it’s super easy? It’s super easy.
Not only is this homemade Nutella vegan and paleo, but you actually know what’s going in it.. and so you don’t feel quite so bad smothering your toast (or apples or cereal or fingers… whatever, I don’t judge) in the stuff for breakfast, followed by a breakfast-dessert of a spoonful straight from the jar.
Why This Recipe Is So Good
- It’s as chocolatey and rich with toasted hazelnuts and real chocolate as the Nutella you’re used to.
- It’s made with just a few ingredients, like vegan or paleo chocolate, hazelnuts, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt.
- This vegan Nutella is surprisingly easy to make, and most of it happens in the blender or microwave.
- The recipe is vegan, paleo, and there’s even a low carb option.
You’ll love the rich nuttiness of the toasted hazelnuts and how the flavor dances brilliantly with heady dark chocolate, the bitterness balanced with a bit of maple syrup and aromatic vanilla. This, my friends, is Nutella.
Plus, did you know that coconut oil is actually considered to have multiple health benefits? I don’t think that means we should all go guzzle a cup, but it’s been shown to contain a unique combination of fatty acids that boast medicinal properties and its medium-chain triglycerides can actually help you increase energy expenditure compared to other longer chain fats.
For more health benefits of coconut oil, check out this article at Authority Nutrition! Vegan Nutella with coconut oil? You. Are. Welcome.
Is Nutella vegan?
No, store-bought Nutella is not vegan. It’s not paleo, either. Here’s the ingredient list:
SUGAR, PALM OIL, HAZELNUTS, SKIM MILK, COCOA, SOY LECITHIN AS EMULSIFIER, VANILLIN: AN ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR.
Yikes. Sugar is the #1 ingredient, and coming in there at #4 is skim milk. That palm oil, too – eek.
Luckily, this vegan Nutella contains absolutely zero of those ingredients, making it a vegan and paleo treat!
If you don’t have the time to make this recipe, though, you can try the Chocolate Hazelnut Butter from Justin’s.
Storage Notes
Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for at least 1 week.
Tips
- Use the tamper that comes with your blender to really press the mixture down. This will help you create a super smooth vegan Nutella.
- To easily remove the skins from the roasted hazelnuts, lay open a kitchen towel and pour the nuts into the center. Fold the towel over and rub the hazelnuts vigorously. Open the towel up, and the skins should mostly have come off. It’s OK to leave a few on. Pick the nuts out and proceed with the recipe, discarding skins.
- Be careful with melting your chocolate. Use a bowl that’s wide enough so that the mixture is not more than about 1″ deep. Microwave 60 seconds first then in 30-second bursts after. Stir very well in between each burst. Not following these directions can lead to the chocolate seizing up and becoming grainy.
What to Eat with Vegan Nutella?
- On toast, regular, gluten free, or even sweet potato
- Dip fruit into a bowl of the stuff
- On a bagel with crumbles of goat cheese and raspberries. TRUST ME.
- Spread onto slices of bacon (Vegan bacon works, too!)
- Drizzled over waffles or crepes
Other Recipes You’ll Love
- 5-Minute Paleo Caramel Sauce (Vegan)
- Healthy Cookie Dough
- Paleo Chocolate Mousse Dip
- Perfect Paleo Brownies (Fudgy, Crackly Top, Gluten Free)
- Vegan Pie Crust
- The BEST Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Vegan Nutella (Paleo)
A vegan taken on the chocolate-hazelnut spread Nutella, made with only a few simple ingredients, quick and easy. Paleo and low carb friendly.
Ingredients
- 1 cup hazelnuts
- 12 ounces vegan dark chocolate chips or chopped, see Notes
- 2 tablespoons refined coconut oil at room temperature or melted
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- non-dairy milk to taste, see Notes
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Oven
- Microwave
- Wide bowl
- high-speed blender
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Spread hazelnuts in a single layer on baking sheet and toast in the oven about 12 minutes, until they've browned a little and the skins are popping off in places. Remove baking sheet from oven and let cool slightly.
- Remove skins from hazelnuts, either by pinching them between your fingers or by wrapping hazelnuts in kitchen towel completely and rubbing to remove papers.
- In wide, medium bowl, microwave chocolate and coconut oil for 60 seconds, then stir. Microwave another 30 seconds, then stir. Continue process with 30-second bursts, stirring well in between, until chocolate is completely melted. See Notes for help with melting the chocolate. Alternately, you can melt chocolate and coconut oil together over double boiler.
- Add peeled hazelnuts to high-speed blender and process until finely ground. Pour in melted chocolate and pulse until combined. Add in maple syrup, vanilla extract, and salt, and process until smooth.
- Pour in 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk, and blend well. Continue adding milk in 2-tablespoon increments as needed until desired consistency is reached. I typically use 4-6 tablespoons. Transfer mixture to airtight container with lid and refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
- Chocolate: If you’re strictly paleo, use a paleo chocolate like Pascha Dark Chocolate Chips. You may need to add more maple syrup to offset the unsweetened chips.
- Melting Chocolate: Be careful when melting the chocolate. Use a bowl that’s wide enough so that the chocolate is not more than 1″ deep. Only microwave the coconut oil with the chocolate chips. Start with 60 seconds then proceed with 30-second bursts. Stir very well in between each burst.
- Milk: You’ll need non-dairy milk to thin the mixture. I like unsweetened vanilla macadamia milk or almond milk. Coconut milk would be delicious here.
- Make it Low Carb: Use Lily’s Stevia Sweetened Chocolate Chips. Swap out the maple syrup for powdered erythritol, too.
- Leftovers: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 week.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 201kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 82mg, Potassium: 212mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 10IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 33mg, Iron: 3mg, Net Carbs: 11g
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
Smells delicious but as soon as I added the milk, it went super grainy and all this water separated from the mixture. Any thoughts/tips? Thanks
Did you use a blender? Add the milk 2 tablespoons at a time?
I see that there are 16 servings but could you tell me how much a serving is? Looks delicious!
Actual OMG. I lived in Scotland for half a year, and spent a month travelling Europe and much to my stomach’s dismay, lived off of Nutella. Thank goodness I never took the time to look at the ingredients. I’m not vegan, but I try to limit dairy and especially ingredients of which I don’t know what they really are. I will be making this ASAP.
Wow, yes.
Ha, I love that reaction! I’m right there with you–I probably still wouldn’t even eat a vegan Nutella if they came out with one! Too many funky ingredients, and it makes me even more suspicious because Nutella tries to push how “whole” it is–until you look at the legally mandated list of ingredients in their actual order. Yech! Let me know how you like it!
Ha! Yeah, it’s pretty all-around not the healthiest, and there’s something so much more wholesome and even richer, nuttier than the canned stuff. I bet it would be just phenomenal in ice cream!
Doh, I actually had no idea Nutella has milk in it… my partner hates the stuff (!! I know) so we never buy it, but I always swoon a little when I see recipes that use it. Honestly he would probably like this homemade version (looks amazing) more, anyway, because it doesn’t have any of the crap in it! Maybe I can make it happen 🙂