Chocolate and hazelnuts are a classic combination, and for good reason. This spread is my homemade version of the commercial varieties that are available in stores. If you have a food processor, this is very easy to make. We often eat it on bananas, as well as straight from the spoon when an afternoon pick-me-up is needed. Made from 100% natural ingredients, it satisfies that chocolate craving and provides some good health benefits to boot!
Cacao vs Cocoa
I use a lot of cacao powder in my kitchen for this spread, for chocolate cherry chia pudding, for chocolate cake on birthdays, for port balls, for hot chocolate mix, and even for chili. You’ve probably noticed that sometimes it’s called “cacao” and sometimes it’s called “cocoa',” and while there isn’t one hard-and-fast rule for when each word is used in food marketing, generally speaking “cacao” refers to raw beans / powder while “cocoa” refers to roasted beans / powder. Raw cacao is less processed and full of antioxidants. When cacao beans are roasted and further processed, those benefits are reduced. If you'd like to read more, there are good overviews here and here.
Long story short, if cacao / cocoa is frequently used in your kitchen, it’s worth finding a high quality one that’s tasty, raw, organic and fair trade. I use this brand and I store a big bag in the fridge and refill a small glass jar that lives in the cupboard.
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Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Butter
Note: The only variable here is the sugar content. I generally make this with 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of coconut sugar. The kids like it a bit sweeter so sometimes I bump it up to 3/4 cup. Either way, this is a dark chocolate spread. Adjust the sugar content to what works for you.
Special equipment:
Food processor
2 cups raw hazelnuts
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cacao powder (see headnote for more on cacao and cocoa)
1/4 cup virgin coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
Preheat oven to 325 degrees, place the raw hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 15-20 minutes, depending on your oven. As soon as the nuts smell toasty and fragrant, it’s time to pull them out. Let the hazelnuts cool on the baking sheet.
Place all the ingredients into your food processor and blend. Adjust with more coconut sugar if you’d like things a bit sweeter.
This will store in a 16 oz jar in the fridge for a couple weeks. Note that, similar to other nut butters, it will firm up in the refrigerator.
Makes 2 cups
