For some people, Nutella—a smooth chocolate-hazelnut spread found in the peanut butter aisle in most supermarkets—is a nostalgic childhood treat. But I didn’t taste it until college, when a friend who’d been living in Europe introduced me to it, so I may always think of it as a more sophisticated sweet. The stuff from the jar is pretty darn good, although the fabulous pastry chef Gale Gand taught me how to make it from scratch, and that’s now my favorite version. You can really taste the hazelnuts and feel some of their texture. I’ve been known to eat it with a spoon, as anyone else who’s honest will admit to doing.–Christie Matheson
LC Deliver Me From Temptation... Note
No longer can you consider yourself safe from temptation just because you mustered the wherewithal to walk on by the Nutella aisle at the grocery store. Nope. Temptation lurks in your very own pantry, every second of the day, with this made-from-scratch rendition. Should you succumb to the craving and find yourself standing at the counter, spoon in hand, not quite certain how to stop spooning it up, author Christie Matheson offers up a novel way to put the rest of it to use: perhaps the most lust-inducing frosting that cake has ever known. (That’s the frosting that you see in the bowl above. You can bet your sweet bejeebers we’re going to be licking that spatula.)
Homemade Nutella Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup hazelnuts
- 12 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
- 2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil, such as canola
- 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, more or less depending upon your preference
Directions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C).
- 2. Spread the hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for about 12 minutes, until they’ve browned a little and the skins are blistered a little. Wrap them in a kitchen towel and rub vigorously to remove as much loose skin as possible. (Some skin will cling to the nuts when you’re done. It’s okay—not to mention inevitable.) Let cool completely.
- 3. Melt the chocolate in a saucepan over gently simmering water or in the microwave. Stir until smooth. Let cool completely.
- 4. In a food processor, grind the hazelnuts until they form a paste. Add the oil, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt and continue processing until the mixture is as smooth as possible–or as smooth as you like. Add the melted chocolate, blend well, and then strain the mixture to remove any chunks of hazelnut that remain. The resulting homemade Nutella will be thin and somewhat runny and maybe even a little warm but it will thicken as it cools. Scrape your homemade nutella into a jar or other resealable container and let it cool to room temperature. Cover the container after snitching several spoonfuls. The nutella will keep on the counter for up to 2 weeks. (Hah!)
Nutella Frosting Variation
- Here’s what you do. Just grab your stand mixer and beat 1/2 cup of homemade Nutella, 3 tablespoons room-temperature butter, and 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar until creamy. Jack up the speed to medium-high and slowly, slowly drizzle in 2 tablespoons heavy cream, beating just until smooth and fluffy and irresistible. Use immediately.
Hungry for more? Chow down on these:
- Nutella Cupcakes from My Baking Addiction
- Homemade Peanut Butter from Joy the Baker
- Seven-Minute Frosting from Leite's Culinaria
- Hazelnut Sandwich Cookies from Leite's Culinaria
Homemade Nutella Recipe © 2011 Christie Matheson. Photo © 2011 Alex Farnum. All rights reserved.
[Natalie R.] Before I saw this recipe, the idea of making my own Nutella never entered my mind. It looked so simple I had to give it try. The roasted nut aroma from the nuts while rubbing them together is heavenly. The skinning of the hazelnuts was straightforward, but did take a few minutes. The processing part of the recipe worked like a charm. At first I thought the straining aspect to be a bit redundant, but then as I strained the Nutella I noticed the little “sand” size pieces of nuts. The Nutella does profit texturally from the straining. My teenage son (who is a Nutella connoisseur) loved it. I don’t think I can go back to the store-bought version. This would be a fabulous gift presented in a little old-fashioned jar.
[A. Lee] The flavor is great — not too sweet, strong chocolate taste. It does turn out a little more loose than a jarred Nutella. What’s nice is that you can select the type of milk chocolate you want to use. In this case, I used a European milk chocolate. In step three, the recipe said to make it as smooth as possible. My blend ended up more powdery, but I continued. The texture is just a little more sandy than a regular Nutella, but it’s not off-putting. If I were making this again, I might actually use a mix of chocolates — like a mix of dark and milk chocolate.
[Tracey G.] My son’s favorite TV commercial is the one where Nutella is billed as part of a healthy breakfast, and I must admit to digging into a jar of the stuff myself on occasion. Naturally, we had to give this recipe a try. It was quick and easy and the difference between jarred Nutella and homemade is significant. The hazelnut and chocolate flavors are so much more pronounced in the homemade version. If you have ever enjoyed Nutella, do yourself a favor and make this ASAP.
[Sofia Reino] Where do I start? Well the best way to explain is that we have three daughters plus extra visiting kids in this home, and this was 200% approved by all from age 3 to 43! WOW, so very easy to make and so very good. The final result is not as thick as the Nutella from a store-bought jar, but the taste is so much better. Right after making the first batch, we went on to repeating it and not doubling, but TRIPLING it and jarring it for Christmas gifts and, well, for the kids in this household.
[Lori Widmeyer] The hardest part of this recipe was finding the hazelnuts. I thought too much skin may be left on my hazelnuts, it was not a lot, but many of the nuts had a little skin still on them. I processed the spread until it was pretty smooth, and so I decided not to strain the mixture — I wanted the added texture, then realized I could strain one jar’s worth and leave the rest with bits. Next time, according to what I am using it for, will determine how much I strain. For the frosting I used strained, but to spread on bread (or homemade graham crackers) the added texture is nice. This is so much better than the jarred stuff, you will never buy it premade again.
Uhm, thanks for ruining my new year resolution so soon? It’s okay, we all know so well that in one week’s time I’d be skipping breakfast, drinking Aperol cocktails for lunch and eat potato chips for dinner anyway. The Nutella frosting sounds amazing. Maybe I’ll make it as a dip for vegetables, being healthy and all.
A lovely compromise, An. I like the way you rationalize…
This is evil. Before I could pass on Nutella just by reading the ingredients list! No longer.
(Sinister laugh…)
Believe it or not, I still haven’t tasted Nutella. My wife never gets it at the store because she doesn’t like hazelnut. I hear about it all the time since I started cooking and blogging. I guess I just need to man up and go buy it myself!
Curt, get thee to a grocery store NOW! But as others have indicated, the jarred version is really quite sweet. Why not just grab these ingredients and make your own?
Curt: I have never tried Nutella, either. Sounded too sweet, so it never drew me as a spread for my toast. But the recipe above doesn’t sound too sweet, so I’m saving this one and trying it. Have you made it yet, if so how was it?
I never even saw Nutella in the US. I had it in Israel when I was in high school and then not again until I had kids and lived in France. The jarred Nutella is too sweet for me so having a recipe to make it myself is perfect! It looks delicious!
And it IS delicious, Jamie! Let us know what you think after you make it…
Came across your blog through Flipboard…
Yay! I love Nutella but have stayed away from it because of the processed stuff they put in it. Look forward to trying this.
Hi Eunice,
I think that you will really enjoy it! Please let us know after you give it a whirl.
Beth
Best Friday ever around here, had enormous success with a research problem at work and then ‘handmade nutella’ Wowza!!!!!
A good day, indeed, Karen!
Now THAT’s a Nutella I could get into. Even in a bath!
Is there room for two?
Let me share with you a nifty way to skin hazelnuts after they are toasted. Place them in a mesh bag that citrus is sold in (lemon, oranges and such) and rub the hazelnuts against each other over a sink. The skins will fall through the mesh, leaving the “naked” nuts in the bag. No messy towel clean up or nuts in separation to handle.
Looooooooooooooove that trick, Helene…almost as much as we loooooooooooove your blog. Many, many thanks!
Oh goodie – another temptation ;-) I will definitely try this, though I will have to use dark chocolate. I have a nasty dairy allergy so I have never tasted “real” Nutella – just lusted mournfully and walked sadly by. Since I already love hazelnuts, and of course chocolate, and this recipe does not call for the addition of powdered milk, as the store brand does, the hard part will be only making it occasionally! ;-)
So glad to hear you can indulge in this version of nutella, Sylvia…and yes, as often as you like!
The skinning of the nuts has kept me from making my own nutella…that and the gritty texture, but mostly the skinning. Thanks, Helene, for what sounds like the perfect way to skin a nut! (I learned why they use nuts as a natural brown stain from skinning walnuts..bye-bye, dish towel)
It is a pretty efficient way to skin the nuts but sadly my towel went the same way!
Well, I suppose we can each reserve a terrible-looking towel for just this purpose…worth the sacrifice, no doubt!
I bypassed the towel all together and just put a small handful in my hands and rubbed them against each other over the sink letting the skins fall. No ruined towel and just as effective.
Kenzie, awesome! Thanks for the helpful tip – although some chefs (ahem, myself included) might be too clumsy to do this without sending the nuts down the drain too :)
ok, I take one part hazelnuts, same oven setting and rubbing thing as above. then I take the same amount of honey and chopped chocolate, add them to the food processor, put the hot nuts into it and give it a good go. the hot nuts make everything come together into at paste. thin it with water if it’s too thick. enjoy. it’s not to sweet and very chocolate/nut tasting. best regards from copenhagen.
Love the way you’re thinking, lisbet. Love it. Many thanks for sharing…
Hey, this one is a great and cool homemade Nutella. Followed all steps and ingredients. One small remark. After the total cool down to room temperature (19° C | 66°F) it went too thick, I almost need a knife to get a piece. That’s not a cream anymore. I need to put in microwave for 10 seconds, before I serve to the kids to top to the pancake…despite this compound question (too fast became rigid) I love this recipe :) Cheers from Budapest.
Beastie, I was trying to think of what the reasons may be. I have done this recipe quite a few times already and here are some of my thoughts that may help you, as I did not have that problem at all, even when using JUST dark chocolate. Now I wonder, as you are from Bucarest if somehow the ingredients may differ. The first thing that comes to mind is the cooking chocolate we get back home in Portugal is MUCH denser and less “oily” type than the one here in the States. I wonder if you can just add a bit more oil? Might that make a difference? Another thing from previous experience, when hazelnuts are older they tend to be drier. Hope this helps and let us know if any of these thoughts may help you.
Dear Sofia,appreciate your kind comment. One thing to point out, I am from BUDAPEST (Hungary) and not from Bucarest, but that’s a typical mistake, so I do not really mind :)
I used simple milk chocolate I can purchase in shops. I went for quality bites, like cocoa content is at least 30 %. This one is simple for regular eating, not specially for cooking. Adding more oil ( I used : sunflower oil) could be a possibility. And ok, these hazelnuts were some leftovers since couple months, were waiting for this great recipe. Thanks for your thoughts.
Oh dear I am so very sorry. I DID read Budapest yet wrote Bucarest. I do know they are very different and I fully apologize for such. Well I DO hope you will try the recipe again and let us all know how it comes out and what you have changed.
I love love love this, I love nutella, however, my husband is allergic to coconut, and palm oil which is in nutella, there are so many good recipes for it that I want to try, but I usually get stuck with something the whole family can enjoy, which, therefore, results in me getting a small jar and a spoon, lol. With this recipe, I can make it without the palm oil! Thank you thank you thank you!
C, you are so welcome. We love to hear stories such as this. Love it. So appreciate you letting us know…
Whoa, another Schettler is into Nutella-making! Sweet. :-)
My dad’s hometown was Breda, Iowa — where’s your family from, Renee?
Cheers, -Sunny
Sunny! Must run in our genes! I wonder if we’re cousins, as I’m from Iowa, too…
P.S. Thanks for posting this — we’re keen Nutella Day observers here in Cambridge, MA.
Always our pleasure, Sunny.
I loved making this, but it ended up being too salty. We used unsalted nuts, so I’m not sure where we went wrong. Anyone else have this issue?
Laurie, I’m so sorry it turned out salty. If you used unsalted nuts, the only other option is the salt itself. Did you use the correct amount? Three-quarter teaspoon, not tablespoon? What kind did you use?
Mine also came out too salty. I added more powerdered sugar to cover the salt and ended up with the texture of frosting of course. I think if the salt was only 1/4 tsp,it would taste much better. The texture and taste less the salt were great.
Hello. We changed the recipe to adjust for individual taste. Thanks for the feedback.
Yup. Definitely put in 3/4 teaspoon, not tablespoon. I used iodized salt, which is what I usually use in baking. I’ll try it again. I loved the flavor. It was much more dynamic than the jarred nutella. I would describe it as first chocolate, then hazelnut, and afterwards, salt.
We’ll try it again, too, Laurie. I admit, I like to use coarse sea salt so I get a lovely nubbin of salt here and there, but as a result I think overall mine would be less salty than usual given that the chunks of salt take up a lot of space in the measuring spoon…
Superb recipe. I only added in a few pinches of salt. The taste is way better than the original.
Music to our ears, Climbr. Many thanks for letting us know. Look forward to hearing what you make next…
I used to own a frozen custard shop. Our signature flavor was chocolate hazelnut, made with an Italian brand of unsweetened nutella (just bitter chocolate and hazelnuts made into a paste). People would come in and try that for the first time and literally swoon. Their eyes would roll back in their heads…they would proclaim it better than sex. I’m sorry I rented such a large store, the rent was just too much there for me to continue. I may yet try again with a smaller, less expensive location though. I really miss seeing that reaction in people :)
Donatella, you had me at “better than sex.” You owe it to your customers (and me!) to re-open a smaller store where you can pimp out that delicious treat….
LOL, David. I’ve been having fun today working my way thru your lovely blog and delicious looking recipes.
To be honest, there were some people, who when their partner(?) would say, “This is better than sex!” would respond, “Well, you must be doin’ it wrong!” But we definitely had a loyal contingent of chocolate hazelnut frozen custard addicts.
I’m not sure I’m up to another go at it or not, but as I told friends, I made lots of mistakes. Next time, I’ll at least make new ones!
Cheers!
Donatella, what is life if not a chance to do things over and over again until we get it right? And chocolate-hazelnut ice cream is a mistake worth repeating!
I’d like to second that assertion…!
Question…how would you go about ‘straining’ the mixture???
Hi Belle, several of our testers loved the consistency and never strained the mixture. Another tester, Natalie, used a mesh strainer. She preferred the strained version as it removed the small pieces of nuts. I think that you will love it- strained or not!
Hi, I made this with exact precise measurements, although it was nice and runny when warm, once it cooled it became hard and unspreadable. Any ideas why?
Hi Naz,
One of our testers, Sofia, made this recipe numerous times (and loved every batch!). She replied to a comment from another reader that had a similar problem and suggested that it might be due to the age of the nuts. Were your hazelnuts fresh? If you get a chance, read through her comments. She gives a couple of tips that might help. Thanks for reaching out to us.
I followed this to the letter (although I skipped straining) and was disappointed by the taste. I taste only chocolate in mine; I’m not sure anyone will know there are hazelnuts in this unless I tell them. Also, it is a little too runny, even after cooling. While that doesn’t bother me much, I would guess that reducing the amount of chocolate next time will help with both problems.
Hi Julia,
I spoke with Sofia, one of our testers, and this is what she had to say; “After making it numerous times I have noticed that the type of chocolate used, the type of hazelnuts and how old they are makes a difference. What is the most perplexing thing about your comment is the fact that it came out too runny as truthfully if anything mine usually comes out more dense. In terms of the taste, I must admit I like more of a hazelnut flavor too, therefore I have added 1/2 cup more hazelnuts. Now here are a few questions: Did you use milk or semi-sweet chocolate (with milk chocolate you will have a sweeter and less chocolatey flavor then semi-sweet)? For how long did you toast the hazelnuts? After toasting them could you feel a bit of oil in them (if not they could have been older)? What type of oil did you use? I have noticed that the differences in oil can also make a difference. Perhaps the best advice I can give you is as you make it keep on adjusting the amounts to your liking and try placing it in the fridge for a few hours to see if it becomes less runny. I did notice when I make it that it took a while to get denser. Hope all these comments help. Also if you would like to letting me know the exact brands you used I can try to duplicate it and see what happens as with two daughters I make it quite often.”
Quick question: would it be possible to use Splenda to make this homemade Nutella or is the icing sugar a must? Three tablespoons is not that much, but still, I’m curious about that.
Thx!
Hi Vincent, I asked Sofia, one of our testers who is nuts for nutella, and she suggested using Stevia as it melds well with the chocolate without adding those pesky sugar calories.
Is there a particular reason why the directions specify cooling the melted chocolate before adding to the hazelnut paste? Also, having made this recipe twice now (so tasty and such a good informal gift!), I’ve had a difficult time blending the hazelnuts into a paste without the added moisture of the chocolate; they stick to the sides of the blender without continuing to hit the blade. To remedy this, I’ve been blending them as much as I could, but then adding the chocolate and blending into the final product. Do you have any other recommendations?
Hi Anna, I asked Sofia, our official Nutella maker and question queen, her thoughts on your query. This is what she had to say: “In terms of the hazelnuts sticking to the side of the blender, I think it may be because a blender may not be the best tool. I have always made it in a food processor. Another thought, even though it would take longer, would be to grind them in a coffee grinder then mix it in the blender. When the nuts are drier there will be less oil coming from them, so adding a bit more oil will do the trick.”
Thank you so much for the reply! I tried adding oil to it recently and it worked out quite nicely. I really appreciate the advice.
Wonderful, Anna! Please let us know how you use your nutella- crepes, spread on toast, nestled inside a buttery croissant?
Dare I admit to say I love to eat it by the spoon?
Oh, my dear SoFia, who doesn’t love to eat it by the spoon?
A “cup” of hazelnuts? What is that in grams or mils exactly?
Hi Anonymous, according to the USDA website, a cup of whole hazelnuts is equivalent to 135 grams. Hope this helps!
Out of every food blog post that I have read in the last few months, I can honestly say… without even having tried it… that this is now in my official ‘top five recipes of all time’ list! I don’t know why it never occurred to me that you could make it yourself. Probably my innate laziness and also a brand loyalty that dates back to my childhood. Nutella, to me, could solve the problems of the world instantly, and even now, it’ll take the edge of most ‘bad’ days… but the one thing that cooking has taught me is that, with a bit of inspiration, taking fresh ingredients and making things yourself from scratch will always outshine a factory product. So, I’m sorry, Mr Nutella, but I’m afraid you’ve lost a loyal customer… and you can send your letter of complaint straight to these guys. Cheers!!
Wow, Frank! So glad you like the recipe–like it enough that you’re giving up the original. My shoulders are wide, sir, so I can bear the burden of the Nutella Corporation’s backlash over losing customer to us!
I am not a milk chocolate fan. Could it be made with dark chocolate? If so, do I omit the cocoa or add more sugar?
Hi Risa, several of out testers used dark chocolate. They just added a bit more sugar to taste, and another taste, and another taste…
This is wonderful idea making own Nutella! Looks so yummy and so easy to make! My family will love this!
We’re not going to argue with you, Mary! Kindly let us know when you try it….
Great recipe! This is going to be my “food present” for friends and family this Christmas. However, I can’t seem to find anywhere what quantity it makes? I’ll need to scope out this project in bulk I think :)
Never a bad thing to make Nutella in bulk quantity, Steph! If you look toward the top of this page, just below the photo and above the recipe, you’ll see that it makes about 2 cups. Hardly enough to get you and your family through a single day, I dare say…!
I hate the hassle of getting the skins off of hazelnuts, so I order them online. Nutsonline sells blanched hazelnuts, that have no skins. I would still roast them, though.
Terrific shortcut! Many thanks, Jindy.
I just tried your recipe and it’s delicious. Even my husband approved and he was reared on Nutella in France. We didn’t have any Nutella in the house and instead of buying more I thought, why not make it. I also just wanted a “healthier” version and now I found it as I can adjust the ingredients. One thing I want to share and I am not sure if anyone has posted it before, but I used a coffee grinder for the nuts. My food processor isn’t great so I thought I try the coffee bean grinder. It does an excellent job in making a smooth hazelnut paste. I didn’t need to strain it. Just thought I’d put it out there.
Nina, terrific! And I’m quite grateful that you did share that tip, it’s a clever one. Here’s to many more batches of Nutella….
Has anyone tried making this with semisweet or bittersweet chocolate? Is milk chocolate essential for some reason?
Hi Emily, milk chocolate adds a bit more sugar and fat. We had several testers that used chocolate with a higher percentage of cacao and they loved it. You might find though that it needs a touch of sugar or oil, a taste test will let you know for sure.
I tried making this and although it tasted delicious, I also had the problem of it being too thick – almost completely solid in fact. I didn’t have any canola oil on hand so I used olive oil instead. Also, I could only find hazelnuts that were already roasted, so I wonder if being roasted and then sitting on the store shelf for a while also made them drier? Anyways, I would love to make this to give to friends for Christmas this year, so would I be able to make it runnier by just adding more oil? Perhaps I will try canola next time too. Thanks for a great recipe!
Hi Sarah, the age of your nuts will make a difference as they get drier as they age. Try it with a fresher nut, I bet you’ll be surprised.
Hello!
I like to ask a question:
“3. Melt the chocolate in a saucepan over gently simmering water or in the microwave. Stir until smooth. Let cool completely.”
I don’t understand why I would melt the chocolate firsthand, when it needs to cool completely after melting.
Does “cool completely” equal turning solid after melting?
Thank you for explaning this step!
Hi, Paula. That’s a good question. Let me clear it up. Cooling completely means the chocolate is no longer warm but still liquid. The chocolate would need some sort of chilling to return to a solid state. Hope this helps.
Could you double the batch and put half in fridge till ready to use?
Diane, by “ready to use” do you mean until you’ve lick the other half slowly from the spoon…? My only hesitation regarding doubling the batch of Nutella in lieu of making two separate batches would be the capacity of your food processor. Has anyone else doubled a batch? What size processor do you have? And Diane, if you try it, kindly let us know how it goes….