Neither one of us grew up eating Nutella which is probably for the best! Recently, we looked at what was actually in Nutella and were totally appalled by the ingredients: sugar, palm oil, hazelnuts, cocoa, skim milk, reduced minerals whey (milk), lecithin as emulsifier (soy), vanillin: an artificial flavor. The claims made are: no artificial colors and no artificial preservatives with over 50 hazelnuts in each jar of 13 oz.
So here is what's wrong with Nutella. The number one ingredient is sugar! Refined white sugar. We already know why sugar is detrimental to our health. (See our previous blog post on refined sugars). Palm oil is okay but unnecessary as you will see below in our recipe. (We are sure if you wanted to add some coconut, walnut or flax oil to your homemade version it may make the consistency a bit better but we like the way our's turned out). Hazelnuts and cocoa are great! Conventional cow dairy is filled with hormones and antibiotics so substituting for a homemade raw almond milk is much better for you. Soy can be a common allergen and not to mention is one of the biggest GMO (genetically modified) crops out there. Choose organic if you are having soy. The last ingredient is possibly vanilla. Why not just use real vanilla powder? It's great that there are no artificial colors or preservatives but look at the rest of the ingredients! The sad thing is that is food is fed mostly to children which we can't understand why you would ever want to give this to anyone. Now for the healthy version.
So here is what's wrong with Nutella. The number one ingredient is sugar! Refined white sugar. We already know why sugar is detrimental to our health. (See our previous blog post on refined sugars). Palm oil is okay but unnecessary as you will see below in our recipe. (We are sure if you wanted to add some coconut, walnut or flax oil to your homemade version it may make the consistency a bit better but we like the way our's turned out). Hazelnuts and cocoa are great! Conventional cow dairy is filled with hormones and antibiotics so substituting for a homemade raw almond milk is much better for you. Soy can be a common allergen and not to mention is one of the biggest GMO (genetically modified) crops out there. Choose organic if you are having soy. The last ingredient is possibly vanilla. Why not just use real vanilla powder? It's great that there are no artificial colors or preservatives but look at the rest of the ingredients! The sad thing is that is food is fed mostly to children which we can't understand why you would ever want to give this to anyone. Now for the healthy version.
Healthy Hazelnut Butter Recipe
Makes about 1 cup. Double the recipe if you want more.
- 1 cup of raw hazelnuts (filberts)
- 2 tbsp cacoa powder (we use Organic Traditions brand)
- 3 tbsp unpasteurized local honey
- 2 tbsp almond milk (preferably raw homemade)
- pinch of vanilla powder (we use Organic Traditions brand) (optional)
- pinch of sea salt
Soak hazelnuts during the day for about 8 hours and dehydrate overnight for about 8 hours. If you don't have a dehydrator, roast hazelnuts in the oven (approximately 100-200 degrees F for 30-60 minutes checking regularly).
Add all ingredients to a food processor and process to desired consistency stopping to scrape down the sides. Add more almond milk and healthy oil if desired. Store in the fridge.
Here it is spread on a homemade yeast-free, gluten and dairy free bread. Couldn't wait to try it as you can see! Delicious.
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