Homemade Hazelnut Spread

I love Nutella. As a kid, the only place my brother and I used to get the stuff was when we stayed at my Oma and Opa's, as my Mama would not allow it in the house. Sad times. We both swore that we would always have a jar of Nutella in our cupboard once we lived on our own. As far as I know, we both adhere to that oath. At least, I adhered to it until recently.

Until I found out that I can make a decent chocolate hazelnut spread myself. I've been wanting to try and make my own version for a while, but I had not found a simple recipe that I completely liked. After some research, I just threw some ingredients together in the end. And it worked.

My homemade Nutella tastes surprisingly similar to the real thing. Nutty and chocolatey, a little less sweet mayhaps. (Anecdote on the side: Marco calls me Nik and this spread is now known as Niktella in our home.) Niktella is maybe a bit more grainy than its commercial friend, but contains a lot less sugar and is vegan to boot. I add vanilla extract for a hint of extra sweetness, but once only had vanilla flavoured soy milk instead of plain, which is when I omitted the vanilla extract. This recipe makes enough for one small jar and a hot slice of toast.

VEGAN CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT SPREAD
Need:

200g hazelnuts, toasted
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp golden syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup vegan milk substitute (like soy, almond or hazelnut milk)

Do:

In a food processor, grind the hazelnuts until they start becoming a paste. This will take about 1 minute. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until well combined. 

Use a spoon or spatula to scoop the hazelnut spread into a clean jar. It will keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks. It will not harden up, so you do not have to store it at room temperature.

© Text & Photos - Annika - All The Live Long Day (unless otherwise stated).