Bold Baking Basics

Homemade Nutella (Chocolate Hazelnut Spread)

4.68 from 31 votes
You won't believe how easy it is to make smooth, creamy Homemade Nutella! You'll never use store-bought chocolate hazelnut spread again.
An overhead shot of Homemade Nutella in a glass bowl, with a gold spoon next to it on a floral tablecloth.

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY MY FOLLOWERS LOVE THIS RECIPE: Creamy, chocolately, and nutty Homemade Nutella is the perfect addition to any of your favorite desserts — and one of Bigger Bolder Baking readers’ favorite recipes! With a taste just like store-bought, my Homemade Nutella recipe can be made in under an hour with just a few simple ingredients!

I love a good versatile ingredient — not only is Nutella great as a spread, served on a humble slice of toasted Homemade White Bread, but it works so well in so many recipes I’m sure you’ve seen before on Bigger Bolder Baking! With recipes like my Homemade CrepesNutella Lava Cookies, and my collection of 3 Ingredient Nutella Recipes in mind, I love being able to make Nutella at home, with simple ingredients I have at home, rather than running out to the store every time I need a jar. 

And I’m so glad my Homemade Nutella recipe, made with real hazelnuts, milk chocolate, cocoa powder, and a few other ingredients likely already in your pantry, has become one of my Bold Bakers favorites as well. In fact, I even learned a few tricks from those of you who experimented with this recipe! 

This creamy homemade chocolate hazelnut spread is about to become a mainstay in your kitchen — if not for baking, then at least for that satisfying spoonful as a midnight snack! You won’t believe how easy it is to make Nutella right at home! 

Table Of Contents

A photo of hazelnuts on the left and then pureed in a food processor on the right.

What Is Nutella? What Does Nutella Taste Like?

The most popular brand of hazelnut chocolate spread is arguably Nutella. I’d certainly consider it a “generic trademark,” like how you’d ask for a Kleenex instead of a tissue, Chapstick instead of lip balm, or Coke instead of cola! If you were to ask for a “chocolate hazlenut spread” for your toast, most people would counter, “You mean Nutella?”

Nutella was first introduced in Italy in 1964 by the company Ferrero, the same company that brought you Ferrero Rocher, the popular hazelnut truffles (try my Homemade Ferrero Rocher recipe, too!)

While there are a few other ingredients in store-bought Nutella, which I’ll talk about below, Nutella tastes like chocolate with a touch of toasted nutty hazelnuts. 

Tools You Need To Make Nutella At Home

What Is Nutella Made Of — Homemade Vs. Store-Bought Nutella Ingredients

According to Ferrero’s website, store-bought Nutella is made with “Sugar, Palm Oil, Hazelnuts (13%), Skimmed Milk Powder (8.7%), Fat-Reduced Cocoa (7.4%), Emulsifier: Lecithins (Soya), Vanillin.”

And, truth be told, I don’t stray too far from that recipe — although I do use ingredients you may be a bit more familiar with and likely have in your house right now! 

My Homemade Nutella is made with the following:

  • Hazelnuts: I use raw hazelnuts for this recipe, which I roast myself.
  • Milk chocolate: Melted and cooled milk chocolate goes perfectly alongside hazelnut.
  • Powdered sugar: To add a bit of sweetness but to avoid any grainy texture, use powdered sugar. If you don’t have any on hand, you can make Homemade Powdered Sugar.
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder: This helps up the chocolately flavor.
  • Vegetable oil (or any flavorless oil): To keep the Nutella creamy, you need to add oil. I use vegetable oil, but you can use any flavorless oil in its place. Store-bought Nutella uses palm oil, which has higher saturated fats than vegetable oil. And, Vegetable oil has triple the amount of vitamin K than palm oil.
  • Vanilla extractVanilla helps bring out all the delicious flavors in this recipe. Store-bought Nutella uses Vanillin, which is a single organic compound extracted from the vanilla plant. I use vanilla extract, which has more compounds from the plant and gives the recipe a bit more complex flavor. 

Vegan Nutella, Keto Nutella, And Other Ingredient Substitutes

This Nutella recipe is already vegetarian, but if you’d like to make it vegan, keto, or sub in other ingredients, here are a few tips!

  • How to make vegan Nutella: To make Homemade Vegan Nutella, use vegan milk chocolate or opt to use a higher cocoa content chocolate. Check the labels of your chocolate — a lot of good quality chocolate has no dairy. Chocolate with 70% cocoa content will be easy to melt and should have no dairy. Here is a full Homemade Vegan Nutella recipe to follow!
  • How to make keto Nutella: While I haven’t tried to make a keto-diet friendly version of Nutella, a few Bold Bakers have experimented with this recipe and recommend using maple syrup or sugar-free sweeteners, like xylitol or erythritol, instead of the powdered sugar.

Instead of powdered sugar, you can also opt to use dates! Dates help sweeten the chocolate hazelnut spread and give it a delightful vanilla-y flavor. 

Can I Make Nutella Without Hazelnuts?

Hazelnuts have particular properties which suit the chocolate in this recipe, but I know hazelnuts may not be readily available in some countries, so you can make my Homemade Nutella using any nut — it’s simply up to your preference of nut flavors. 

Try a small portion with any nut that has a little oil in them, like almonds, peanuts, macadamia, and Brazil nuts. These nuts are great for this recipe because they’re ‘fleshy,’ making them easy to skin. You will need to roast the nuts slightly for the best flavor. I recommend roasting them for about 8 minutes in a 350°F/180°C oven before blending.

If you’re looking for a nut-free Homemade Nutella, try replacing them with your favorite seeds! Sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and pumpkin seeds would work great in this recipe.

More ingredients being added to the food processor on the left, and the mixed Nutella spread on the right.

How To Make Homemade Nutella

Making Homemade Nutella is just as easy, if not easier, than driving to the store to pick up a jar! Here’s how you do it:

  1. First, roast the hazelnuts. After they become fragrant and well-roasted, rub them in a clean kitchen towel to remove the skins.
  2. Blend the nuts in a food processor until a very smooth paste forms. 
  3. Once the paste is smooth and shiny, add the remaining ingredients. Continue blending for about 90 seconds, scraping down the sides as you go, until it is smooth and shiny.

How To Roast Hazelnuts

Roasting the hazelnuts before blending them to make Nutella helps bring out all the delicious flavors of the nut. But it doesn’t just improve the taste; roasting the nuts will help draw out the natural oils and will help you achieve a smoother, creamier texture. 

To roast hazelnuts, preheat your oven to 350ºF (180°C). Place your nuts on a baking tray and bake for 10-15 minutes until they become fragrant. Trust your nose! You don’t want to judge them by sight; just wait for that toasty, nutty scent. 

Is Nutella Healthy?

It’s easy to think of Nutella as a healthy treat, as people often treat it the same way they would peanut butter or other nut butter. However, Nutella, including homemade, is made with chocolate and sugar, which isn’t typically considered a nutritious breakfast! 

While this recipe has healthy components, like hazelnuts, keep in mind that Nutella is not a substitute for healthier nut butters. That said, Homemade Nutella may be a bit healthier than store-bought, as you can monitor what ingredients and how much sugar you are adding to the recipe. 

As always, be sure to talk to your doctor or nutritionist about your concerns! 

Homemade Nutella FAQs

What do I do if I don’t have a food processor? Can I use a blender to make Nutella?

If you do not have a food processor, you can use a blender to make Homemade Nutella instead. Just as you would while using a food processor, be sure to scrape down the sides of your blender to ensure all the hazelnuts get blended for a smooth texture.

How do I make my Nutella smooth?

Store-bought Nutella is smooth and silky — naturally, your homemade version should be too! In order to achieve a similar smooth texture for your Homemade Nutella, make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl so that all of the nuts get blended up well. It’s crucial for the nut paste to be very smooth to prevent a grainy texture.

Also, be sure to use powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar! If you only have granulated sugar, you can turn that into powdered sugar using my simple Homemade Powdered Sugar recipe. 

Can I use other nuts to make Nutella? 

Nutella is a chocolate hazelnut spread, but that doesn’t mean you have to stick to just that nut. If you prefer or can’t find hazelnuts, you can use other oil-rich nuts like almonds, peanuts, macadamia, or Brazil nuts. See my note above about making Nutella without hazelnut. 

Is Nutella vegan? 

My Homemade Nutella is vegetarian but not vegan, as I use milk chocolate in my recipe. You can, however, make vegan Nutella, as well as keto Nutella, by reading more about Ingredient Substitutes above. Be sure to check out my Homemade Vegan Nutella recipe, too! 

How long does Homemade Nutella last?

You can keep Homemade Nutella for up to 4 weeks in an airtight jar or for longer in the refrigerator. Be sure to see my notes on how to store Nutella below. 

Finished Homemade Nutella in a bowl, shot from overhead, next to a photo of finished Homemade Nutella on the right, with a spoon in the glass bowl.

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making Homemade Nutella

  • Did your Homemade Nutella set up overnight? Simply pop it in the microwave for a few seconds or stand the jar in a bowl of warm water to resolve it!
  • Want a vegan substitute? Try my Healthy Nutella (Vegan) recipe! Alternatively, you can use vegan chocolate or a higher cocoa content chocolate.
  • For sugar substitutes, check out The Best Sugar Substitutes for Baking & FREE Substitutes Chart!
  • Although vanilla extract packs a stronger flavor since it comes directly from the beans, vanilla essence will work in a pinch!
  • If you’re using a blender instead of a food processor, blend the nuts in smaller amounts, so they don’t bind the motor.

How To Store Homemade Nutella

You can keep your homemade Nutella in an airtight jar at room temperature for up to 4 weeks! If you’d like it to last longer, feel free to refrigerate it, but please note that it hardens in the fridge, so you will have to microwave it or place it in a warm water bath to use it again. 

Try More Nutella Recipes!

Watch The Recipe Video!

Homemade Nutella (Chocolate Hazelnut Spread)

4.68 from 31 votes
You won't believe how easy it is to make smooth, creamy Homemade Nutella! You'll never use store-bought chocolate hazelnut spread again.
Author: Gemma Stafford
Servings: 0 cups
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
You won't believe how easy it is to make smooth, creamy Homemade Nutella! You'll never use store-bought chocolate hazelnut spread again.
Author: Gemma Stafford
Servings: 0 cups

Ingredients

  • 1 generous cup (5 ¼ oz /150 g) hazelnuts
  • cup (4 oz/115 g)) milk chocolate, melted and cooled
  • ½ cup (2 ¼ oz/65 g) powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or any flavorless oil)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Place hazelnuts on a tray and bake at 350ºF (180°C) for 10-15 mins until very fragrant and well roasted.
  • While still warm, rub them vigorously in a kitchen towel to remove as much of the skins as possible.
  • Place the hazelnuts in a food processor and blend until it forms a very smooth peanut butter-like paste, about 3-4 minutes. Note: While it is processing, make sure to scrape down the bowl so that all of the nuts get blended up well. You need the nut paste to be very smooth.
  • When the paste is smooth and shiny on top, add in the remaining ingredients: cooled melted chocolate, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.
  • Continue blending all of these ingredients together for around another 90 seconds or so. Just like before, stop the machine to wipe down the sides to ensure everything is getting blended. When it is smooth and shiny, then it is done.
  • Store your Homemade Nutella in an airtight jar at room temperature for 4 weeks. Place it in the fridge for a longer life but just note that it hardens in the fridge, so you might need to microwave it to use again.
4.68 from 31 votes (22 ratings without comment)
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Carmen Tenney
Carmen Tenney
5 years ago

Can I rate this 10 stars?!? This recipe is amazing. I made this for my kids as they love Nutella. I love it so much….. there goes my Keto diet!! Yummy yum yum yum.

Jona
2 years ago

Hi Gemma, I can’t get a hold of any white chocolate hazelnut spreads (which taste just like the filling of a kinder bueno) since it’s always hard to get. Some recipes I’ve seen are quite similar to your homemade Nutella recipe and was wondering if you could give us your take on this addicting spread! Wishing you all the best!

Shiva
Shiva
4 years ago

Hi Gemma, congratulations to your bundle of joy!
I have made your Nutella recipe twice with a little modification! Instead of milk chocolate I added bittersweet chocolate. It is awesome!
Thank you for sharing your recipes!!!

Minda Christiansen
Minda Christiansen
1 year ago

Can you use peanut butter instead of hazel nuts? I’m not fond of hazelnuts.

Ellen
Ellen
1 year ago

Hi! I’m excited to make this and wanted to check if this recipe is as sweet as the process Nutella? I don’t want mine to be as sweet.

P M
P M
2 years ago

Hi Gemma,
How can I make hazelnut paste/butter/gianduja? Is it roasted hazelnuts blended until it turns into a paste (like you have here), or should I be adding something else like milk or semi-sweet chocolate to it?

Thanks, I know I can rely on your advice ????

Moustique
Moustique
3 years ago

Dear Gemma,
Thanks for another amazing recipe.
I have a small problem though. When I put the Nutella into the jar, it had a wonderful smooth texture, but the next morning, it had hardened. Any idea what went wrong and how I can salvage it? Tastes delicious, just not spreadable.
Thanks a bunch!

#Nutella-less freak (lol)
#Nutella-less freak (lol)
3 years ago

Hello!!!!!!! I REALLY NEED HELP ASAP. I was making my nutella but it was too grainy, and never formed a smooth paste.What am I supposed to do? I’M FREAKING OUT (not really ha ha ha)

Poojani Weerakkody
3 years ago

Hi Gemma, Actually I don’t have a food processor. So can I use my blender or the grinder instead of the food processor. Thanks

AnjaAnja
AnjaAnja
4 years ago

Hi, I didn’t see my question in the comments yet: how to make a vegan version? Just use vegan chocolate? Or can chocolate be left out?
Love your youtube channel btw 🙂

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About Us

Meet Gemma

About Us

Meet Gemma

Hi Bold Bakers! I’m Gemma Stafford, a professional chef originally from Ireland, a cookbook author, and the creator of Bigger Bolder Baking. I want to help you bake with confidence anytime, anywhere with my trusted and tested recipes and baking tips. You may have seen one of my 500+ videos on YouTube & TikTok or as a guest judge on Nailed It! on Netflix or the Best Baker in America on Food Network. No matter your skills, my Bold Baking Team & I want to be your #1 go-to baking authority.

 

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