There aren’t too many truly guilt-free foods that spark memories of childhood glee and nostalgia like this Brain-Healthy Chocolate Hazelnut Butter. It is 100% sugar-free, sweetened only with pure stevia, and full of healthy fats from the hazelnuts themselves, cold-pressed virgin coconut oil, cold-pressed hemp oil, and coconut-derived MCT oil.
As a classic in our home, this Brain-Health Chocolate Hazelnut Butter gets me through busy workdays and satisfies any desire for something sweet, without leaving me feeling unfocused or sluggish. I know so many people who miss eating Nutella and occasionally sneak the occasional spoonful of a store-bought “healthy” version. Of course, these are still laden with sugar and often undesirable fats. The solution, of course, couldn’t be simpler—this Brain-Healthy Chocolate Hazelnut Butter is extremely easy, beyond delicious, and keeps well in the fridge for weeks.
PrintBrain-Healthy Chocolate Hazelnut Butter (Paleo, Keto-Friendly, Plant-Based)
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
Ingredients
4 1/2 cup raw hazelnuts
3 tbsp raw cacao powder
1/2 tbsp cold-pressed hemp oil (I use Nutiva)
2 tbsp cold-pressed virgin coconut oil
1 tbsp coconut-derived MCT oil (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract
15-20 drops of pure liquid stevia (I use Omica Organics)
1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt or pink Himalayan salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Lay your raw hazelnuts on a cookie sheet and roast for 15 minutes, or until they have darkened and some of the shells are beginning to fall off.
- Once cooled, we want to rub the skins off the hazelnuts, one cup at a time. Place a cup of hazelnuts into the middle a clean kitchen towel, wrap it up and rub the nuts. When you’re done with all of your hazelnuts, place the blanched nuts into the food processor. (If you would like to save a little time in the future, know that you can also purchase blanched hazelnuts and skip this step).
- Process the hazelnuts on high until the nuts transform into a creamy and smooth hazelnut butter. This step may take up to 10 minutes.
- Add the other ingredients, with the exception of stevia, and process until fully blended. Because of varying potencies of different liquid stevia products, I recommend adding stevia last and to taste.
The Chocolate Hazelnut Butter will keep in the fridge for up to four weeks and can be kept at room temperature during the day. While you can omit the MCT oil, I love adding it as it makes it extra drizzly. I use this butter to drizzle over raw cakes and pastries, and it’s also beautiful to use when plating desserts.
Leave a Reply