Healthy Nutella without sugar (ready in 5 minutes!)

Did you know that you can make a much healthier version of Nutella at home in just five minutes? You only need four main ingredients (two of which are hazelnuts and raw cacao) and a food processor to make this sugar-free Nutella.

This hazelnut chocolate spread is creamy, delicious, and good for you! The perfect sweet treat to enjoy with your favorite low sugar fruits, keto cookies, cakes and more!

How to make Nutella without sugar in 5 minutes

There are two ways to make homemade Nutella, with the same delicious result:

• The long way (about 35 minutes). It’s about making the hazelnut butter from scratch, which isn’t complicated but requires a little more time in the kitchen and more cleaning. This method is useful if you can’t find 100% hazelnut butter., but requires a powerful food processor. Also, this cream stays smoother after refrigeration, and I feel like it has a stronger hazelnut flavor (probably because the hazelnuts are roasted, which is not the case with most store-bought hazelnut butter )
• The short way (about 5 minutes). You can use 100% hazelnut butter which is fairly easy to find in grocery stores and online. This version will be smoother and creamier than the long version because the hazelnut butter you make at home, depending on the food processor you use, can have a bit of a texture. However, it will be less smooth, but still spreadable, after cooling. Just add an extra tablespoon of MCT oil for a milder version.

The bottom line is that if you can find 100% hazelnut butter, I recommend taking the short cut. Experiment with a tablespoon or two of MCT oil to find the texture and consistency you like best.

Why make Nutella at home?

Even if it only takes five minutes, why bother? The easiest way to illustrate why the little extra effort is worth it is to show the ingredients side by side:

Ingredients for store-bought Nutella	Ingredients in homemade Nutella without sugar
Sugar Palm oil Hazelnuts (13%) Skimmed milk powder (8.7%) Fat-reduced cocoa (7.4%) Emulsifier: lecithin (soy) Vanillin (a synthetic version of vanilla)	Hazelnuts (the main ingredient, more than 60%) Raw cocoa powder Coconut oil and MCT oil Yacon Syrup (or Allulose Syrup / Lakanto Syrup) Vanilla powder or pure vanilla extract

While I’m thankful that Nutella was invented, I’ll always wonder why they don’t go the extra mile for a cleaner, healthier version.

How much sugar is in a jar of Nutella?

A serving of store-bought Nutella, which is 15 grams (less than a tablespoon!), has 8.4 grams of sugar. The question is, who eats just one spoonful? This can add up quickly. And why only 13% hazelnuts?

The same amount of our Nutella has only 0.8 grams of sugar, plus it’s rich in nutrients, healthy fats, fiber and protein.

A 200 gram jar of store-bought Nutella has 112 grams of sugar, which is roughly 28 teaspoons of sugar (over 50%). Here is a visual representation. On the left is our homemade Nutella (just over 200 grams), sugar-free and with a minimal amount of natural and safe sweetener (one tablespoon). On the right is the amount of sugar you find in a 200 gram jar of Nutella.

At least they don’t use high glucose corn syrup.

Ingredients to make a healthier Nutella:

IF MAKING HAZELNUT BUTTER:

IF YOU USE HAZELNUT BUTTER, BUY AT THE STORE:

COMPLEMENTS:

• 2 tablespoons raw cocoa powder (NOT cocoa powder!)
• 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon of C8 MCT oil
• 1 tablespoon liquid sweetener (Yacon syrup, Allulose syrup, Lakanto monk fruit syrup)
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder
• a pinch of pink Himalayan salt (make sure it’s just a pinch, no more!)

Choose the best sweetener for you

I prefer to use a liquid sweetener for this sugar-free nutella cream, and as with all my sugar-free desserts, I advocate minimal use. A spoonful will give enough sweetness to this cream without an aftertaste or digestive discomfort.

Choose what works best for you (you may need to adjust the amounts depending on the sweetener):

• Yacon syrup. The one I use the most, because it’s easier to find in Europe, and I don’t mind the low carb. It is also a prebiotic food. If you have diabetes or follow a strict ketogenic diet, choose one of the following.
• Allulose (liquid). This is a safe, non-caloric sweetener for people with diabetes or on a ketogenic diet.
• Lakanto monk fruit (liquid). It is also a safe, non-caloric sweetener for people with diabetes or on a ketogenic diet.
• A date or two. If you prefer something more natural (but not diabetic friendly), add a date or two to the food processor for some sweetness and fiber.
• Inulin powder. I prefer a liquid sweetener for texture, but if none of the above is an option, you can use inulin powder, which is a naturally low-glycemic soluble fiber (and one of my favorite sweeteners in general). It’s not as strong as other sweeteners, so you may need to add more. If the paste is too thick, you can add more MCT oil.

Why raw cocoa powder?

Raw cocoa powder is made from raw, unroasted, cold-processed cocoa beans. It is rich in nutrients and a great addition to your diet.

How to make Nutella without sugar at home?

The long way (about 35 minutes, depending on the blender)

If you choose the long way, the first step is to roast the hazelnuts. Place them on a baking sheet and roast them for about 15 minutes at 350F/180C. The skins will break and smell divine.

The next step is to remove the skins. You can do this by rubbing the hazelnuts with a towel. Don’t worry if they don’t all fall. Remove as much as you can and separate the hazelnuts from the skin.

The third step is to process the hazelnuts until they turn into butter. For this step, you need a powerful food processor, a high-powered blender that can make nut butters (like a Vitamix), or an immersion/stick blender that can make nut butters.

I have a Bamix stick blender and it is amazing for making nut butter. The benefit of using a stick blender is that you don’t have to stop and scrape the walls of your food processor or blender (but not all stick blenders are built with nut butters!).

The next step is to add the rest of the ingredients to the blender and mix.

The short way (5 minutes)

If you choose the short cut, just combine the hazelnut butter with the rest of the ingredients. It literally takes 5 minutes, including cleaning.

You can adjust the ingredients:

• Add more raw cocoa powder for a more intense chocolate taste.
• Substitute carob powder for cocoa powder if you can’t eat cocoa or cook for small children.
• Add more or less sweetener to your taste; you can also add a date or two if you don’t want any sweetener.
• Add more MCT oil, especially if using the short cut method, for a smoother consistency.
• If, for whatever reason, you can’t have hazelnuts, substitute another 100% nut butter (pecan, almond, macadamia, etc.).

How to serve Nutella without sugar?

There are so many ways to enjoy this delicious and creamy homemade hazelnut spread with cocoa:

• Serve with low-sugar fruit for a healthy snack – I love how it pairs with strawberries and raspberries.
• Add it to a smoothie for a creamy consistency and heavenly chocolate and hazelnut flavor.
• Use it as a cake frosting or as a cream filling.
• Use it as an ingredient in sugar-free desserts that call for nut butters as an ingredient.
• Spread on your favorite slice of (healthy) bread, keto cookies, or pancakes.
• Eat with a spoon!

*This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you decide to purchase something through one of my links, at no extra cost to you..

Ingredients

• IF MAKING HAZELNUT BUTTER:
• 2 cups raw hazelnuts
• IF YOU USE HAZELNUT BUTTER, BUY AT THE STORE
• 1 cup 100% hazelnut butter (only one ingredient)
• COMPLEMENTS:
• 2 tablespoons of raw cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon of C8 MCT oil
• 1 tablespoon liquid sweetener (Yacon syrup, Allulose syrup, Lakanto monk fruit syrup)
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder
• a pinch of pink Himalayan salt (make sure it’s just a small pinch, no more!)

Instructions

1

IF MAKING HAZELNUT BUTTER:

2

Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Toast the hazelnuts in a baking tray for about 15 minutes. The skins will break and smell divine.

3

With the help of a dry towel, remove the skins by rubbing the hazelnuts with the towel. Don’t worry if all the skins don’t come off. Remove as much as you can and separate the hazelnuts from the skin.

4

Process the hazelnuts in a high-powered food processor, high-powered blender, or high-powered stick blender until you have hazelnut butter (follow the instructions in your machine’s manual!).

5

Add the rest of the ingredients and combine.

6

IF USING STORE BOUGHT HAZELNUT BUTTER:

7

Combine the hazelnut butter with the rest of the ingredients in a blender or food processor (or with a blender).

8

Store in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to a month.

9

See post for adjustments and substitutions.