Are you looking for a sugar free Nutella chocolate spread? I bet you can’t guess why I don’t use hazelnuts?
Scroll below: I’ve just updated the recipe with a quick cooking video for you.
Sugar Free Nutella
I was thrown down a challenge on Facebook to create a sugar free Nutella (see recipe at the end of this post). Well all the healthy versions I saw were way too complicated and long winded for me. This has 5 ingredients and 1 step!
That’s right, no roasting hazelnuts (in fact there are no hazelnuts- read below why) no peeling off roasted hazelnut skins, no honey or coconut sugar (a quick lesson folks – they’re still sugar) and no palm oil.
See why Nutella is nothing more than melted candy in a jar. You'll be horrified.Once you learn what’s in Nutella, you will soon learn it is pretty much closer to a dairy milk chocolate bar than a nut spread. And trying to find nutrition data is difficult to say the least. All the nutrition panels only show per serving size, not per 100g.
And just to muddy the waters further, what is a serving? In the US it is 2 tbs (37g), and in Australia is is stated as 15g which is less than 1 tbs. Let’s talk a look at the per 100g values. Nutella is pretty much on par with Cadbury’s hazelnut bar. In fact, Nutella has got less protein and more sugar.
Here’s a wonderful quick video to watch if you ever wanted to know what is in Nutella. In 2 tablespoons of Nutella there are 5.5 hazelnuts, palm oil, cocoa powder, milk powder and a whopping 21 grams of sugar, which almost equates to the 2 tablespoons of Nutella in the first place – to put it bluntly, Nutella is pretty much a spreadable sugar.
Now I’m not telling you not to eat Nutella, it is absolutely your choice, but make no mistake “It is spreadable candy and does not make for a nutritious breakfast.” Would you sprinkle 5 sachets of sugar on your children’s morning toast? Hmm, hopefully not.
Source: Prof Yoni Freedhoff.
And ever wondered why Nutella removed their health claims? It’s because this amazing mother took on Nutella and won. She was so shocked that she had been misled. “Nutella is basically a candy bar melted into a jar”. I love reading one of the settlement conditions was to remove the phrase “An example of a tasty yet balanced breakfast” and replacing it with “Turn a balanced breakfast into a tasty one”.
So by adding Nutella you are actually turning your balanced breakfast into a not so balanced breakfast? Wow, maybe that should be front of packaging?
Anyhow, on with the recipe. As this is completely my version of a sugar free Nutella, my chocolate nut spread contains walnuts, not hazelnuts. Why? Because they are easier to find and don’t require any roasting or peeling skins, and that will make it more realistic to be made quickly and easily by busy families. By all means use hazelnuts, it will just take a few extra steps and time.
NOTE: The consistency of the sugar free chocolate spread will vary with each season. The coconut oil becomes more liquid in summer and more solid in winter.
Sugar Free Nutella
Ingredients
- 150 g walnut halves
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 4 tbsp cocoa unsweetened
- 4 tbsp coconut oil
- 4 tbsp granulated sweetener of choice or more, to your taste
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in the mini food processor that attaches to your stick blender.
- Blitz until smooth. This will probably take a minute or two. The coconut oil doesn't even need melting as it softens with the warmth of the blades rotating.
- Store in the fridge if you would like it to be a firm spread in the summer, or store in an airtight container in the winter.
Notes
Amanda says
Is the weight swap from Walnuts to Hazelnut like for like? Thx
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Yes, but with all nuts, they do actually vary slightly from batch to batch with fat and fibre content so you may need to slightly adjust and adapt how much of the other ingredients you add so it is still a smooth and yummy chocolate spread.
Heather says
I’m super excited to try this. Nutella is my downfall but I always feel guilty/sick after all the sugar and I am disappointed because there isn’t enough hazelnut taste. A lot of the off-brand or similar spreads are in the same boat–high sugar and made with palm oil too. At least with this recipe we can control what goes in it and how sweet it is.
Thank you!
Suzie says
Would almonds work as well as walnuts do you think? Just found your website /Instagram. I think you are my new favourite person!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Yes, that would work but you would have to grind the almonds down a lot further until they made almond nut butter. The reason I used walnuts is that they turn into nut butter so rapidly. And bless you, what a wonderful compliment to receive 🙂 xxx
Avelina Accad says
Do the walnuts (or any other nuts) need to be roasted or left raw?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
I leave them raw – easy peasy!
CL says
Can you use liquid sweetener instead or would this change consistency?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
That would work brilliantly.
Zaden says
Is it possible to swap an ingredient in this to make it more runny so it can be used as a flavouring for milk or something?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
I fear the nuts will sink to the bottom 🙁
Yvonne says
made it today. loved it. I will also try it with hazelnuts!! thanks for this great recipe!
Christy says
Hazelnut extract works too without the added cost or carbs!
Amie says
I usually love your recipes but this one is bitter. I think maybe too much cocoa or not enough sweetener. I’ll use it in my smoothies, but I didn’t like the taste raw.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
I always state “sweetener to your taste” as we are all on such different paths to sugar freedom. Maybe add a little more next time.
Nanabella says
You could melt it a bit in the micro then put back into the blender to mix in a bit more sweetness to your liking…
Sara C says
Really excited to try with my leftover walnuts I didn’t put in my Thanksgiving stuffing, but I’m out of coconut oil — do you think butter or vegetable oil would work?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Butter might work but not the vegetable oil, it needs to set like ‘nutella’. Come back and let me know how it tastes. I imagine it would be extra creamy.
Jenny says
I just made this in my food processor with a mix of half walnuts and half pecans. I had to blitz it for a bit, but it has come together and tastes amazing. My 5 year-old is very impressed! My kids have never tried Nutella so don’t have anything to compare it to 😉
Randal F Kilgo says
I have a bag of hazelnut flour in the fridge. I am going to make mine w/ that.
Robin Taylor Delargy says
That’s what I just did. It’s delicious!
Ana says
Thanks!! Do you have an idea, how many carbs are on it???
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
The nutrition panel above states 13.3g carbs per 100g. So 1 tablespoon (15g) of my sugar free nutella would equate to about 2g carbs. I calculated per 100g so you can see how low carb this is compared to the real stuff per 100g.
Emily says
Hello! – My kids and I have just made this (which I am very excited about!) – However, I would say that this is not as smooth as nutella and also quite a bit darker/more bitter than nutella. What would we need to do to improve the consistency? – More oil?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
My stick blender manages to make it pretty smooth, but nothing will be as smooth as Nutella as it only contains a few nuts, not even a handful. If it is not sweet enough for you, adjust how much sweetener you are adding. With all my recipes I state “sweetener of choice, to taste” as this is the number one variable. Each of us will be on a slightly different sugar free journey and some will still have a sweet tooth, whilst some of us have pretty much lost it and so require less. Each time you make it, adjust the sweetness, and possibly even the cocoa powder. I like mine pretty dark, but maybe you need to add a little less. It will be interesting as time goes on, how much these quantities will vary as your taste buds change. 🙂
Jennifer says
I just made this. I don’t have a stick blender, but I put mine in a regular blender. Mine was not smooth at all, I’m assuming because I don’t have a stick blender. However, in the end, I added about a quarter cup of butter and a dash of salt. The outcome tasted a bit like chocolate peanut butter. LOL not what I expected, but still pretty good. Oh, also I only added 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, because I don’t like a very very chocolatey taste.
Dee says
How long will this keep?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
I keep mine for a week in the fridge. It could possibly keep for longer, but it gets eaten too quickly 😉
kaitlin says
Hi there,
Can I use hazelnut meal instead of walnuts?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Sure, that would be incredible. You may need to add more coconut oil you as the flour will be more absorbent.
polona says
Just love it and kids too, no more Nutella in our house. Made it with Sukrin-erythrol and tastes great.
angie says
can coconut cream or milk replace coconut oil??
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
No sorry, they really are totally different ingredients.
Carla says
Thank you very much for all the wonderful recipes I find here. But I have one silly question, what do you mean by vanilla? Vanilla extract? Not the sugar I suppose 🙂
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
I use vanilla paste. I don’t specify which type in my recipes as there are so many variations and I will get hundreds of questions as to each reader’s vanilla in their pantry. I stay away from vanilla extract as it tastes too fake for me, so I find the paste works and has an insignificant amount of sugar (mainly alcohol) so I don’t worry. Here is a selection of similar
vanilla paste
to the one I use.Gladys says
I viewed a documentary earlier this summer…on a Toronto tv station. The investigative reporter had Nutella analyzed.
The jar that is about 280 grams contains a total of 2.5 whole hazelnuts. Yes, less than 3 nuts per jar! What expensive garbage! Your reporting above is correct!
Your recipe with walnuts sounds amazing! I am going to try it!
Thank you!
Andi says
This is a great idea to use walnuts to make the recipe easier. I’m going to try this as my kids love nutella and it’s so easy to use for a quick breakfast. However I’m not even going to tell them about the change in nuts. I don’t think they will even be able to taste a difference!
Unterderlaterne says
the magic of Nutella is the combination of Hazelnuts and chocolate . It is a very unique flavour combination. In MHO the the hazelnuts are irreplaceable ! I never purchase Nutella as I am a ferocious label reader . I prepare my own sans sugar.
Lou Price says
would cocoa butter work here instead of coconut oil?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
I have never used cocoa butter, purely down to price. You could try but may have to experiment with the quantities.
patstar5 says
Could I use pure stevia in this? It is very strong, probably only need 1/2 tsp or less.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
ABsolutely. I always say “sweetener of choice, to taste” as the choice and amount of sweetener everyone uses is just so different. Enjoy x
Michelle says
Can I use Xylitol instead of Stevia in your recipes?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Sure. I always say “or sweetener of choice” as everyone has their own personal choice and taste. Just be guided by how much you would normally add to a similar recipe or volume, and always add according to taste. You can always add more but you can’t take it out. Enjoy some healthy nutella 🙂
Emilicious says
Looks tasty. Would this work with raw cacao instead of cocoa?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Yes that would be amazing. Depending on how bitter your cacao is, you may need to adjust how much sweetener you use.
Sanja says
I just made it with hazelnuts. I put it the jar, and “cleaned” the rest in the bowl with bread (lchf of course)… and it’s yummy! Great recipe, and very easy. Only, I just mixed all the ingredients so my cream is a bit crunchy, I suppose because I just grounded hazelnuts with regular grinder machine (english is not my native language, so I’m not sure I’m using the right terms for cooking devices), I suppose if I put it in the blender, blades would’ve made it smoother. Do you agree? I will try that next time. It’s still delicious.
Rachel says
THANK YOU! I have been trying to find an easy recipe without all the sugar “Alternatives” haha! And haven’t been able to find hazelnuts anywhere!
However I am thinking of using macadamias as I can get them free (Woop woop for father in laws! He grows them so I can take some whenever I want lol) Do you think I will still have to roast them or should they be okay to throw straight in? Thanks 🙂
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Oh my word you are the luckiest person. Macadamias are the best nut to eat because of their fabulous fat profile, but sadly are just so darn expensive – and you get them free!!! They would be amazing in this recipe. Yes toasting them would be wonderful if you have the time, if not, just throw them in and I’m sure it would still be amazing (I try and cut out every unnecessary step, as you can tell in all my recipes). Enjoy 🙂
thehomeschoolingdoctor says
Another must try!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Your list of recipes must be growing by the day – lucky kids 😉
Amanda says
Thanks Libby 🙂 will have to try this with hazelnuts in this house as is the only nut my son can eat. X
Michelle Poh says
Hi, may i know, the coconut oil is the liquid form right?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Coconut oil is liquid in the summer and solid in the winter, it really depends on the room temp. Mine comes in a 1 litre tub. It’s winter here right now so I scoop it out with a spoon and weight it then there is no confusion depending on whether it is liquid or solid.
Michelle Poh says
Thanks! Guess mine is in liquid form because I am living in a all year round summer country. May I ask a general question on Stevia, is it a replacement for caster sugar on the same amount? say 1 tsp of stevia equals to 1 tsp of castor sugar? or I have to read the indication on the bottle of stevia? I followed you in getting this: http://www.amazon.com/Natvia-Natural-Sweetener-Canister-Ounce/dp/B00BM6K00Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1438304264&sr=1-1&keywords=natvia
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Always read the label of each brand of stevia, but most that are granulated either measure spoon for spoon. Natvia for example measures spoon for spoon instead of sugar but I find I use far less because I don’t have such a sweet tooth anymore.
Thandi says
Thanks so much for this – I love being able to show my kids pictures of all the nasties in the things they want to eat!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Thanks Thandi. I love showing them little video clips too. Such a great way to get the message across visually 🙂
Vanny says
Hi, I’ve been a fan of your website for awhile! I was wondering if you would replace walnuts with pecans, as I am not a huge fan of walnuts. Thanks!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
I’m sure you could, this recipe is so adaptable. Give it a go and play around with the stevia and cocoa amounts. I just like the walnuts as they are so creamy when blitzed. Cashews might also work but they are higher in carbs (yet no where near Nutella) Hey and thanks for the compliment Vanny, you are always welcome here 🙂