Hazelnut and Cocoa Spread

Free

Difficulty: Low
Time: 15 minutes (plus roasting time about 20 min)
Quantity: about 750 g
Type: Sauces and Spreads
Dietary requirements: Gluten-free Cream-free Vegan

Ingredients

500 g peeled hazelnuts

85 g cane sugar (Demerara)*

65 g granulated sugar*

33 g unsweetened cocoa powder

100 g dark chocolate 50%

Looking for a spreadable cream to replace Nutella? Here is a plant-based version without milk and other animal-derived ingredients. The main ingredients are essentially the same because it's a cream based on hazelnuts, cocoa and sugar. The world of spreads is endless: you can use different fats, saturated or unsaturated, different types of sugar, or omit it entirely, use cocoa or chocolate, different types of nuts or freeze-dried fruit, etc. You can really play with a thousand different ingredients. Today we see the classic version, but by clicking here you can also find the caramelized version, a hazelnut praline and chocolate spread, a real delight. Try these brioche filled with this spread.

Method

Preheat the convection oven to 160˚C. Prepare a baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Pour the hazelnuts on top. Roast for about 20 minutes. Transfer the hazelnuts to a powerful food processor. Run at maximum power. It will now take several minutes to reach the final result. First the hazelnuts will be chopped into a coarse powder.

Then a paste will begin to form; the paste will still be dense and coarse — it's not ready yet, you must continue blending to release all the oil contained in the hazelnuts. When the paste becomes semi-fluid it is ready. Now add the other ingredients, namely the sugars and cocoa.

Continue to blend at maximum power to break up all the sugar granules. Then add the chocolate roughly chopped into flakes. Since the hazelnuts were hot (after roasting) and blending heats the mixture, there is no need to melt the chocolate because it will melt from the heat of the mixture and, moreover, blending will incorporate it well.

Continue to blend until everything comes together and you obtain a smooth homogeneous spreadable cream. Transfer it into glass jars.

Storage

Store in a closed container for several months away from light and heat sources, until the fat goes rancid or until the hazelnuts used are past their best-before date. If the fat separates and you see an oily layer on the surface, simply blend again — it's not spoiled, it's completely normal. If stored in the fridge it will become firmer and more spreadable since the chocolate solidifies; if kept at room temperature it remains more fluid (especially if the room temperature is high — during winter it may solidify a bit even at room temperature).

Tips

*Since cane sugar (Demerara) is very coarse, it's necessary to blend for a long time with a powerful blender so you don't feel sugar granules when eating the spread. Alternatively you can use icing sugar to ensure a smoother result even with a less powerful blender. You can also use peeled hazelnuts, keep them peeled or roast and then peel them; here I explain how. It is recommended to read these articles: - which ingredients to use - where to buy pastry ingredients and products