Nutty for Nutella

A couple of years ago, I got into a Nutella phase.  I would buy it the supersize tubs and go through it by the barrel.  After a few months, I realized it was not a wise decision....Not only does Nutella have 200 calories per 2 Tbsp., but it has a lot of sugar.  Meaning the delicious hazelnut treat I loved was causing me to have drastic mood swings, lack of energy, and gain weight.  Hence, I have avoided purchasing it for the past two years.


But today...I had a hankering for some Nutella!  What was a girl to do?  The answer: make my own, low-sugar recipe using the resources I had in my kitchen.  Here's what I came up with:

2 c. hazelnuts
1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 c. almond milk


Blend hazelnuts, chocolate chips, and cocoa powder in food processor until it resembles a fine meal consistency.  Slowly add almond milk, little by little, and continue blending until it reaches desired consistency.

I found that the 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips provided just enough sweetness to make it taste like dessert, without adding an inordinate amount of sugar.

The 8oz. mason jar pictured is about half of the recipe...my roommates and I already ate the other half!

Almond-Pecan Nut Butter Recipe

On a recent visit to my parents' house, I discovered a jar of Almond-Pecan Nut Butter in the pantry.  It sounded intriguing and before I knew it, I was eating it straight out of the jar with a spoon.  The nut butter was so tasty that it didn't last long.  But as we know, purchasing almond butter at the store is expensive, and most places don't even sell a mixed nut butter.

Hence, my mission began to find out how difficult it would be to make my own nut butter.  The only dilemma was that I don't have a food processor.  But as it turns out, a woman can do wonders with a hand-blender!

A simple hand-blender works too!

Taking a few tips from friends who make almond butter on occasion, I combined and modified their recipes to make this delicious almond-pecan nut butter.

Ingredients:
1 c. raw almonds
1/2 c. raw pecans
2 Tbsp grapeseed oil
1/8 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt

(I used grapeseed oil, because it doesn't have much flavor and therefore preserves the taste of the nuts.)



1. Place all the nuts in food processor (or hand-blender, in my case).
2. Grind nuts, occasionally stirring with a spoon.
3. Keep going!  It takes several minutes to grind the nuts completely.
4. Gradually add oil, one tablespoon at a time.  Add cinnamon and salt.
5. Continue grinding until you reach the desired consistency.  I don't like creamy nut butter, so it did not take long for it to be done after I added the oil.
6. Eat and enjoy your own homemade almond-pecan nut butter!

Prep time: 20 minutes

Voila, delicious homemade almond-pecan butter!

By the way, I found an organic website that sells an 8oz. jar of almond-pecan butter for $15.  For the same amount of money, you can make this recipe about 4 times!