"Nutella"

At work on Monday we celebrated World Nutella Day (and yes, there is actually a day to celebrate this heavenly hazelnut spread). Not being able to eat all the sugar and yummy ingredients in Nutella, I set out to make my own version.

One disclaimer- chocolate is not SCD legal. However, I have found that I can handle small amounts of organic unsweetened cocoa powder without reactions. So I treat myself occasionally when I just can't resist my chocolate cravings anymore.

Here's the recipe.
2 c. hazelnut flour (you can grind up hazelnuts in your food processor if you don't have flour)
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbsp melted coconut oil
1 Tbsp honey
1/4 - 1/2 c. coconut milk/water*
*Any type of milk can be used here. I used just over a 1/4 cup coconut milk and about 1/8 cup water. You can vary this however you want, or use only water. The coconut milk just gives a richer taste (but adds more fat). 


Preparation couldn't be simpler. Combine all ingredients except the milk/water. I used my food processor but you can use a mixer, blender or good old mixing by hand.   

                       

Once everything is mixed, add the milk/water to reach your desired consistency. With almost 1/2 cup of liquids, mine was relatively smooth. And it actually tasted like Nutella! A little less sweet but a very good substitute. 

This recipe made about 8 oz, minus a spoon or two I had to taste along the way :) It's pretty tasty to eat off the spoon but even better on fruit. I've put it on apples, bananas and strawberries so far and it's delicious!

I can't wait to figure out a way to incorporate this into some sort of dessert recipe, maybe use it as a frosting on a white 'cake' recipe I'm working on? Come back later to see how that goes!