Vegan Nutella

Step 1

Toast the hazelnuts: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spread the hazelnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, until fragrant.

Step 2

Remove skins: Place the hazelnuts in the center of a clean dish towel, then wrap them up and rub vigorously for a few minutes to remove some of the skins. They won't all come off, and that is fine!

Step 3

Make the hazelnut butter: Add the still-warm hazelnuts to a high powered blender (or food processor). Blend and grind the nuts until moist, crumbly and almost a paste. Scrape down the sides as needed, I usually stop and scrape 2-3 times. This will take a little longer in a food processor (5-8 minutes) than a high powered blender (3-5 minutes). The blender version will be smoother and less grainy.

Step 4

Melt the chocolate and coconut oil: In a microwave safe bowl, add the chocolate chips and coconut oil and microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until completely melted and smooth. You can also melt the chocolate in a double boiler on the stovetop.

Step 5

Blend nutella: Add the melted chocolate/oil to the blender with the hazelnut butter. Add the plant milk, optional powdered sugar and salt. Blend until very smooth, scraping down the sides a few times as needed.

Step 6

Store: Pour into a jar and store at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. If you put it in the refrigerator, the nutella will get very hard so I don't recommend it. It may get hard even at room temperature, especially if your house is cold. If it's too firm, warm in the microwave for 20-30 seconds and it will soften right up.