Healthy Homemade Nutella Recipe (and Bloggers Block)!

And I'm back! Sorry for my recent absence, on here ass well as victoriahornagold.wordpres.com, recently I have had a rather bad case of bloggers block. Now I'm not entirely sure if that's a common phrase, but I thought if it's good enough for writers - then its good enough for blogger!

To make up for it (I hope) I'm returning with a goodie. Nutella. And not just any Nutella; Helathy Nutella. That's right, this recipe is made purely of hazelnuts, cacao powder, and maple syrup. If you look at the ingredients for the 'real' Nutella, it's made of Sugar, Palm Oil, Hazelnuts (13%), fat reduced Cocoa and other rubbish providing you with absolutely nothing; apart from perhaps a sugar rush.

Hazelnuts are a great source of unsaturated fats, that lower 'bad' cholesterol and raise 'good' one. One cup of hazelnuts contains 86% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin E, along with other minerals, protein, fiber.

Cacao, the raw unrefined version of cocoa, when in its natural state as it is here provides you with antioxidants, magnesium, live enzymes, protein, fiber and a whole bunch of vitamins,.

So now you can grab your spoon tuck into that jar of nutella in the fridge with a bit less guilt!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of Hazelnuts
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup of a good quality maple syrup (depending on personal taste)
• 2-3 tbsp of raw cacao

Method:

Spread that hazelnuts on a baking tray and bake at 180C for 10 minutes.

Remove and cool in fridge. Place in a food processor for at least 10 minutes, topping and starting occasionally to scrap down and really get it well blended. 

Add the lower amounts of maple syrup and cacao. .

Once combined, gradually add the water. Mine was quite runny after this, but don't worry it sets up to the perfect consistency in the fridge. Taste to see if you need to add a bit more syrup/cacao.

Fill an empty jar (I just used a jam jar, but a clean Nutella, coconut oil or whatever you've got is fine).

Store in the fridge and enjoy! I've been enjoying this spread on apple, banana, in porridge as an alternative to nut butter (in chocolate recipes). Of course, it would taste delicious spread on some toast as a slightly more nutritious way to start your day. I've heard biona do some delicious breads, which would be a perfect alternative to the classic Nutella on Toast - but with all the amazing taste!

Love Vic x