With all these chemicals added to all the chocolate spreads, I don’t buy them anymore. Even getting the organic ones, they still contain some added fats that are not necessarily healthier, even if organic, like palm oil.
I had in mind to make one that would not contain added sugar either. With cocoa powder and dark chocolate, I had to find a healthy way to make it a bit sweet, so I thought of replacing the sugar by dates. When I mentioned my idea of cutting on the sugar, I got comments from the kids that it would not be as good as their old “Nutella”. It is different, but in the end they just thought it was amazing. They loved it!!! 🙂
Another tip is to put your nuts still hot in your food processor. The oils are going to come out more easily which will make it more flavourful.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
- 1 cup (250ml) of organic Medjool dates + 5 tbsp. (75ml) of water
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) organic chocolate chunks
- 1 cup (250ml) raw organic hazelnuts
- 1 cup (250ml) raw organic almonds
- 1/2 cup (125ml) raw organic walnuts
- 1/4 cup (62.5ml) unsweetened organic cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup (125ml) of almond milk
- 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) organic coconut oil
- Preheat your oven at 350º.
- On a cookie sheet, spread the hazelnuts, the almonds, the walnuts and put them in the oven for 10-12 minutes.
- In the meantime, cook your dates with the water for 5 minutes in a small pot.
- When it’s all in puree, melt in your chocolate chunks, the coconut oil and stir in the cocoa powder.
- When your nuts are roasted, put them in the food processor and mix until you see it starts to turn into butter, about 3-4 minutes. I find it’s faster when the nuts are still hot compared to cold ones.
- Add in the chocolate and continue mixing until it’s a paste. Put in the almond milk and you will get a nice smooth texture, really spreadable.
There you have a nice healthy spread to put on your morning toast. You have proteins and fibers. So much better than store bought ones!
Love this!
LikeLike
It’s really good! It’s the first thing my kids asked for this morning when they woke up! 🙂
LikeLike
what a great idea. the dates of course! will try this asap. thank you!!!! 🙂
LikeLike
I find the date is a great sweetener, and it add so much more than sweet. Thanks a lot!
LikeLike
I’ve never made my own chocolate nut spread before, but I should give it a try since my son loves this type of spread. Thanks for sharing it on The Weekend Social.
LikeLike
Thanks, I hope he will like it as much as my kids did! 🙂
LikeLike
This looks delicious, great recipe! It might not be as creamier as the old “Nutella” but I’m sure it’s a much healthier option and tastes great :)!
LikeLike
It was pretty good! 🙂 I know it’s not like the “Nutella” they must really pass it through a big machine and add different things to give this texture but at least I know what’s in. Thanks for your comment and have a great one! 🙂
LikeLike
Guilt free Nutella is just what I’ve been looking for! Great idea, can’t wait to try!
LikeLike
It was something I meant to try for a while and it really turned out good. Sweetened with dates was just great!
LikeLike
I haven’t tried this yet, but I’m curious – do the dates just cook down to a puree, or is it necessary to mash them or something after they’ve cooked?
LikeLiked by 1 person
You don’t need to puree, they just turn out like that when they cook in a bit of water. Really easy to make. You do the same thing if you want to make a dates square. Thanks for asking, maybe it will answer someone else’s too! 🙂
LikeLike