I’m sure you’ve all tasted Nutella spread and found it delicious. Our children love Nutella for their snacks, whether it’s in crepes or spread on toast. Since they like it so much, I also use it in some of my cakes, like the filled cookies or butchy brioche.
However, when I read articles about the composition of this spread, I started to feel guilty.
We know that it contains palm oil and is full of additives. This raises concerns about possible health effects.
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Christophe Michalak’s homemade Nutella
That said, trying to convince children that Nutella is unhealthy is no easy task. That’s why it was essential to find a healthy alternative that tasted just as good.
Fortunately, chef Christophe Michalak has created an incredibly delicious chocolate hazelnut spread that really is like Nutella. The taste and texture are delightful, and it’s better than store-bought Nutella. I highly recommend you try it, especially if your children love it.
Christophe Michalak’s homemade nutella recipe
You’ll need a good food processor to make hazelnut paste, also known as duja. The smoother it is, the silkier your spread will be.
Some prefer to keep the paste slightly rough, with fine bits of hazelnuts, which makes it even more indulgent. Personally, I make it very smooth, as you can see in the photos.
Don’t confuse duja with gianduja. Duja is a paste made from nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts, or walnuts, blended with powdered sugar until a smooth paste is formed. The gianduja is duja to which melted milk chocolate is added. It’s divine.
I made a few adjustments to make the spread as similar to Nutella as possible in terms of color and consistency. I added a little dark chocolate and oil. However, you can adhere to the original recipe based on your preferences.
There are many recipes in which you can use this homemade spread to replace Nutella.
- Chocolate crepes roll
- Small filled brioches
- Chocolate pear cake
The recipe on video
Ingredients Details
- Hazelnuts, roasted and chopped. You can buy them already roasted and peeled. They should not be salted.
- Sugar, granulated.
- Powdered sugar
- Cocoa powder, unsweetened, of good quality such as Van Houten or Cacao Barry.
- Milk chocolate with 40% cocoa fat (preferably Valrhona’s Jivara, which is less sweet).
- Grapeseed oil ( I used sunflower oil because I didn’t have any)
- Milk powder
- Pinch of salt
Modification made, but it’s optional:
Add more
- 61% dark chocolate for a good color that resembles the original.
- Oil, I added a bit more for a liquid texture.
Preparation steps
NB: For full details of ingredients, see the recipe card at the end of this article, which you can print out.
1. Roast the hazelnuts in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 15 minutes, stirring halfway through.
2. Leave to cool, then rub with a cloth to remove the skin. You can buy them already peeled.
3. Reserve 120 g (4.2 oz) for making the praline and blend the rest with the sifted powdered sugar. Blend until smooth.
4. Add a tablespoon of oil to help with blending. Once the hazelnut paste is smooth, place in a bowl.
5. Place the caster sugar in a saucepan over medium heat to prepare a dry caramel. Let the sugar caramelize without stirring.
6. Gently swirl the pan. Remove from heat when caramel is golden. Be careful, it’s better to remove it while it’s still light rather than too dark, as it can taste bitter.
7. Add the 120 g (4.2 oz) of reserved hazelnuts and mix well to coat them with the caramel.
8. Pour the mixture onto a Silpat or your work surface. Leave to cool a little and crush coarsely to facilitate blending.
9. Blend until smooth. Place in a bowl.
10. Melt the chocolates in a double boiler.
11. Sift the powdered milk and cocoa over the hazelnut paste (duja).
12. Add the pinch of salt, oil, melted chocolate and hazelnut praline. Mix well.
13. Remix in food processor to homogenize and refine the mixture. Be careful not to heat the spread while blending.
If you mix it for too long, you risk either making the spread too thick or too runny.
14. Stop as soon as it has the desired texture. Pour into a jar and give the bowl to your son or daughter to clean up. These things are not to be wasted, as my beloved chef, Mr. Philippe Conticini, would say.
15. You can store it for two weeks at room temperature.
This easy recipe for homemade Nutella is very tasty and sure to please your kids.
The Best Homemade Nutella Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- For approximately 750 g (26.5 oz) of Nutella
- 300 g (10.6 oz) hazelnuts (120 g (4.2 oz) for the praline and the rest for the hazelnut paste)
- 120 g (4.2 oz) sugar
- 150 g (5.3 oz) powdered sugar
- 10 g (0.35 oz) unsweetened cocoa powder (Cacao Barry)
- 150 g (5.3 oz) milk chocolate with 40% fat (preferably Valrhona's Jivara, which is less sweet)
- 10 g (0.35 oz) grapeseed oil (I used sunflower oil)
- 25 g (0.88 oz) powdered milk
- a pinch of salt
Modification made, but it's optional
- Add additionally:
- 50 g (1.8 oz) dark chocolate 61%
- 30 g (1 oz) oil
PREPARATION
- Roast the hazelnuts in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 15 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Leave to cool, then rub with a cloth to remove the skin. You can buy them already peeled.
- Reserve 120 g (4.2 oz) for making the praline and blend the rest with the sifted powdered sugar. Blend until smooth.
- Add a tablespoon of oil to help with blending. Once the hazelnut paste is smooth, place in a bowl.
- Place the caster sugar in a saucepan over medium heat to prepare a dry caramel. Let the sugar caramelize without stirring.
- Gently swirl the pan. Remove from heat when caramel is golden. Be careful, it's better to remove it while it's still light rather than too dark, as it can taste bitter.
- Add the 120 g (4.2 oz) of reserved hazelnuts and mix well to coat them with the caramel.
- Pour the mixture onto a Silpat or your work surface. Leave to cool a little and crush coarsely to facilitate blending.
- Blend until smooth. Place in a bowl.
- Melt the chocolates in a double boiler.
- Sift the powdered milk and cocoa over the hazelnut paste (duja).
- Add the pinch of salt, oil, melted chocolate and hazelnut praline. Mix well.
- Remix in food processor to homogenize and refine the mixture. Be careful not to heat the spread while blending.
- If you mix it for too long, you risk either making the spread too thick or too runny.
- Stop as soon as it has the desired texture. Pour into a jar and give the bowl to your son or daughter to clean up. These things are not to be wasted, as my beloved chef, Mr. Philippe Conticini, would say.
- You can store it for two weeks at room temperature.
- This easy recipe for homemade Nutella is very tasty and sure to please your kids.
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