Vegan nutella
I love Nutella, but let's face it: not only is it not vegan, it is full of palm oil, and I wanted a better version I could eat without feeling guilty. Here is a recipe that will satisfy your craving for this amazing spread, whether you use it to top a banana bread, to stuff a crepe, to top a waffle, or to eat by itself directly from the jar!
Recipe inspired from La Cuisine de Bernard.
Ingredients
- Praliné
- 225g hazelnuts
- 225g white sugar
- Other ingredients
- 35g cocoa powder
- 30g neutral oil
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Praliné
- In a large pan, mix sugar with just enough water to dissolve it.
- Heat up over high heat, and let it reduce until the syrup reaches 120°C, stirring regularly (I use a thermometer, but you can do it visually: it is ready when the bubbles start to get larger and larger and it is quite thick).
- Add hazelnuts and coat them all with the syrup, stirring constantly.
- Keep the heat high or reduce it ever so slightly, stirring constantly. Here is what is going to happen: first, the sugar will recrystallise on the hazelnuts, then it will melt again, but this time it will become caramel. Keep the cooking process until all the sugar has melted away from the hazelnuts, and has turned to a nice brown color.
- Immediately pour the content of the pan onto a parchment paper placed on a surface that is heat-resistant (like a marble countertop or a stovetop). Let it completely cool down.
- Break the caramelized hazelnut into chunks, and place them into a powerful blender. Use pulses first to break the larger pieces, then use the continuous blending function for ~5 min to turn the caramelized hazelnuts into a paste. Do not hesitate to mix for a long time, to get as smooth a paste as possible.
- Mix
- Pour the content of the blender into a large jar, and add the vanilla extract and the cocoa powder. Mix well.
- Add the oil, and mix well again. This will bring fluidity and shine to the spread.
- Store in the fridge, and try not to finish it too quickly!