Today I am SOOO pumped to share a vegan Nutella recipe with you, made with simple ingredients. Not only is this a dairy free Nutella recipe, but it’s also nut free, soy free, seed free, top 9 free, and top 14 free.
You won’t find a store-bought Nutella alternative like this incredibly special recipe since most will contain tree nuts or seeds. However, if you know anything about me, it’s that where’s there’s a will, there’s a way.
Tiger Nuts: A Poorly Named Miracle Ingredient
The magic in making this top 14 free + vegan Nutella recipe work lies in the magical ingredient known as tiger nuts. These are poorly named tuber root vegetables, and they aren’t tree nuts.
However, they taste like a cross between almonds and peanuts. There’s a deep rich earthiness and it screams “nutty flavor” even though it’s 100% nut free.
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Allergy Status
Free From: Wheat/Gluten, Dairy, Egg, Soy, Tree Nut (including Coconut), Peanut, Fish, Shellfish, Sesame, Top 9 Allergens, Alliums, Apple, Avocado, Banana, Beans & Lentils, Berries, Buckwheat, Carrot, Celery, Cinnamon, Citrus, Cruciferous, Garlic, Latex Cross Reactive Foods (H/M), Legume, Lupin, Mushroom, Mustard, Nightshade, Oat, Onion, Pea & Pea Protein, Potato (Nightshade Variety), Poultry, Red Meat, Rice, Seeds, Squash & Gourd, Strawberry, Sweet Potato & Yam, Tapioca/Cassava/Yuca/Manioc, Tomato, Yeast
Friendly To: EOE, FPIES, Vegan
Compatible With: Corn Free, Stone Fruit Free
Corn Free: Source truly safe ingredients. If you can’t purchase truly corn free caster sugar, blend regular sugar to make it more fine. Refer to the Corn Free Legacy Safe Product List for RAISE Members for a starting point on ingredients.
Stone Fruit Free: Swap the olive oil for a different oil that’s mellow in flavour such as tiger nut oil.
Easy Vegan Nutella Recipe Ingredients
Part 1
- 150g Organic Tiger Nut Flour (tuber, not a tree nut)
- 40g Organic Cacao Powder
- 140g Caster Sugar
- 85mL Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (3 ounces)
- 1 tsp Organic Vanilla Extract
Part 2
- 85mL Milk of Choice (3 ounces)
Optional Ingredients
- 1/4 tsp Organic Ground Vanilla
- Sea Salt OR Finishing Salt
Ingredient Notes
Caster Sugar: This is a superfine version of cane sugar. This vegan Nutella recipe calls for caster sugar since it’s being put through a food processor and not baked. A large granulated sugar can make your spread feel a bit gritty.
Cacao Powder: This isn’t the same as cocoa powder. Cacao doesn’t have additives and hasn’t been highly processed. This will give your homemade spread the rich flavour real chocolate brings to the table, as compared to something a bit more shallow, sugared, and processed.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: You can replace this with a different mellow oil. Tiger nut oil (tuber, not a tree nut) would be my personal preference.
Milk of Choice: I used an unsweetened, plain homemade dairy free milk. If your milk has “extras” in it, that could alter the final taste just a bit. You can use any standard dairy free milk including rice milk, almond milk, soy milk, and so on.
Optional Ground Vanilla: This will add more oomph to your homemade chocolate spread. However, it’s a pricey ingredient that most people don’t have at home. You can totally skip it and still be happy. This is the brand I like to purchase.
Sea Salt or Finishing Salt: You’ll notice there’s no salt in this vegan Nutella recipe. You can add a generous pinch of sea salt to your spread (see directions), or sprinkle some finishing salt on top when serving.
EASY Directions
Place your food processor bowl onto your kitchen scale. If you don’t have a scale, this is one that I like. You can also browse thru my Amazon Shop if you need a food processor recommendation, or other kitchen tools.
With your empty bowl on the scale, tare to zero. If your bowl is huge like mine, you might need to use a regular cereal bowl to weigh the ingredients. Add the Part 1 ingredients to the food processor, and tare between each one.
Pulse to combine (for about 30 seconds). Now, start with with 60mL (2 ounces) of the milk. Pulse for another 30 seconds, then sample to see if you like the texture. If you’re happy, leave it. If you want it a little thinner, add the final ounce. I felt the spread was a touch too runny at first, but everyone sampling it loved it with 85mL (3 ounces). Now is when you’ll add the remaining ingredients (optional ground vanilla and salt).
Turn your processor on for another minute. You can mix longer (2-3 minutes), but it’s not necessary to go past that. There will be tiny granules in your spread, like what’s in the photo. That’s the tiger nut flour, and there’s not too much that can be done to change the texture. When you’re done processing, give your spread one last mix with a spatula to ensure nothing was caught under the blade assembly.
That’s it, your nut free, seed free, vegan Nutella is ready to roll. Have fun making your spread! If this is your first faux Nutella moment, I hope it’s everything you’ve dreamed of.
How to Store This Easy Vegan Nutella Recipe
You’ll want to transfer your leftovers to an airtight container. The first time I made this, I reused an old jam jar, however, the second time I decided to use cute little containers (similar to these) so my kids could take just the one and have an individual serving.
If you’re a single person, you could go either way. The upside to the smaller containers is that you could pack it in a lunch box. Store your sealed jar in the fridge for best results long term. If you’ll be using it all within the week, you can store it on your countertop, and this will also keep it extra soft and easy to spread.
Do not freeze this standalone, however, it can be frozen as part of a cake or cupcake assembly (just not in a large block).
More Delicious Vegan Recipes
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Quick Ways to Use Your Nut Free Chocolate Spread
Your homemade chocolate spread would make a great addition to a wide range of snacks and desserts. The faux hazelnut flavor pairs beautifully with anything that normally tastes good with chocolate. Here are a few quick ways to use your spread:
- On Sandwiches
- With Bananas
- On Buttery Toast
- Pair with Pan Fried Buttery Bread (like a jazzed up French Toast)
- Dip Shortbread Cookies in your spread.
- Serve with Plain Yogurt
- Pair With Strawberries
- Use In Lieu of Syrup on Pancakes and Waffles
More Delicious Ways to Use This Vegan Nutella Recipe
If you have a little time, there are more ways you can use your delicious faux classic spread. Here are more ways to incorporate your spread into a range of meals:
- Combine with vegan butter and use it on fresh bread like a compound chocolate butter.
- Use this smooth butter as a cake filling.
- This can serve as a cupcake & cake frosting alternative.
- Make faux vegan Elvis waffles (waffle base, peanut butter, banana slices, chocolate spread, vegan bacon)
- Use this as part of a non-traditional millionaire shortbread (shortbread, caramel, chocolate spread)
- Make pinwheels (tortilla, spread, toppings, roll it up and slice)
- Make an ice cream sundae! Top ice cream with a spread of choice (almond butter, chickpea butter, etc.), chocolate spread, cherries, banana slices, sprinkles, and vegan whipped cream.
Ultimately, I want you to take this tasty vegan recipe and run with it. The sky’s the limit on all of the ways you can add this faux hazelnut flavour into your meals.
Answering Your Vegan Nutella Recipe Questions
How does this taste when compared to the real thing?
I’m not going to sugar coat it, har har. This isn’t a 1:1 substitute for Nutella (vegan or otherwise). There aren’t any raw hazelnuts, palm oil, and so on. Instead, it’s a creation designed to remind you of Nutella, or be a nice substitute if you have a tree nut allergy.
If you’re a Nutella aficionado, and can eat actual Nutella, I think you should eat it. If you’re looking to get away from it, and don’t have any food allergies, I’d suggest a store-bought Nutella alternative, as that’s going to get you a lot closer to what you remember. For everyone else, there’s this seed free and nut free version to enjoy.
Is this considered a healthy Nutella recipe?
I don’t know that I’d call this a healthy homemade Nutella, and that’s because of the cane sugar content. Now, you could call this a healthier alternative since it lacks additives, seed oils, and other artificial ingredients you can’t pronounce.
Remember though, the term healthy means something different to each person. Personally, I’d say that if you’re only eating a Tablespoon of this spread at a time, I think it’s fine. You’ve got mostly organic whole-food ingredients, real cacao, and olive oil. Honestly, it’s not the end of the world, but to each his own.
Can i make this recipe in a high-speed blender?
In theory, yes. However, with vegan desserts like these, I’ve had more success in my food processor. If you have a small Bullet style blender, that may work better, but I don’t have one, so I can’t say for sure.
Is coconut milk a good choice for this recipe?
The boxed/water style of coconut milk would be a good choice for this homemade Nutella recipe. I can’t speak for full fat coconut milk since it isn’t something I work with (one of my kids is allergic to coconut). If you were to use a full fat coconut milk, it could throw off the overall balance since there’s already a fat component in this recipe.
Can I use a liquid sweetener instead of the caster sugar?
No, you won’t be able to use a liquid sweetener such as pure maple syrup in this homemade vegan Nutella recipe. That’s because the sugar in this case behaves more like a dry ingredient since this top 9 free recipe isn’t cooked.
If you were to trade that for a liquid sweetener, you’d end up with more of a weird goopy batter ganache situation, and your homemade version wouldn’t function like a proper spread. It would still be delicious though, just not a spreadable recipe.
Will melted coconut oil work in place of the olive oil in this recipe?
No, you won’t be able to use coconut oil, or even something like coconut cream in this easy Nutella recipe, and that’s because they’re solid at room temperature. For this recipe to work like a spread as expected, the fat needs to be liquid at room temperature.
I don’t suggest avocado oil as a substitute, as one of my kids swears they can taste tacos anytime I use it in a dessert application. Organic tiger nut oil (tuber, not a tree nut) would be an excellent substitution for the olive oil.
Can I use raw cacao powder in this recipe?
If you can find it, yes. I used to be able to get organic raw cacao powder here in the States, but then regulations changed years ago, and I haven’t been able to get truly raw since. If you can find it, you’ll use raw cacao powder as a 1:1 swap for the cacao that I call for.
Would this recipe work with a sugar free sweetener such as Stevia?
No, you can only use true granulated sweeteners when making this delicious spread. You can use maple sugar, coconut sugar, date sugar, and light brown sugar as a 1:1 swap for the caster sugar. However, caster sugar is a special, ultra fine sugar. If you use another granulated sweetener, you need to run it through a high speed blender first to make the grains ultra fine, then use it in this faux hazelnut chocolate spread.
Alternative sugars such as Stevia and Swerve won’t work because the volume and sweetness levels aren’t the same. If that’s the only type of sweetener you can use, or need to avoid all added sugar, I’d suggest finding a recipe that’s designed specifically for the sweetener you have, as that’s how you’ll have the most success.
Can I use melted chocolate from a double boiler in place of the cacao powder?
No, you wouldn’t be able to use melted vegan chocolate chips or melted dark chocolate in this homemade chocolate spread. If you were to do that, you’d end up with a ganache-like creamy consistency when it’s fresh, however, once it sits and sets or goes into the fridge, the cocoa solids will solidify and take you back to chocolate chip texture. It won’t be spreadable anymore, and getting back to the original creamy consistency will be difficult.
Is it possible to make this recipe with sunflower seeds instead of tiger nut flour?
No. If you want to use sunflower seeds, it’s better to start with a recipe that uses them from the ground up. That’s because tiger nut flour isn’t quite in the same category as sunflower seeds, especially in taste.
I’m sure if you search online, you’ll be able to find a faux vegan chocolate hazelnut spread recipe, made with sunflower seed butter as the base.
