This one’s for my mum.
With mother’s day around the corner, I wanted to come up with something that she couldn’t possibly say no to. My mother hasn’t had Nutella since 2003, which is when she was diagnosed with lactose intolerance. Now she has severe lactose intolerance, which obviously means that she misses out on a lot of stuff that my dad and I (and to a lesser extent my sister) can enjoy. Since then I have taken it upon myself to transform recipes into dairy-free versions so that she too can enjoy them. I’ve come up with ways to create dairy-free versions of some of our favourite desserts like tiramisu, Swiss meringue buttercream, rum balls,Β Dairy-freeΒ HazelnutΒ chocolate mousse, brownies etc.
Here’s another one to add to that list. Vegan Nutella {Chocolate Hazelnut Spread with a hint of Coffee}!
Mother’s day was just another day when I was growing up. Especially in Sri Lanka, we never really celebrated it. But I get it though. That whole idea of having a special day for that someone or something. I totally get it. Which is why when I have kids one day, I want the whole shebang! Breakfast in bed, chocolate, hand-made cards, crafts, gifts.. all of it! Muwahahaha!

And as far as Nutella goes, I personally have a love-hate relationship with it. I mean I love it. I love it so much, that I hate myself for it! π I could eat an entire jar in one sitting. And when I say I could, I mean I have! It happened once a few years ago with a small jar of Nutella (thankfully). And I vowed to myself that it would never happen again. That stuff is pure evil! When I think of Nutella, I think of a secret lab, with maximum security, where they make this stuff with (which I’m sure are) magic ingredients. I mean it’s so delicious and addictive, I’m not sure why it isn’t illegal yet?

In Sri Lanka, it was quite rarely that I got to taste Nutella because it wasn’t readily available there (gasp!), but every time I did have it, it was an occasion to celebrate! π Every slice of toast with a thick layer of Nutella spread was savoured as if it was my last meal. And not knowing when I could have it again was the stuff of nightmares.
So here I am, back in the present, sharing this recipe with you for dairy free Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread) that is full of hazelnut and chocolate flavours and has a hint of coffee. It’s not the classic Nutella of course (remember I don’t have a secret facility, with a secret lab, and magic ingredients to make the original), but Mr K and I loved it just the same!

I used hazelnut oil in this recipe, to make the spread less thick. However if you have a very powerful food processor, you wouldn’t need the oil, or you could just use a minimal amount. It can also be substituted with a neutral oil of your choice (not olive oil). What you see in the pictures is the consistency that I liked. But you can make it slightly thicker to resemble the original.
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Dairy Free Nutella
Ingredients:
- 10.5 oz/ 300g roasted and skinned hazelnuts
- 3 tbsp natural cocoa powder
- 1 tsp heaped instant coffee granules
- 5 oz / 140 g dairy free bittersweet chocolate melted and cooled
- ΒΌ tsp salt
- hazelnut oil or a neutral oil, to make the spread less thick if necessary
Instructions:
- Place the roasted hazelnuts and salt in the food processor and start running it on low speed until the hazelnuts are chopped.
- Increase the speed until the hazelnuts have been chopped finely, and then become a paste. This will take a few minutes, and you will have to scrape the sides of your food processor from time to time.
- When the hazelnuts have been processed into a smooth paste, add the cocoa powder, instant coffee, melted chocolate and 3 tbsp of the brown sugar. Process on high speed for a couple of minutes until everything is mixed through.
- Taste and add more sugar IF it's not sweet enough to your liking.
- If the paste is too thick, add oil 1 tsp at a time while running the food processor, until you get the desired consistency.
βThis website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.β
I absolutely love the strong hazelnut and chocolate flavours in this spread. You can leave out the chocolate chips and add another tablespoon (or two) of cocoa powder, but I love the creaminess that the chocolate chips add to the paste. The cocoa powder on the other hand gives this paste a slight powder-like quality, which I don’t mind, but too much of it wouldn’t be that great. So that’s why I used melted chocolate instead of extra cocoa powder.
As amazing as the original Nutella is, I KNOW that my mum and my sister are going to love this dairy-free nutella version! It’s a great substitute for those who can’t have the real thing. Mr. K usually eats his cereal in the morning with some almond butter, but as long as we have this in the house, the almond butterΒ has no place in his breakfast. So now, I need to make this for my mum. The only problem is she lives half way around the world, in New Zealand. My sister has work to do this weekend.
By the way this spread was awesome on bread! Especially on soft, buttery, toasted bread slices…. that you’re going to hear all about very soon (tomorrow!), so be sure to come back for that! πΒ Like this Amazingly soft, rich & DAIRY FREE BRIOCHE BREAD! Yep! This bread was so good, Mr K likes this better than the regular brioche!
I used both, this spread and the dairy free brioche bread to create the ultimate dairy free french toast breakfast fit for Mother’s Day or any special occasion! Basil infused Dairy free Brioche French Toast stuffed with this delicious Mocha Hazelnut spread!
Till then, You can also check out this Caramelized Hazelnut Chocolate Mousse thatΒ tastes like Nutella &Β can be made Dairy-Free too!
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Angie says
Aaw…you are such a sweet and loving daughter! There’s nothing better to give to your mom than homemade Nutella specifically catered to her dietary needs, nothing! Maybe I should show this to my kids, hint hint! π
Dini says
Thank you Angie! π Yes! you should show this π hahaha!! Can’t wait for the party tomorrow!
Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life says
Oh Dini, this looks so amazing…you have the best ideas! I would have never thought to try making something like this!! But now I want to try!!
Dini says
Thank you Michelle! π I will definitely be making this again especially when my parents are visiting π
Helen @ Scrummy Lane says
Oooh … I was sold as soon as I saw the title of this post, but doubly sold when I saw that gif image at the bottom. Oh my goodness, why don’t I have hazlenuts in so that I can make this right NOW?!
Dini says
hahaha!! π Thank you Helen! I love making any kind of Nut butter, but anything with Chocolate makes it better! π
Julianna says
Hey Dini! This is awesome! I have bookmarked it! Happy Fiesta Friday to you! π
Life Diet Health says
Yummy! Looks like a runnier version of my dairy free chocolate jam! π Thank for bringing to Fiesta Friday… maybe dairy free nutella with my summer strawberry dessert! π π
skd says
Ooh! I didn’t know it is so simple to make…
Suchitra says
Your modification of the Nutella is just awesome! How nice of you to be so considerate to your mother. I am sure she will appreciate it Dini.
arlene@arl's world says
Love, love this recipe!! Thanks for sharing! Happy FF! π
Michelle @ Giraffes Can Bake says
I loooove that you added coffee to this, especially with my new found love of mocha! I gotta try this!!
I, too, have eaten a whole jar of nutella before… more than once. Now I try and save it for baking, which I’ve succeeded with so far. I do have some left over from the empanadas though which is calling my name!
Dini says
Thank you Michelle! π I love Mocha too!
You have to tell me your secret to keeping Nutella at home! I bought some nutella this week for a recipe and I feel like it’s calling to me and asking me to just have a little taste… it’s getting pretty hard to ignore!
Julie @ HostessAtHeart says
This looks amazing Dini!
Dini says
Thank you Julie! π
Amanda Batcher says
I have a serious Nutella addiction too!! Your version looks fantastic… can’t wait to try it π
Dini says
Same here Amanda! Absolutely love nutella!
My mum has always loved Nutella, but had to stop eating it… so hopefully now she can eat it again! π
Kaila (GF Life 24/7) says
This is awesome, especially because I have a milk allergy. And, what a sweet way to make a gift for your mom! Hope you have a fabulous weekend, and happy FF! π
Dini says
Thank you Kaila! π I’m so glad that you like the recipe! Please let me know what you think if you do get a chance to make it! π Happy FF to you too!
Anna International says
Oh my gosh Dini! I now NEED to make this. Do you think I could substitute the sugar for dates? I am trying to cut down (but it’s so hard with so much deliciousness around!). I am just hoping my food processor is up to the job!! Thank you so much for sharing with us at Fiesta Friday!
Dini says
Hey Anna!!
Yes absolutely you could! I think Dates would be an even better way to add flavour to this! π It IS so hard to cut down sugar, but I know I should! π
It does take some time to achieve the paste (mine takes about 5-7 minutes) and I have to stop it from time to time to stop over heating… Please let me know how it comes out! π
Sandhya says
Dini,
This is brilliant! I am salivating looking at the pictures and especially that video is making me want to reach for some right now:)
Dini says
Thank you Sandhya! π
Ganu says
You are spoiling us. This feels like Christmas :p I can’t wait to try this!
Dini says
Hahaha!! π let me know what you think ok? π