Cacao Hazelnut Butter

It's you, not me. We are breaking up.

Like many of you, I love the taste of Nutella, but according to nutritionists Nutella doesn't love us back. Unfortuntely, this delicious treat contains a host of bad ingredients -- sugar, harmful fats, chemicals and only a trace amount of chocolate or hazelnuts. There's almost nothing in Nutella that young children or adults should eat!

Instead let's make our own homemade Not Nutella Spread. Like all the recipes on THE SAVVY SHOPPER, it is easy-peasy with better ingredients:

Cacao Hazelnut Butter

Ingredients:

1 cup hazelnuts (combine with almonds, if you wish)
3 tablespoons cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
1 teaspoon real vanilla
1 tablespoon of honey

Optional: Drops of skim milk (as a last step if the nut oils aren't enough for a creamy consistency.)

Directions:

1) Roast the nuts on a baking sheet in the oven for 10 minutes. Allow to cool.

2) Toss into a food processor and give it a whirl. Add the rest of your ingredients, and pulse again. 

3) At the end of the mixing process, you can add drops of skim milk to get a creamy consistency if it is needed. (Nutella uses palm oil and skim milk.)

Pour into a Mason jar and store in your pantry.

Why eat the supermarket shelf, unhealthy stuff when homemade is this simple? Speaking of baddd ... after staying faithful to the recipe at least once (for a guaranteed success!), you may decide to stray from the recipe by substituting different nuts or toasted high protein hemp seeds. Toss in a few dates (or figs) for sweetness. If you alter the recipe, like adding dates, do so one date at a time, so you arrive at a desirable and spreadable consistency and taste. 

When it comes to diet, let's be bad in a good way!


You may also enjoy:   
DIY: Drop Cloth Curtains
Homemade Antiseptic Cream
Lickety-Split Vegetable Beef Soup
DIY Lip Balm: Is It Worth The Cost?