Healthy "Nutella"

It's no secret that Nutella was one of my biggest vices before I began my healthy living journey. On more than a couple of occasions, friends and family treated me to Nutella themed gifts for Christmas and birthdays. I even had quite the collection of glassware as a result of me cleaning out empty Nutella pots after I'd devoured the contents (usually directly from the jar with a spoon). As such, following the success of my Cinnamon Pecan Nut Butter (click here for the recipe), I decided it was only logical to experiment with making my own healthy "Nutella"! This recipe takes a little more work than the pecan butter but is equally delicious and really does satisfy any Nutella cravings! I'm so excited to share this recipe with you and hope you'll try it for yourself!

Three great health benefits: anti-inflammatory, mood boosting, beneficial for heart health

Makes approx. 2 cups

Ingredients:
2 cups (250g) hazelnuts
5 tbsp maple syrup
5-6 tbsp water
4 tbsp raw cacao powder
2 tsp vanilla paste
Generous pinch sea salt

Method:
1) Preheat oven to 180 degrees C
2) Place the hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking tray and dry roast in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.
3) Place the hazelnuts in a clean tea towel, paper towel or muslin cloth and rub to remove any loose skins. Discard the skins.
4) Whizz the hazelnuts in a food processor until smooth and creamy. The time this takes will depend upon the power of your food processor and may require patience (mine took approx 10 minutes). It's important to pause every minute or so to scrape down the sides of the bowl and also to prevent the motor from overheating.
5) Add the maple syrup, cacao, vanilla and salt and whizz to thoroughly combine. Add water, a little at a time and whizz until the mixture reaches the desired consistency. The quantity indicated gives a smooth, thick paste that lends itself well to spreading but if you want it to be even more spreadable, simply increase the amount of water. Pour into an airtight jar and refrigerate.

Let me know if you try out this recipe! Tag me on Twitter @HaloEats or Instagram @halo.eats