DIY Nutella

Here it is: a formula to make your very own Nutella, from scratch. There are a great many Nutella fans out there, myself included, but the first two ingredients on the label – sugar and modified palm oil – inspired me to make my own.

I had done it before, using hazelnuts and cocoa – but recently a friend tipped me off to Parisien David Lebovitz’s version, which he found in the Encyclopédie du Chocolat, and it was far closer to the real thing than any I had made before. Made with milk and powdered milk, the mixture is quite runny at first, but firms up in the fridge. The original recipe calls for straining, but I don’t mind the texture of ground hazelnuts – and like keeping the added fiber.

Homemade Nutella

The original recipe instructs to strain the spread at the very end, but I don’t mind a little nut texture in mine. Adapted from the Encyclopédie du Chocolat, by way of David Lebovitz.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup whole hazelnuts
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 3/4 cup powdered milk
• 1 Tbsp. mild-flavored honey
• pinch salt
• 1 heaping cup chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, or chips
• 1 scant cup chopped milk chocolate, or chips

Steps:

1. On a rimmed baking sheet, toast the nuts in a 400ºF for 10 minutes, or until fragrant and their skins begin to pop. Transfer to a tea towel, gather into a bundle and rub together to remove as much of their skins as possible. While warm, transfer to the bowl of a food processor and blend until they go from finely ground to pasty and thick, like natural peanut butter.
2. Meanwhile, warm the milk, powdered milk, honey and salt in a small saucepan just until it starts to boil. Remove from heat. In a glass or stainless steel bowl set over a pan of simmering water (or in the microwave), melt the chocolates, stirring occasionally until smooth.
3. Add the melted chocolate to the ground nuts and continue to process the mixture, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the warm milk mixture and process until everything is well blended and as smooth as you can get it. Makes about 2 cups.