How to Make Homemade Nutella (Better Than the Real Thing!)

Okay, let’s be honest for a second. Nutella is one of those things that a lot of us have a complicated relationship with. It tastes incredible, there’s no denying that. But have you looked at the ingredients lately? Sugar is the first ingredient. Before hazelnuts. Before cocoa. Before anything else that sounds remotely like food.

That’s not a chocolate hazelnut spread. That’s sweetened shortening with a little hazelnut flavor added in.

And yet, the idea of it is so good. Creamy, chocolatey, nutty, spreadable. On toast, on crepes, straight off the spoon at 10pm (no judgment). The concept is perfect. The store-bought version just doesn’t live up to what it could be.

So I decided to take a stab at making it myself. Because homemade Nutella, real chocolate hazelnut spread made from scratch, is genuinely, impossibly better. And once you make it at home, I suspect that jar in the pantry is going to stop finding its way into your grocery cart.

Want to make more nut butters? Check out how to make peanut butter and almond butter.

What Makes Homemade Nutella Better?

Let me give you a quick compare. The ingredient list on a jar of store-bought Nutella reads: sugar, palm oil, hazelnuts, skim milk, cocoa, lecithin, vanilla. Sugar and palm oil, before hazelnuts, are the two biggest components by weight.

Homemade chocolate hazelnut spread flips that entirely. You’re starting with real roasted hazelnuts as the base, adding real cocoa or good-quality chocolate, a natural sweetener, and just enough of a healthy fat to bring it together. The result is richer, more intensely nutty and chocolatey, and significantly better for you.

It also costs less per batch than buying the name brand: especially if you buy hazelnuts in bulk.

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What You Need to Make Homemade Nutella

Equipment:

• Food processor or high-powered blender
• Baking sheet for roasting the hazelnuts
• A clean kitchen towel (for removing the skins)
• A jar for storing

Ingredients:

• 2 cups raw hazelnuts
• 3–4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (or 2 oz melted dark chocolate for an extra-rich version)
• 3–4 tbsp powdered sugar, maple syrup, or honey (adjust to taste)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of sea salt
• 2–3 tbsp coconut oil or neutral oil (for texture)
• 2–3 tbsp milk or a dairy-free alternative (optional, for a creamier, more spreadable consistency) – I typically don’t use this

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The Key Step: Roasting and Peeling Your Hazelnuts

This is the step that makes or breaks your homemade Nutella, so don’t skip it.

Why roast? Roasting is what brings out the deep, rich, complex hazelnut flavor that makes this spread so irresistible. Raw hazelnuts are fine, but roasted hazelnuts are something else entirely. The difference is significant.

Why peel? The papery skins on hazelnuts are slightly bitter. Removing them gives you a smoother, milder, more pleasant finished product.

Here’s how:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. Spread the raw hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet.
3. Roast for 12–15 minutes, until the skins are cracked and the nuts are deeply fragrant. Your kitchen is going to smell incredible.
4. Remove from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes — just until you can handle them.
5. Dump the warm hazelnuts into a clean kitchen towel. Bundle it up and rub the hazelnuts vigorously against each other inside the towel for about a minute.
6. Open the towel and separate the hazelnuts from the loose skins. Don’t stress about getting every last bit of skin off — that’s impossible and not necessary. As long as the majority of the skin is removed, you’re in great shape.

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How to Make Homemade Nutella: Step by Step

Once your hazelnuts are roasted and peeled, the process is very similar to making any other nut butter.

Step 1: Blend the hazelnuts. Add your warm, peeled hazelnuts to the food processor. Process for 1–2 minutes until you have coarse crumbles.

Step 2: Keep going. Continue processing, scraping down the sides as needed. The hazelnuts will clump into a ball, then gradually become smoother as their natural oils release. This takes about 4–6 minutes total in a food processor, less in a high-powered blender.

Step 3: Add the good stuff. Once you have smooth, creamy hazelnut butter, add your cocoa powder, sweetener, vanilla, salt, and oil. Process until everything is fully combined and silky.

Step 4: Adjust consistency. If you want it thinner and more spreadable (closer to the jar you’re used to), add milk one tablespoon at a time and blend until you reach the consistency you love. This also makes it scoop beautifully onto toast.

Step 5: Taste and adjust. This is the fun part. Want it sweeter? Add a little more sweetener. More chocolatey? A bit more cocoa. Richer? A touch more oil. This recipe is very forgiving and entirely customizable.

Step 6: Store. Transfer to a clean jar. Homemade Nutella keeps at room temperature for about 1–2 weeks, or in the fridge for up to a month. It will firm up in the fridge — just let it sit on the counter for a few minutes before using, or give it a quick stir.

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Tips for Perfect Homemade Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

• Don’t skip the roasting. It is the single most important step. Roasted hazelnuts have an entirely different depth of flavor than raw.
• Remove as much skin as you can. You won’t get every last bit off, and that’s okay. But the more you remove, the smoother and less bitter your spread will be.
• Use good-quality cocoa. Since chocolate is one of the main flavors here, it matters. Dutch-processed cocoa gives you a smoother, deeper chocolate flavor. Regular unsweetened cocoa works great too.
• For ultra-richness, use melted dark chocolate. Instead of cocoa powder, melt 2 oz of good dark chocolate and blend it in. The texture and flavor are extraordinary.
• Start with less sweetener, taste, and add more. It’s easy to add more, but you can’t take it out. Start conservative and adjust from there.

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Fun Ways to Use Homemade Nutella

You probably already have ideas, but here are a few of our favorites:

• Spread on toast with sliced bananas
• Stirred into oatmeal for a chocolate hazelnut breakfast bowl
• Used as a dip for strawberries or apple slices
• Dolloped onto crepes with powdered sugar
• Swirled into plain yogurt for a quick dessert
• Sandwiched between two graham crackers as a simple, crowd-pleasing treat
• Straight off the spoon — again, no judgment

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Is Homemade Nutella Healthier?

Yes — and significantly so, if you make it with real ingredients and reduce the sugar content. Here’s what you’re getting with the homemade version:

Hazelnuts are rich in healthy monounsaturated fats, vitamin E, manganese, and antioxidants. They’re one of the most nutrient-dense nuts you can eat.

Cocoa powder (especially raw or Dutch-processed) is loaded with flavonoids and antioxidants. The bitterness of real cocoa is balanced naturally by the sweetness of the hazelnuts.

Natural sweeteners like maple syrup or honey provide sweetness without the ultra-processed sugar spike.

By making your own, you can cut the sugar by half or more compared to the store-bought version, remove the palm oil entirely, and skip the skim milk powder and additives. It’s not a health food — but it’s a real food, made from real ingredients, and that matters.

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How Much Does It Cost to Make?

Hazelnuts are one of the pricier nuts, but buying in bulk brings the cost way down. At a warehouse store or bulk food shop, raw hazelnuts typically run $6–$10 per pound. Two cups of hazelnuts (about 9 oz) make roughly 1.5 cups of spread. Compare that to the $5–$7 you’d spend on a jar of Nutella, and the price per batch is similar — but the quality is in a completely different league.

If you find hazelnuts on sale or buy them in larger quantities, you’ll likely save money too, while getting a far superior product.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use pre-roasted hazelnuts? Yes! If you can find good-quality pre-roasted hazelnuts, you can save yourself a step. Just know that the freshly roasted version will always taste better. If the skins are on, still do the towel-rubbing trick to remove them.

My hazelnut butter isn’t getting smooth — what’s happening? It just needs more time. Hazelnuts can take a little longer than peanuts to fully release their oils, especially if they’re not warm. Be patient, scrape the sides, and keep going. You can also add a teaspoon of oil to help it along.

Can I make this dairy-free? Absolutely. Simply use a plant-based milk (oat, almond, and coconut all work well) or leave the milk out entirely for a thicker, more concentrated spread.

How do I make it sweeter without using sugar? Maple syrup, honey, medjool dates blended in, or a small amount of coconut sugar all work beautifully and add their own subtle flavor notes.

Can I use different nuts? You can! Cashews make an incredibly creamy, mild base. Almonds work well too, though the flavor is slightly different. Hazelnuts are traditional and really do make the best version, but don’t let that stop you from experimenting.

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Making your own Nutella is one of those homestead kitchen moments where you stop and think: why did I ever buy this? The process is simple, the results are incredible, and knowing exactly what’s in that jar — real hazelnuts, real cocoa, real ingredients — is just a very good feeling.

See the recipe card below for exact measurements and step-by-step instructions!

Have you made homemade Nutella before? Or are you trying it for the first time? Tell me about it in the comments — I love hearing how these recipes work out in your kitchen!

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Loved this recipe? Check out our homemade peanut butter and homemade almond butter posts — your grocery store nut butter section is about to become a thing of the past!

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PIN THIS for later — this is one of those recipes you’ll want to come back to again and again!