Rich and creamy Vegan Nutella is pretty easy to make at home! Spread the chocolate hazelnut spread on toast, pancakes, waffles, and so much more.
Want more vegan chocolate goodies? Treat yourself to Vegan Hot Fudge, Vegan Truffles, Crackle Top Eggless Brownies, and 5-Minute Vegan Fudge.
If I could eat Nutella by the spoonful, I would! The rich and sweet chocolate hazelnut spread is the best spread for toast, pancakes, and more. Unfortunately, store-bought Nutella contains dairy, so it’s off-limits for vegans and anyone avoiding or allergic to dairy. What’s a chocolate hazelnut-loving vegan to do?
Luckily, this easy homemade Vegan Nutella is just as amazing as the classic and happens to be naturally dairy free and gluten free. Just roast the hazelnuts, blend with melted chocolate, and enjoy! It lasts for up to 2 weeks, so you can indulge in the chocolate hazelnut goodness as much as you want (by the spoonful or not!). Plus you can control how sweet it is.
Or if you don’t want to make it yourself, this Nocciolata Dairy Free Spread is the best one I’ve found!
Why this vegan Nutella recipe is the best
- Better than store-bought – Luckily, you don’t need dairy to make a Nutella-style spread that’s better than store-bought!
- Two ways to make it – (1) By roasting and blending the hazelnuts yourself, or (2) with store-bought nut butter and plant milk.
- Endless ways to use it – My kids and I love spreading a generous layer of vegan Nutella on toast, banana pancakes, and waffles. There are so many more ways to use it!
How to make vegan Nutella
Spread the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast them in the oven until they’re fragrant.
Dump the toasted hazelnuts onto a clean dish towel. Wrap them up in the towel and rub vigorously to remove some of the skins. They won’t all come off, and that’s fine!
Time-saving tip: Make the Nutella with store-bought roasted hazelnuts instead of toasting them yourself. You probably don’t need to remove the skins if they’re pre-roasted, too.
Transfer the still-warm nuts to a high-powered blender or food processor. Blend until they’re moist, crumbly, and almost a paste.
A high-powered blender is a must: Blending hazelnuts in a regular old blender will probably break it!
Next, melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil together in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until smooth.
Add the melted chocolate/oil to the blender, along with the milk, powdered sugar, and salt. Blend until very smooth. Enjoy!
How to make Nutella without hazelnuts
No nuts or don’t have a blender/food processor? No problem! You can make the hazelnut spread with creamy nut butter in 3 simple steps.
Ingredients for making nutella without whole nuts:
- 3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons refined coconut oil
- 3/4 cup creamy nut butter (hazelnut preferred, or almond)
- 1/4 cup plant milk (hazelnut would be great, or oat milk)
- 4 tablespoons powdered sugar (or to taste)
- tiny pinch of salt
Of course for that signature hazelnut flavor, use hazelnut butter. It does work with almond or even peanut butter, but the flavor is different.
- Melt the vegan chocolate chips and coconut oil in a double broiler on the stove until smooth.
- Take the chocolate/oil off of the heat and stir in the plant milk and nut butter.
- Transfer the Nutella to a glass jar, then enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
No, vegans cannot eat classic Nutella because it contains skimmed milk powder. Luckily, making homemade vegan Nutella at home is really easy and tastes just as chocolatey and sweet as the store-bought version.
Stick with the nut butter option or make the Nutella with almonds, macadamia nuts, or cashews instead. It won’t taste exactly like the traditional hazelnut spread but will still be chocolatey and delicious.
I like how the coconut oil smooths out the hazelnut chocolate spread but you can leave it out if you want.
Homemade Nutella lasts for up to 2 weeks when it’s stored in a glass jar at room temperature.
I do not recommend storing it in the refrigerator because the spread gets very hard when it’s chilled. If it’s too firm even when stored at room temperature, warm it in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds before serving.
Serving suggestions
When you’re not eating the vegan Nutella by the spoonful, you can enjoy it with:
- Breakfast – Spread it on toast, waffles, pancakes, chocolate pancakes, crepes, or French toast!
- Dip – Enjoy it as a sweet dessert dip with pretzels or apple slices.
- Ice cream – Drizzle it over vegan ice cream, an ice cream sundae, or a milkshake.
- Cakes – Similar to vegan ganache, drizzle the Nutella on top of your decorated cakes and cupcakes.
Vegan Nutella
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole raw hazelnuts
- 1 cup vegan chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons refined coconut oil
- 1/2 cup plant based milk, room temperature I used oat
- 4 tablespoons powdered sugar optional for added sweetness
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Toast the hazelnuts: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spread the hazelnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, until fragrant.
- Remove skins: Place the hazelnuts in the center of a clean dish towel, then wrap them up and rub vigorously for a few minutes to remove some of the skins. They won't all come off, and that is fine!
- Make the hazelnut butter: Add the still-warm hazelnuts to a high powered blender (or food processor). Blend and grind the nuts until moist, crumbly and almost a paste. Scrape down the sides as needed, I usually stop and scrape 2-3 times. This will take a little longer in a food processor (5-8 minutes) than a high powered blender (3-5 minutes). The blender version will be smoother and less grainy.
- Melt the chocolate and coconut oil: In a microwave safe bowl, add the chocolate chips and coconut oil and microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until completely melted and smooth. You can also melt the chocolate in a double boiler on the stovetop.
- Blend nutella: Add the melted chocolate/oil to the blender with the hazelnut butter. Add the plant milk, optional powdered sugar and salt. Blend until very smooth, scraping down the sides a few times as needed.
- Store: Pour into a jar and store at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. If you put it in the refrigerator, the nutella will get very hard so I don't recommend it. It may get hard even at room temperature, especially if your house is cold. If it's too firm, warm in the microwave for 20-30 seconds and it will soften right up.
Notes
- Serve vegan nutella on toast, waffles, pancakes, crepes, vegan ice cream, with pretzels or apples for dipping and more!
- You can use already toasted hazelnuts if you can find them. Simply skip the toasting step. You probably don’t need to get the skins off if they are pre-roasted.
- You can substitute vegan chocolate bars instead of chocolate chips if desired. Use 6 ounces of chopped and melted chocolate.
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You can leave out the oil if desired, but it helps the spread be a bit smoother.
- DO NOT try to make this in a regular old blender! It will probably break it. Use either a high powered blender such as a Vitamix, or a food processor. To make it using nut butter, see the post above.
Do you have any suggestions for substituting the coconut oil with something else? Would avocado oil or olive oil work? Thank you.
Susan
You can leave it out, or use avocado oil instead, no problem. Thanks!
Thank you for your recipes! We are new to your blog and have made several things already. Question about this recipe. Is it safe to leave out at room temp with the oat milk/other plant based milk in it?
Hi Veronica. Welcome to my site! I’m so glad you are enjoying my recipes! The vegan Nutella will stay good for up to 2 weeks at room temperature. Don’t store it in the refrigerator or it will become super hard. Thanks for sharing your positive feedback. Reach out with any questions you have about any of my recipes!
Just like all of your other recipes I’ve tried, this one’s a winner! It’s so nice to have that trust that whatever I’m going to make from here is going to be good!
This is SO delicious! It’s more hazelnutty and less sweet which is just the way we like it! And this couldn’t be easier to make in a regular old food processor! Thanks so much!
You are so welcome! How wonderful you love the Nutella! Thanks for your fabulous feedback and review!
I am so happy that you have this recipe because Nutella is my husband’s favorite and I have been exclusively using your recipes for baking! Any idea on what I could do yo add this to more of a cake/brownie etc? Looking to make something for my husbands birthday celebration.
You could drizzle some on top of chocolate cake or brownies (kind of like ganache). You could even scoop a small well out of the top of a cupcake, pour some Nutella in the well, and add the cupcake “lid” back on top. Let me know how it goes!
Thank you so so much!
You are welcome! Enjoy!
Great dupe, we love it ?
Thank you for sharing your great review! I’m glad you are loving the Nutella!
Besides hazelnuts.. what other nut or seed would you recommend? Walnuts? Pumpkin seeds?
I haven’t tried it, but maybe cashews. I don’t personally think walnuts would taste very good here. Maybe pumpkin seeds though.
Does this vegan Nutella store well or is it only to be used right after it is made?
Hello. It will stay good for up to 2 weeks at room temperature. Don’t store it in the refrigerator or it will become super hard.
Better than Nutella. Thanks so much!
You’re welcome!
This looks delicious. Do you think if I soak the hazelnuts after roasting them, they would blend in my regular blender? I don’t know if they soak and soften like other nuts do.
I’m not sure, it might work but a regular blender may not cut it here. Sorry! A food processor would work if you have one.
Hi
Can this be frozen?
Like if I froze little mounds to use as a center for cookies.
It probably could, but I’m not sure. It gets really hard when frozen or cold, and then melts when warm. I think it would probably work for cookies.
Came out great! Have you thought of making a hazelnut chocolate frosting? Any ideas how to do that?
I would try veganizing a recipe like Sally’s Nutella Frosting! Sub vegan butter and non-dairy milk, use my homemade vegan nutella. I bet it would be awesome!
I only have macadamias. Do you think it’d be decent with them?
Thanks
Sure! It just won’t have a hazelnut taste of course.
I love this idea! I had to improvise a little because I don’t have a special blender and my food processor isn’t very strong. But I had half a jar of almond butter and a bar of unsweetened baking chocolate, so I took the almond butter out of the fridge and let it warm to room temp, melted the chocolate, and combined them in my food processor with 1/4 c. powdered sugar (for anyone using unsweetened chocolate, you may need more than 1/4 c. of sugar – I like very dark chocolate so the mild sweetness works for me, but it is not sweet like traditional Nutella). It seemed to work really well and I can’t wait to try it on oatmeal or pancakes! Thanks 🙂
You’re welcome!
Super glad i found your website! Everything looks so delicious and not hard to make.
Have tried this vegan nutella. Super easy, tastes good and is healthier alternative to original product.
Have made some changes though. Didn’t have dark chocolate so instead i used 3/4 can of coconut cream, some raw cacao, vanilla essence and sweetener. Mixed everything and warmed up in hot water to get creamy consistency. Tastes super good and doesn’t get hard after a while. Next time shall try mix of almonds and hazelnuts since im not a big fan of strong bitter-ish hazelnut taste.
Thank you for the recipe
You’re welcome. Sounds like you made some yummy tweaks!
Holy Smokes!!! This is the best thing ever! I love Nutella, and now I can make it vegan at home. Wonderful! Thank you!
Hi Nora, I love your recipes and I’m looking forward to trying this one. I’ve made home made nutella from a formerly vegan blogger but I don’t use her recipes anymore, so I’m looking forward to using this. I hadn’t added powdered sugar to it before, I have added some sea salt for a subtle salty taste.
Thanks Max! For me, it’s plenty sweet with the melted chocolate, BUT my kids say it needs the extra powdered sugar, hah. So see how you feel. I think a little sea salt would be a great addition. Hope you enjoy it!