This sugar-free Nutella is creamy and smooth, with a rich chocolate hazelnut flavor. It’s a decadent addition to keto breakfast or dessert. And with only 1.6g net carbs per serving, you might just eat it with a spoon!
I have been making sugar-free Nutella for well over a decade now. And in fact, I may have been the first person to develop a recipe for it. It was way back in 2011, when I was craving some chocolatey deliciousness and it’s been a favorite ever since.
I was astonished that it was so easy to make my own homemade keto version. Best of all, I like it even better than the original. Because it is less tooth-achingly sweet, the chocolate hazelnut flavor shines through even more.
My whole family loves this delicious spread. We put it on everything! Keto pancakes, keto cheesecake – you name it, we will drizzle this over it. But I am also not above spooning it right out of the jar and straight into my mouth.
Why you need to try this
Over the years, I have honed my keto nutella recipe and I truly think it’s pitch perfect now. It’s rich and creamy, and has that unparalleled hazelnut flavor. And it takes only a handful of ingredients and about 5 minutes to make.
The first ingredient in a jar of real Nutella® is sugar. The first ingredient in my homemade spread is hazelnuts. That tells you something, doesn’t it? My version has less than 2g net carbs per serving and no added sugars.
I love it as is, of course, but I also love to work it into other keto desserts. I’ve made Keto Nutella Ice Cream and Sugar-Free Keto Frosting. And my Keto Ferrero Rocher are a spectacular holiday treat!
Reader reviews
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I was never a big fan of Nutella, but I love hazelnuts & chocolate so decided to give the sugar free version one a try. I am not disappointed, and think my tastebuds have changed over the years cause this stuff is delicious. – Joyce
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I made this the other day. It was so perfect! I have been low carb/sugar free for a few years now and missed Nutella. Now I can have it anytime. Thank you for satisfying my craving! – Rosemarie
Ingredients you need
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- Hazelnuts: This recipe takes roasted, unsalted hazelnuts. Many brands sell them that way but you can also roast your own at home. I have provided instructions for roasting and husking raw hazelnuts in the recipe notes.
- Hazelnut oil: Toasted hazelnut oil really brings out the best flavor but you can also use another liquid oil, like avocado or olive oil. You can also use melted coconut oil but I recommend the refined version, as it has a more neutral flavor.
- Sweetener: You want to use powdered sweetener, to avoid grittiness. I have had success with both Swerve and BochaSweet, but I find that allulose makes the spread become really gloppy and strange.
- Cocoa powder: I recommend a good Dutch process cocoa powder here for the best chocolate flavor.
- Collagen protein powder: This is a new addition to my sugar-free nutella recipe and while it is optional, I highly recommend it. It adds nutrition but better than that, it helps thicken the spread so it’s not so drippy. You can use plain collagen or chocolate collagen.
- Pantry staples: Vanilla extract and salt.
Step by step directions
1. Grind the hazelnuts: Place the hazelnuts in a good strong blender or food processor and process until finely ground and they begin to clump together. Do not add any other ingredients at this point, as it makes them harder to grind up properly.
2. Blend in the oil: Add 2 tablespoons of oil and process until the mixture becomes nut butter. You may need to scrape down the sides of the blender with a rubber spatula a few times to help things combine.
3. Add the dry ingredients: Add the cocoa powder, sweetener, collagen, and salt and continue to blend. At this point, the mixture will thicken up again.
4. Add more oil as needed: Add the additional tablespoon of oil and continue to process until the mixture is smooth and creamy. You may need additional oil to thin it out again.
Expert Tips and FAQ
You need a high powered blender or food processor to get your chocolate hazelnut spread as smooth as possible. Many blenders are not up to the task of making nut butter. And if you make a larger amount, you may need to process in batches so you don’t overload your blender.
Homemade Sugar Free Nutella is quite goopy and liquid at room temperature. This is normal, but the addition of collagen protein helps tremendously to thicken the mixture and make it less drippy. It also firms up considerably when refrigerated.
Don’t try to use any other kind of protein powder, as it will make the spread overly thick and gritty. It just doesn’t blend in as well as collagen peptides.
Troubleshooting:
- If your mixture is too thin, blend in some more cocoa powder.
- Taste the mixture and add more sweetener if you find it’s not sweet enough.
- Add more oil if you find it won’t blend smoothly.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe for Sugar Free Nutella has 3.9g of carbohydrate and 2.3g of dietary fiber. So it has a net carb count of 1.6g per serving. A serving is 2 tablespoons. It’s much lower than most keto versions on the market!
Commercially made Nutella® is full of refined sugar and not recommended for keto or low carb diets. Howeveer, homemade Sugar Free Nutella has no added sugar and less than 2g net carbs per serving, which makes it an ideal keto snack.
I recommend storing this spread in a jar in the refrigerator. As it has no dairy or anything that spoils, it can last for months! It also firms up nicely in the fridge so it’s not as messy.
More delicious hazelnut recipes
Keto Sugar Free Nutella Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ cup roasted hazelnuts (see notes for toasting)
- 3 tablespoon hazelnut oil can sub avocado oil
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 2 to 3 tablespoon powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 3 tablespoon collagen protein powder (optional)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- In a food processor or high powered blender, process the hazelnuts until finely ground and beginning to clump together.
- Add 2 tablespoons oil and continue to grind until the nuts smooth out into a butter.
- Add the cocoa powder, sweetener, collagen, vanilla, salt, and remaining oil and process again until smooth. Add additional oil as needed to get it smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust sweetness as desired.
Video
Notes
Liza M. Shaw says
When you tried it with allulose, did you use the granulated kind or liquid?
Carolyn says
Granular
Catharine says
This is delicious! I’ve made it with both Avocado and Hazelnut oil. The hazelnut definitely adds to the flavor. Find some and use it if you can!
Thank you for your wonderful recipes!
Abby says
I bought raw hazelnut already peeled. Can I roast it without the shell?
Carolyn says
Do you mean they have already been skinned? Or shelled? It’s a little unclear from your comment. You roast them without the shell anyway, but then you have to remove the outer brown skins as much as possible.
Abby says
Sorry for the confusion. No skin, no shell, they came out of bag white…
Kim says
i have packaged hazelnuts that are already deshelled and deskinned. do i still need to toast them or can i just use them as is?
Carolyn says
You still want to roast them to bring out more flavor! Just keep your eye on them. But make sure they aren’t already roasted… most hazelnuts with the skins removed have already been roasted.
Vlad says
First of all, there nothing healthy about hazelnuts or plant oils. Not to mention the amount of oxalates in the hazelnut and the cocoa powder. Also 4 grams of carbs in two tablespoons is a lot of carbs. This is not healthy on so many levels. Why not use real butter instead of plant oil? When you say low carbs, 4 grams in 2 spoons is not exactly low considering this is similar to regular Nutella.
Carolyn says
So um… how is 4g of carbs close to similar to the 22g of carbs in regular Nutella? That’s a difference of 18g. If you consider that to be close, I am not sure what to tell you.
Kristie says
Carolyn, you handled that a lot nicer than I would have.
Nata says
Where can I buy hazelnuts?
Carolyn says
I don’t know… I have no idea where you live or what’s available to you.
Annie says
Hi. I want to make this with hazelnut butter. Can you tell me the quantity that would be required?
Carolyn says
I don’t know, as I didn’t make mine that way. I think you will need to experiment.
Jamie says
Can I use whey protein isolate instead of collagen?
Carolyn says
Please read the Expert Tips as I address this question already.
Sheri says
I made this today and it is super! Super easy, super quick, and suuuuuper tasty! Thanks for a wonderful recipe Carolyn!
Debbie says
Carolyn,
Would the Nutella work instead of the peanut butter filling for your peanut butter cups recipe?
Thank you for all the great holiday inspirations
Carolyn says
Oh heck yes, and I have done it before. You don’t even need to mix it with anything else.