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
Bita Shakoory says
Thanks for sharing your recipe. I made mine exactly as you did, but noted that the coconut flavor from the coconut oil really dominates the taste and does not allow the spread to taste much like hazelnut. I also noted that the amount of powdered erythritol used here was not as sweet as the real thing (which I understand is the challenge we face when we want to make something commercially made). I turned my batch into tea cookies.
So next time I will use hazelnut or avocado oil and will make it a bit sweeter.
If (just if) you decide to replace this video with another updated one, may I suggest doing one of those fast videos with ingredient name written? Many Thanks
Gretchen says
I had the same result as you — the coconut oil was just wayy too strong. It didn’t taste like Nutella at all or even very pleasant. I want to try with another oil as well. Did you get any better results with hazelnut oil or avocado oil?
Carolyn says
I wonder what kind of coconut oil you are using because I can barely taste it in mine. I have used Avocado oil many times and it’s great but it’s goopier.
Gretchen says
Thanks, Carolyn! Good point that it may be the coconut oil…we buy it in bulk and it’s not high quality. I bought some good hazelnut oil and just tried again a few minutes ago, and it’s REALLY good!! If I do it again with coconut, I’ll get a higher quality, but I’m happy with the hazelnut oil results!
Carolyn says
I like it with hazelnut oil or avocado oil too but it gets really drippy!
Jos says
Sorry I left my comment on the wrong post!
What’s your Blendtec capacity? I have 9 cup food processor (Cuisinart). Would it be too big to make this recipe? Thanks!
Jennifer Farley says
This is exactly what I need!
Katie | Healthy Seasonal Recipes says
I never buy Nutella because it is so sugary, now I still don’t have to and I can indulge to my hearts desire! Thanks for the great recipe and cool back-story too. You’re OG girl!
Jennifer Blake says
So simple! We love hazelnut spread in our house!
Lizbeth says
I seem to have mended a lot more oil. I forgot to dehusk as a result a slightly bitter taste not sure why I needed extra oil though. I’ll try again as this was my first try thanks for all the sweet low carb recipes I use Vitafibre so always on the look out for protein powder and Vitafibre recipes to help me stick to diet and stop me eating high carb versions.
Carolyn says
The husks could easily be why you needed extra oil, since they add a dryness to the whole thing.
Dawn says
I couldn’t find them at our Trader Joes. I did find roasted hazelnuts on nuts.com. I understand that you don’t have to get all of the husks off, but I am having a hard time getting much of the husks off at all. Any other tips?
Carolyn says
If they are already roasted then there probably isn’t much you can do. Try grinding them up!
Diana Lopes says
Sugar-free nutella? Oh man, I can’t wait to try it myself, must be delicious!! Thank you so much for sharing it!
Brenda says
Hi
Can be frozen and sent by mail?
Carolyn says
I’ve sent it in the mail but I never bothered to freeze it first.
Nicolas Dulion says
There is nothing better than homemade nutella !
Love your recipe, thanks.
Angela Roberts says
BrAVO. Just the other day we were talking about making a healthy nutella. Can’t wait to try.
Koshie says
Hey, Carolyn — I always check the math, and without starting from scratch and looking up the nutrition values, I can tell immediately that at least some of your nutrition values here aren’t right. For one thing, total calories are less than fat calories! And if you do the math (multiplying fat grams by 9), the fat calories reported in your nutrition data are correct — but then there appears to be no accounting for carb and protein calories.
But I can’t say just that, I have to add “Thank You” for the blogs and joy you spread!
Carolyn says
Hi Koshie, I’ve been having a LOT of trouble with my website lately and it seems to stem from my recipe plug-in. I have people working on it but no one has quite been able to identify the issue. I don’t even know why “calories from fat” is showing up because on the back end, there’s no data entered in there! The other numbers appear to be correct so I think it’s calculating the total calories incorrectly. I am going to have to investigate this further. Thanks!
Cookin Canuck says
This is brilliant! You can’t beat Nutella…and now to have a low carb version!
Wendy Bussell says
I am very excited to have this recipe! Thank you for sharing. I was wondering though if stevia would be a good sub for the swerve?
Carolyn says
You can really use whatever sweetener you like here.
Linda says
I thought I’d share a tip that I prefer when working with hazelnuts. There’s another way to skin hazelnuts. You bring a pot of water to boiling. Add 2 tablespoons baking soda and the hazelnuts. Boil for 3 minutes. Pour into a colander. Run cold water over them to cool them off. The original instructions say that you have to skin each nut individually, but that’s not true. You can rub the nuts together under running water and the skins easily peel off. The advantage of this method is that all of the skin is removed. The disadvantage is that you have to toast them separately, if you want toasted nuts. If you’re not using them right away, be sure to let them air dry before storing them or they’ll get moldy.
And, thanks for the recipe. Sugar-free nutella is a win!
Jennifer Farley says
This is my dream come true!
Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says
Going to spread this on EVERYTHING!
Kate says
This video is the first time I’ve seen the whole you – you look and sound great! You definitely should have your own cooking show. With about half of Americans with diabetes and prediabetes, it certainly would be popular. Being prediabetic yourself gives you “street cred” too.
Carolyn says
Thanks, Kate. I actually have two other of these videos posted… Sheet Pan Chicken and Pepper Jack Cauliflower! I plan on doing more too.
allison says
We love this! I make a triple batch often. Comes out perfect every time!
Jennifer Blake says
This post came to me at the perfect time. I was just reading another recipe that included Nutella and I wondered if it could easily be made rather than purchased. And with this healthier version, BONUS!