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
Kathi Ondanet says
I just made this with Almond butter in place of the hazelnuts and oil. It’s a little less bitter, and I don’t have to do anything except mix the ingredients together to make it.
Carolyn says
I don’t know what kind of hazelnuts you are purchasing but I NEVER find them bitter. On the contrary… You may want to look into a different brand.
Ioana Didac says
This was so easy to make and it’s incredibly good. My Ninja professional blender wasn’t able though to grind the nuts to a smooth paste, I wonder if I would have waited more they would have gotten there. Nevertheless, it’s flavorful and yummy and chocolatey and I love it. I have to stop myself from going to the fridge and getting the jar out to have a spoon of it, just like that.
Thank you for sharing!
Carolyn says
It is hard to get it smooth without a high powered blender!
Maria Mateus says
Hi there, can I use other type of nuts? Almonds? Or cashews?
Carolyn says
Sure!
Kathi Ondanet says
I used almonds – it’s a little less bitter and tastes fabulous!!!
Claudia says
Even though this recipe has been on your site for years AND it’s in two of your cookbooks, I only now made it for the first time. Probably because I knew it would be AMAZING, which can be a bit of a dangerous thing because I grew up eating Nutella and it’s one of my all-time favourite foods. EVER.
Well, today I put my Blendtec Twister Jar to good use. It’s kind of embarrassing, but I immediately ate several big spoonfuls right away. So GOOD!! Then I put some cream and freshly-brewed coffee in the blender jar, switched to the other lid, and made myself some Nutella coffee.
Thank you, you’ve made my day!!!!!!
Carolyn says
Welcome to my world! 😉
Claudia says
I just made yet another batch and forgot to mention something: I use a Twister Jar, just like yours, and find I don’t have to melt the coconut oil. The Blendtec takes care of it 🙂
Carolyn says
Ah, an even easier method. Excellent!
Beth says
Excellent idea!!!
Ayse Koymen says
Thanks for this recipe. However my Nutella got really hard when I put it into refrigerator. Can I just keep it on the shelf rather than putting it in the fridge? Thank you
Carolyn says
Sure but I wouldn’t keep it out too long. It’s supposed to go hard in the fridge and it softens within 5 minutes on the counter.
Martine Dubois says
HI! I got so excited when I discovered your Sugar-Free Nutella recipe (via reading your No-Bake Nutella Energy bars recipe). I can’t wait to give it a try.
I do have one question: since I don’t have a high powered blender or food processor, could I use an all-natural hazelnut butter from “Nuts to You nut butter inc.” and then mix everything with a hand mixer?
Carolyn says
I guess that would work. It may thicken your butter a bit too much so you may need to add more oil.
Martine Dubois says
I did it, and as you mentioned, I needed to add oil, but it worked! Thank you! 🙂
QB941 says
Hi, just made it yesterday and the hazelnuts really smelled nice. However, the cacao you recommended is kinda bitter and didn’t taste at all like the one in the Nutella product. Do you have any alternatives? I don’t have any problem if I need to use sweetened cocoa etc.
Thanks!
QB
Carolyn says
You can use whatever cocoa powder you like best
Kari says
Hi there! I have a premade butter called NutiLight. How much of that would I use? It’s a low carb hazelnut spread.
Carolyn says
How much of it would you use in what? This is my own version but you wouldn’t add the jarred store-bought version to this. Did you mean to ask this on another recipe?
Katrina says
After looking at this recipe for a YEAR, we made it today for an after school snack. Kids ate it on apples and licked to bowls clean! Thanks!
Carolyn says
What took you so long??? 😉
Baz says
Looks delicious! How long is this good for in the fridge? Thanks
Carolyn says
FOREVER! Okay, not quite but since there is nothing here that will go bad, it can last months.
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says
I’m going to have to try this. This looks incredibly delicious!
Sandy says
This recipe is great. Love it with less sugar!!
Lori says
I have always loved this recipe of yours!
Allyson Zea says
Sugar-free?! This sounds like a dream come true! I can’t wait to try it!
Rachael Yerkes says
Oh no! A healthy Nutella??? I will eat this so fast! It’s perfect!
Maxie says
Just thought I’d share a variation I think people might enjoy. I used hazelnut oil instead of coconut, in order to keep it in more of a liquid state, then I added heavy cream powder (hard to find in stores but Amazon has it) to give it a bit more of a milk chocolate taste. I experimented and found I liked a proportion of one half teaspoon powder to 1 tablespoon pseudtella, but of course everyone is different. I found more than this detracts too much from the hazelnut flavor but I may try adding extract to see how that turns out. I doubt this would work with coconut oil since the powder thickens the mixture more.
Carolyn says
Sounds good!
CHRIS says
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU HOST A “FOOD NETWORK” TYPE SHOW FOR LOWCARB/GF/KETO I LOVE YOUR PRESENCE ON SCREEN… AND ALL YOUR RECIPES!!!!
Carolyn says
Thanks so much, Chris.
Huma says
is it unsweetened cocoa powder? Thanks
Carolyn says
I’ve never seen sweetened cocoa powder. yes it’s always unsweetened.
Glenice says
I have used clarified butter (or butter, I just always have clarified butter on hand) just a bit which gives it the perfect consistency once refrigerated. Cocao butter does the same and is another option. Oils don’t solidify in the fridge (except coconut oil, but I don’t want my nutella tasting of coconuts) so I find butters a better option.
Sonya says
What kind of coco powder and vanilla do you ya? I didn’t see any links for either!
Carolyn says
Well it sort of depends on what’s on sale sometimes! But I love Rodelle for both cocoa powder and vanilla extract.