# Need feedback on homemade Nutella spread



## MstrPBK

I am labeling this as a recipe just to be on the safe side for this forums etiquette.  What I really need is a second pair of cooking eyes to tell me if what I am considering doing really makes sense to do!

I have seen many recipes for homemade Nutilla Spread online, but each of these recipes strike me as doing it the 'hard way".  Here is my take on it and I'ld like some feedback.

1 Pint Whipping Cream
1 Package instant pudding (chocolate)
1 Teaspoon Oil (for softening)
2 cups Hazelnuts (toasted and ground)
Hazelnut extract to taste
1/4 cup milk.

Thinking behind this from my end:


The whipping cream and the pudding together would produce a chocolate butter.
Hazelnuts and extract would give it the nut flavor.
The milk and cooking oil would keep the mixture to the soft side for easy spreading.
Any thoughts, feedback, or suggestions to this line of thinking?


Peter Kelley
St. Paul, MN USA


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## Mad Cook

MstrPBK said:


> I am labeling this as a recipe just to be on the safe side for this forums etiquette. What I really need is a second pair of cooking eyes to tell me if what I am considering doing really makes sense to do!
> 
> I have seen many recipes for homemade Nutilla Spread online, but each of these recipes strike me as doing it the 'hard way". Here is my take on it and I'ld like some feedback.
> 
> 1 Pint Whipping Cream
> 1 Package instant pudding (chocolate)
> 1 Teaspoon Oil (for softening)
> 2 cups Hazelnuts (toasted and ground)
> Hazelnut extract to taste
> 1/4 cup milk.
> 
> Thinking behind this from my end:
> 
> 
> The whipping cream and the pudding together would produce a chocolate butter.
> Hazelnuts and extract would give it the nut flavor.
> The milk and cooking oil would keep the mixture to the soft side for easy spreading.
> Any thoughts, feedback, or suggestions to this line of thinking?
> 
> 
> Peter Kelley
> St. Paul, MN USA


 I haven't made your recipe but the following occur to me.

1. Whipped cream might be a problem as it probably wouldn't keep well.
2. What is the percentage of chocolate in the pudding and is it real chocolate or chocolate flavouring?
3. What sort of oil? Some oils, eg corn oil, don't have a very good "mouth feel" and you wouldn't want anything with a strong flavour unless it was hazelnut oil.
4. Would it be any cheaper than a jar of Nutella?

Don't let me put you off trying so let us know how you get on with it.


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## MstrPBK

Yes, when one whips whipping cream it does become whipped cream, *BUT* ... 
If you whip the whipping cream further you get *butter*.  It is the butter stage I want since butter is a 'bread spread'.

The other questions are valid and will be considered. Thank you for your thoughts.

Peter Kelley
St. Paul, MN USA


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## Mad Cook

MstrPBK said:


> Yes, when one whips whipping cream it does become whipped cream, *BUT* ...
> If you whip the whipping cream further you get *butter*. It is the butter stage I want since butter is a 'bread spread'.
> 
> The other questions are valid and will be considered. Thank you for your thoughts.
> 
> Peter Kelley
> St. Paul, MN USA


Sorry. Typo. I did mean to write whippING cream.


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## MstrPBK

For those listening in and might be novices, Whipping Cream can also be referred to as "Heavy Cream".  Butter from heavy cream produces a 'white butter' to which food coloring is added to get that 'sunshine yellow' you see in store butter.  This is yet another reason why I believe that producing a hazelnut spread from a butter base might be the way to go.  

Personal observation: the responding poster has suggested that production price ought to be a consideration before making anything in the kitchen.  IF I did that I would probably never make any new recipe at home and leave it for the major manufacturers to produce.  No cooking is about experimenting and trying.

The responding poster also noted that different cooking oils do and will taste - and feel - differently on the tongue.  There is a lot of truth in that statement.  The same is true about different types of chocolates as well.

The responder also mentions that there is REAL chocolate _and_ chocolate flavorings which are used in different products.  That too would/will make a difference in the final kitchen production.

In summary: Some issues I will and will not be able to control.  The result will be based on good and bad options found in my kitchen.  Hazelnuts cost about $10 s pound (shelled/not blanched) which will be used; and Hazelnut Oil also costs about $10 per 4 ounces, with the oil not being available for this production of the mixture.  The fact that Hazelnut oil exists has definitely been noted for the next time I try it.  *Passing note*: If I was concerned about cost production the cost already for the basic ingredients comes close to $15.00 for this starting point for about what I am estimating to be about 3 cups of spread.

For this year (2015) we will be exploring nut butters/spreads, and this is the first of several varieties to be tried.

Peter Kelley
St. Paul, MN USA


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## PrincessFiona60

Your Faux Nutella will not be shelf stable and will require refrigeration.  I would stick with ground hazelnuts and high fat cocoa, adding in food grade cocoa butter and sugar to taste.


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## CharlieD

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Your Faux Nutella will not be shelf stable and will require refrigeration.  I would stick with ground hazelnuts and high fat cocoa, adding in food grade cocoa butter and sugar to taste.




+1


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## MstrPBK

I would agree that anything from dairy would not be "shelf safe" and would need to be refrigerated.  Considering where I am standing with ingredients I will keep your observations of "_I would stick with ground hazelnuts and high fat cocoa, adding in food grade cocoa butter and sugar to taste._" for the next attempt of this.  Thank you for your input.

Peter Kelley
St. Paul, MN USA


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## Alix

I think I'd start by reading the ingredient list on a Nutella jar. This is the list:

Sugar, vegetable oil, hazelnuts (13%), cocoa powder (7.4%), non-fat milk solids, emulsifier (soy lecithin), flavour (vanillin)

Toast the hazelnuts, then buzz them in the food processor with oil til you get a good smooth consistency. Then you can add the sugar and cocoa to get where you need to be. Not sure how you would add non fat milk solids...maybe skim milk powder? 

​


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## PrincessFiona60

Ah, I have a jar of Almond Butter and Dark Chocolate spread.  Same as the Nutella, but with almonds.


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## Andy M.

Alix said:


> I think I'd start by reading the ingredient list on a Nutella jar. This is the list:
> 
> Sugar, vegetable oil, hazelnuts (13%), cocoa powder (7.4%), non-fat milk solids, emulsifier (soy lecithin), flavour (vanillin)
> 
> Toast the hazelnuts, then buzz them in the food processor with oil til you get a good smooth consistency. Then you can add the sugar and cocoa to get where you need to be. Not sure how you would add non fat milk solids...maybe skim milk powder?
> 
> ​



Sounds like a plan.  Try this.


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## CharlieD

MstrPBK said:


> I would agree that anything from dairy would not be "shelf safe" and would need to be refrigerated.  Considering where I am standing with ingredients I will keep your observations of "_I would stick with ground hazelnuts and high fat cocoa, adding in food grade cocoa butter and sugar to taste._" for the next attempt of this.  Thank you for your input.
> 
> Peter Kelley
> St. Paul, MN USA




Well, the original Nutella does have dairy in it. 


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## PrincessFiona60

CharlieD said:


> Well, the original Nutella does have dairy in it.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Discuss Cooking



But as "Dried Milk Solids", not fresh dairy.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North

Though pudding has a creamy mouth feel, it contains a significant amount of water in it.  A spread made from pudding would cause anything it is spread on to become watery.  

That being said, if the pudding mix were added dry to the ground nuts, and blended in, then mixed together with the butter, you would be getting the sugar, chocolate and milk solids from the pudding mix.  That might just work.  I wouldn't make the pudding and then add the other ingredients to it though.

I think ground hazelnuts added to a chocolate ganache, thinned with cream, would make a good Nuttela type spread.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## Mad Cook

CharlieD said:


> Well, the original Nutella does have dairy in it.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Discuss Cooking


Yes, Charlie but commercial production uses methods and ingredients which can prevent or deter spoilage.


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## CharlieD

Mad Cook said:


> Yes, Charlie but commercial production uses methods and ingredients which can prevent or deter spoilage.




Exactly what I was trying to say, but as always was in too much of a hurry.


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## Zereh

Why mess with mother nature?

Just grind hazelnuts until they reach "nut butter" consistency. Add the best powdered chocolate you find, to taste.

Eat by the spoonful. Use finger to get every last bit from the contain.

Repeat.

 The extra ingredients are not added for taste, they're added to make  the product more shelf-stable and to greatly decrease the cost of production.

=)
Z


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## CharlieD

Zereh said:


> Why mess with mother nature?
> 
> Just grind hazelnuts until they reach "nut butter" consistency. Add the best powdered chocolate you find, to taste.
> 
> Eat by the spoonful. Use finger to get every last bit from the contain.
> 
> Repeat.
> 
> The extra ingredients are not added for taste, they're added to make  the product more shelf-stable and to greatly decrease the cost of production.
> 
> =)
> Z




What would you use in home settings to grind the nuts to that consistency ?


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## Mad Cook

CharlieD said:


> What would you use in home settings to grind the nuts to that consistency ?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Discuss Cooking


I grind peanuts for peanut butter in the food processor until they look the right consistence so I suppose that would do for hazelnuts.


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## Mad Cook

Zereh said:


> Why mess with mother nature?
> 
> Just grind hazelnuts until they reach "nut butter" consistency. Add the best powdered chocolate you find, to taste.
> 
> Eat by the spoonful. Use finger to get every last bit from the contain.
> 
> Repeat.
> 
> The extra ingredients are not added for taste, they're added to make the product more shelf-stable and to greatly decrease the cost of production.
> 
> =)
> Z


Or you could use melted chocolate with the ground nuts.

Although I'm not very fond of chocolate I can eat Nutella by the spoonful but the best choc & hazelnut spread used to be Green & Blacks but they got bought out and the new company discontinued it.


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## CharlieD

Just as we are talking about this, here is an article I just read: How to Make Homemade Peanut Butter - Breakfast Recipes


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## Mad Cook

CharlieD said:


> Just as we are talking about this, here is an article I just read: How to Make Homemade Peanut Butter - Breakfast Recipes


That's basically what I do but I don't add sugar or maple syrup as I don't like it too sweet. I do add a little flavourless oil such as sunflower oil to loosen the PB a bit if it's too stodgy


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## CharlieD

off topic. I used to love sunflower oil specifically for it's strong flavor. But here in the states it is so refined it in fact has no taste or flavor or even smell for that matter. I hate it.


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## Zereh

I've used my food processor and my nutri-bullet both to make "nut butters". Nuts have plenty of oil in them, you just have to be patient to coax it out and get them ground to the right consistency. 

It takes some patience, and I'm probably over-cautious, but I don't let either of the grind like mad for the entire time. I grind for a bit and then let them rest. =P And then repeat often. It always seems like when I'm just starting to wonder if I bought a bunch of dud nuts that won't work ... it magically starts to come together.

My favorites are cashew. And sunflower seed. But every kind of nut will work.

If you're out of tahini and are hankering for some hummus, grind a couple tablespoons each of sesame + sunflower seeds in with the garbanzos, they're the perfect substitute. (I've never tried to just grind sesame seeds, I'll have to try that!) 

CharlieD - I love, love La Tournagelle oils. Their walnut oil is my go-to for topping salads and it most definitely has a roasted, toasted walnut taste. I know they do a Sunflower oil, but I've not tried it; it may be worth finding. 

.


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## MstrPBK

To *Chief Longwind Of The North*:

I went from the approach that I was to make a butter NOT pudding or even a whipped cream.  The whipped cream/heavy cream and the pudding were whipped together with about 1/2 cup milk (plus other ingredients).   (Trying to be funny: If there is a stage of whipping beyond butter I probably touched that point.)  At the moment this first try is looking good with no separation being seen.  It produces about 4 cups of easy to spread material.

The concern for the next making of it, later this year maybe, is that the hazelnuts are still a little to coarse for my liking. and they will needed to be milled to a flour texture.  The coloration might be for some a little light but cocoa powder might adjust that.


*To Zereh*:

You make a excellent point!


Peter Kelley
St. Paul, MN USA


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## CharlieD

Zereh, I will have to check oil. Thank you.


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