HAZELNUT CREAM recipe
To answer the long-standing debate about whether the Hazelnut Cream from industry of any brand or “THE” most famous hazelnut cream we all know, or that of a small artisan, is better, today I’ll try to convince you that homemade is a whole different thing.
Of course, industrial versions are very good, delicious, inviting: but imagine the satisfaction of preparing it with your own hands.
Why will you love it?
It is Genuine and made exclusively with natural ingredients: toasted hazelnuts, milk, chocolate, a little seed oil and sugar.
It does NOT contain preservatives or additives.
It has a more rustic TEXTURE which in my opinion makes it even more indulgent because you can feel the presence of the HAZELNUTS.
It is EASY and QUICK to prepare: just put the hazelnuts and milk in the blender, transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the remaining ingredients and stir.
Home-made HAZELNUT CREAM is a unique treat to enjoy at breakfast spread over crispbreads, as an afternoon snack, or as a filling for cakes, bundts or tarts.
Here you’ll also find the VIDEO RECIPE and all the tricks to make it step by step — and the best part is it will be ready in just a few minutes!
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking methods: No-cook
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 231.80 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 19.55 (g) of which sugars 16.01 (g)
- Proteins 2.90 (g)
- Fat 16.68 (g) of which saturated 4.32 (g)of which unsaturated 11.52 (g)
- Fibers 2.10 (g)
- Sodium 3.79 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 50 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups toasted hazelnuts
- 1 cup whole milk (for those lactose intolerant see the note at the end of the recipe)
- 5.3 oz dark chocolate 55%
- 2.6 oz gianduia chocolate (or milk chocolate)
- 4 tbsp sunflower seed oil
- 3.5 oz powdered sugar
Tools
- Blender
- Bowl
- Spatula
note
For this recipe I used toasted hazelnuts. You can also use raw hazelnuts but you will need to roast them in the oven for about 10 minutes at 212°F.
Put the toasted hazelnuts in the blender cup together with the warm milk and blend for at least 1 minute.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Add both types of chocolate previously melted in the microwave or in a bain-marie, the seed oil and the powdered sugar, and mix with a spatula to combine.
Pour the HAZELNUT CREAM into a jar and let it firm up in the fridge for about 1–2 hours. Your HAZELNUT CREAM is ready to be spread on bread or eaten by the spoonful!
NOTES
TEXTURE Don’t worry if it’s initially runny; it needs at least one night to thicken. Also, this spread, being homemade, will be grainier than an industrial one and will also depend on the type of blender you own. If you have a Bimby (Thermomix) that pulverizes the hazelnuts, the spread will be smoother and silkier. In any case, whatever appliance you use, the taste doesn’t change — it’s just a difference in “textures”. Once the cream has set it may clump or harden. Don’t worry, it’s normal: warm the oven slightly, then turn it off and place the jar inside. In a few minutes it will become fluid and lump-free again.
HAZELNUTS For this recipe I used toasted hazelnuts. You can also use raw hazelnuts but you will need to roast them in the oven for about 10 minutes at 212°F. Once placed in the blender they will turn into a paste. As explained above, starting from whole hazelnuts the texture will never be as smooth as industrial hazelnut creams. If you prefer a smoother consistency, replace the hazelnuts with an equal amount of pure HAZELNUT PASTE, which you can find in specialty stores or online.
CHOCOLATE: I used a 55% dark chocolate and a gianduia because I prefer a hazelnut cream that is not too bitter. If you prefer it less sweet you can use a 75% dark chocolate and replace the gianduia with milk chocolate.
LACTOSE-FREE: To make this cream lactose-free use dark chocolate certified lactose-free and, as a substitute for milk chocolate, lactose-free milk chocolate which you can find at THIS LINK
SUGAR: Since this is basically a “cold” preparation I preferred to use powdered sugar rather than granulated, which would be difficult to dissolve and would remain crystalline. You can try using a sugar syrup to avoid any traces in the cream, but this would increase the final liquidity.
SEED OIL Industrial preparations are so velvety because they are made with pure hazelnut paste which is very oily. In this preparation, which starts from whole toasted hazelnuts, it is therefore necessary to add a portion of seed oil. If you prefer, you can replace it with cold-pressed rice oil, which is light and tasteless.
STORAGE
This homemade Hazelnut Cream, made without preservatives or stabilizers, must be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed jar. It can last up to 10 days.
