CHOCOLATEY. NUTTY. AND TOTALLY VERSATILE.
A quick and easy chocolate spread that doesn’t
steal your energy after eating it!
I don’t know if you’re a raving Nutella fan or could happily leave it untouched for months in the cupboard. Me – I’m in the middle. I don’t like it at all on bread, but I do love it on a spoon! So it’s not one of those things I tend to have lying around the house.
With just 13% hazelnuts and a whopping 56.3g sugar per 100g, it’s a bit lacking in the nutrition department. (I love an understatement). Yes, the sugar would include a small contribution from the powdered milk, but still, that’s over half of every serving. We can do better ;).
This version has no added sugar or sweetener. With young adult sons a jar still only lasts about 2 days here, but that’s OK – it’s all good stuff. If you’re into stats here they are:
- Nutella et al/100g: 57.5g carbs of which sugar 56.3g.
Net carb content (total less fibre) 55g. - This recipe/100g: 25g carbs of which sugar 6.6g.
Net carb content (total less fibre) 6.6g.
Sweet for the win here!
Use whatever nut butter you like, or want to pay for if it’s getting guzzled like it is in my house. Hazelnut butter is particularly delicious, but expensive, so we keep that for special use and use a good 100% smooth peanut butter or almond butter when it’s on sale.
This recipe is inspired by a hybrid of bulletproof coffee and a latte from Patrick Holford using nut butter, cocoa and MCT oil. I prefer to drink my coffee, so I deconstructed the ingredients into a spread and an espresso with a dash of milk.
MCT oil (medium chain triglyceride oil) is a source of energy for your brain and is found in palm kernel oil and coconut oil. It’s gained some fame as a first-thing-in-the-morning oil. If you are doing some intermittent fasting, a teaspoon or two of this nut butter will keep you going longer without a full break of the fast. Add coffee alongside and you’re bulletproof.
Outside of that, this multi purpose creamy spread can be used on Chocolate Almond Breakfast Cake (that’s in my Free Breakfast Download if you don’t already have it) on keto crackers or toast – or regular toast if that’s your thing, pancakes, or scooped with a melon baller* into little truffles to have one or two at night in front of the TV with a cup of tea. It does not even register on my CGM – phew!
If it’s not sweet enough for you, but do try it first, as the cinnamon adds sweetness without much flavour, just add a few drops of stevia or your favourite powdered sweetener. We don’t add any.
To make, all you need is a bowl, a spoon, and the ingredients – even the kids can play with this one! If kids are making it use a BIG bowl so the cacao or cocoa powder doesn’t go all over the place as it’s mixed in.
No Sugar Chocolate Nut Spread
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups smooth nut butter (peanut, hazelnut or almond are all great)
- 3/4 cup cacao powder (or cocoa powder is perfect too - it will be darker than my pic)
- 1/2 cup MCT oil (or coconut oil - if making truffles use coconut oil)
- 1/4 cup cinnamon powder
- 1/6 tsp salt (adjust to taste, start with a pinch, some nut butters are already salty)
Instructions
- Put the nut butter in a large bowl and stir around a little to loosen.
- Add the rest of the ingredients with the oil last and gently mix well using a spoon.
- Done. It's that easy.
- Transfer to a jar using a spatula and store in the fridge.
- *If making to scoop, use coconut oil and refrigerate so it becomes a more ganache consistency. MCT oil doesn't solidify the way coconut oil does.
- Adding the oil last helps keep to cocoa from going all over the place as mixing starts. Be sure to mix gently at first.
- Stores for a few weeks in the fridge.
- Smooth nut butter is best, but crunchy works fine too. It's totally preference.
- Nutrition calculations based on tablespoon.
