Healthy Chocolate Hazelnut Spread Recipe.

Healthy Chocolate Hazelnut Spread.

Healthy Chocolate Hazelnut Spread with crumpets and raspberries.

As promised, here is the recipe for my Chocolate Hazelnut Spread (with Thermomix instructions). It’s a fridge staple in my home, delicious on "Life-changing Gluten-free Sourdough Crumpets" (see previous blog recipe), fresh sourdough bread or eaten straight off the spoon.

This spread was inspired by a stay with our dear friend Nicole, affectionately known as the Chocolate Princess, in L.A. in 2016. The three hero ingredients are: roasted hazelnuts, high-quality dark chocolate, and extra virgin olive oil. A decade later and this spread is as delicious and healthy as ever, with even more research confirming the powerful health benefits of these ingredients.

Why These Ingredients Matter

Roasted Hazelnuts [1]

Hazelnuts are nutritional powerhouses with a beautifully creamy flavour.

• Rich in monounsaturated fats, with low levels of saturated fats and cholesterol

• Provide protein, carbohydrates, and dietary fibre

• High in potassium, with notable amounts of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and selenium

• Packed with antioxidants that help combat oxidative stress

Ethically Produced Dark Chocolate [2]

I use Living Koko's 70% or 80%.

• Exceptionally high in antioxidants

• Modulates immune response, anti-inflammatory

• Anti-carcinogenic, helps inhibit the growth of various cancer cells

• Protects cardiovascular health

• Supports brain health, reducing age- and disease-related cognitive decline

• May reduce asthmatic episodes

• Beneficial for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

• Improves mood 😊

• Protects nerves from injury and inflammation

Extra Virgin Olive Oil [3]

A cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet.

• Reduces risk of chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes

• Helps prevent and reverse metabolic syndrome

• Protects against cognitive decline

• Reduces risk of breast and colorectal cancers

• Lowers risk of obesity

• Associated with improved overall mortality

  
  

Three hero ingredients alongside the Thermomix - roasted hazelnuts, dark chocolate and extra virgin olive oil.

Chocolate hazelnut Spread Recipe

Ingredients:

• 125g roasted hazelnuts (I use Hazelbrae from Tasmania)

• 100g good quality dark chocolate (I use Living Koko 70% or 80%)

• 60-70g good quality light olive oil (I use Cobram Estate Light)

  
  

Instructions:

1. Place hazelnuts into Thermomix (or similar appliance) and whiz on high to make a hazelnut paste, speed 9 for 10-15 seconds, . Scrape down the sides and whiz again.

2. Break the dark chocolate into chunky pieces and add to the hazelnut paste. Melt the chocolate by setting the Thermomix to 80°C, speed 4, for approximately 2 minutes.

3. Scrape down sides of TMX bowl, add olive oil, and mix on speed 6 for 30 seconds. You should now have a smooth chocolate hazelnut paste (you can whiz again on high if needed).

4. Pour into a clean glass jar and store in the fridge.

   
   

Please let me know how you go making this choc haze goodness, and if you have any other serving suggestions.

With love,

Freya

References:

1. Rondanelli M, Nichetti M, Martin V, Barrile GC, Riva A, Petrangolini G, Gasparri C, Perna S, Giacosa A. Phytoextracts for Human Health from Raw and Roasted Hazelnuts and from Hazelnut Skin and Oil: A Narrative Review. Nutrients. 2023 May 23;15(11):2421. doi: 10.3390/nu15112421. PMID: 37299385; PMCID: PMC10255299.

2. Andújar I, Recio MC, Giner RM, Ríos JL. Cocoa polyphenols and their potential benefits for human health. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity. 2012;2012:906252. doi: 10.1155/2012/906252. Epub 2012 Oct 24. PMID: 23150750; PMCID: PMC3488419.

3. Flynn MM, Tierney A, Itsiopoulos C. Is Extra Virgin Olive Oil the Critical Ingredient Driving the Health Benefits of a Mediterranean Diet? A Narrative Review. Nutrients. 2023 Jun 27;15(13):2916. doi: 10.3390/nu15132916. PMID: 37447242; PMCID: PMC10346407.