Recipe: Dreamy Chocolate Hazelnut Butter

Gluten-free, dairy-free

Prep: 15 minutes (plus hazelnut roasting time) 
Yields 1 cup of butter

Ingredients:

1 cup raw hazelnuts 
1/4 cup coconut oil (measured solid)
1/3 cup raw cacao powder
2 – 4 Tbsp raw honey (or to your taste)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp decaf instant coffee or coffee grounds*
Pinch of pink salt or fine sea salt

To Make:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Roast hazelnuts on a cookie sheet for 8 mins or until fragrant then set aside and let cool slightly.
2. Transfer the hazelnuts onto a tea towel. Wrap them up into a loose envelope shape and rub the outside of the towel to remove the skins. 
3. Add the hazelnuts with skins removed to a food processor. Pulse a few times to start then run the processor until a smooth butter forms. Occasionally stop to scrape down the sides (this should take ~10 minutes for the butter to form).
4. Once you have a smooth butter consistency, add the coconut oil, cacao powder, honey, vanilla extract, espresso powder and salt to the food processor and combine until you have a consistent colour and smooth texture with a speckling of visible hazelnut pieces.
5. Enjoy immediately as a dip or store in a glass container in the fridge to use as a spread, topping for your oatmeal bowl or sauce for your pancakes. The possibilities are endless!

Notes: 

*The coffee is optional although it does enhance the chocolate flavour

**Alternatively you can purchase blanched and skinned hazelnuts then simply roast in the oven for ~7 mins to toast them then move on to step 3

***If you are looking for something even more indulgent and “Nutella-like” I would suggest melting 1/3 cup of chocolate chips and adding this at step 4 while omitting the honey