This recipe for Homemade Gianduja (Italian Chocolate Hazelnut Spread) features only 5 ingredients and is really simple to make. It's dairy-free, vegan, and you'll never have to buy chocolate hazelnut spread at the store again.
Why you'll love this recipe
This recipe yields a luxurious chocolate hazelnut spread that is not overly sweet.
Using hazelnut butter saves time and effort in grinding down the hazelnuts.
You can easily control the amount of sweetness in the spread by increasing or decreasing the amount of icing sugar.
This Gianduja recipe is naturally vegan and dairy-free (just be sure to choose a vegan chocolate) with no heavy cream or butter needed.
There's no need to add additional oils to the spread.
This Chocolate Hazelnut Spread comes together in a matter of minutes and you'll only need a few ingredients.
5 ingredients you'll need
- dark chocolate: chopped; choose a high-quality dark chocolate; you can also use milk chocolate if you prefer a sweeter spread
- hazelnut butter: I used hazelnut butter which consists 100% hazelnuts ground up -- it has natural oils, similar to any natural pure nut butter; this is different than hazelnut cream or hazelnut paste which can have additional ingredients
- icing sugar: also known as powdered sugar; adds a little touch of sweetness to the dark chocolate spread
- sea salt: just a pinch balances out the flavour and sweetness
- vanilla extract: use a good-quality pure vanilla extract; just a little bit will do as you don't want the chocolate to seize up
Equipment you'll need
- double-boiler: if you don't have one, you can easily set a pot of simmering water on the stove and place a heat-proof bowl over top.
- spatula: for scraping the mixture
How to make it
In a heat-proof bowl, add in the chopped dark chocolate.
Place the bowl over a double-boiler and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a spatula until the chocolate is melted.
Next, add in hazelnut butter in small increments, stirring until fully incorporated.
Add in the icing sugar, sea salt and stir until the mixture is smooth.
Turn off the heat and add in a tiny splash of vanilla extract. Give it a stir. If it starts to seize, continue to stir over the remaining heat and it should smooth itself out.
Transfer the chocolate hazelnut spread to a clean, sterile jar or container and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
How to store
Store the gianduja at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Don't store the the gianduja in the fridge as it will solidify.
How to serve
Use gianduja as you would any jam, condiment or spread.
For a green tea version, try my Matcha Hazelnut Spread.
Serve it on pancakes, toast, waffles, or use it as filling in breads or buns.
I love spreading it on my Milk Bread or Japanese Souffle Pancakes.
FAQs & troubleshooting
Why did the chocolate seize?
When melting the chocolate over a double boiler, it's important to not get any moisture into the chocolate or it may seize.
The chocolate could also seize at the end when adding in the vanilla extract (that's why we add a tiny amount).
If it does seize, you can add 1 teaspoon of boiling water at a time (or neutral oil) and stir that vigorously into the chocolate to re-emulsify the spread.
Why is my gianduja is hard?
Depending on your room temperature, the gianduja can solidify if it's too cold.
To fix this, you can place the jar of chocolate hazelnut spread into a warm water bath and it should begin to loosen and become spreadable.
My gianduja is not completely smooth.
This depends on how smooth or finely ground your hazelnut butter originally is.
If you want it smoother, grind down your hazelnut butter further before proceeding with the recipe.
Note: this Homemade Gianduja will not be as smooth as store-bought. Commercial chocolate hazelnut spreads contain additional palm oils which give it a more velvety texture.
Other recipes you may like
Be sure to check out these recipes:
Matcha Milk Jam/Green Tea Milk Spread
Strawberry Earl Grey Jam (Small Batch)
Hojicha Roasted Green Tea Milk Jam Spread
Let me know if you try out this recipe for Homemade Gianduja (Italian Chocolate Hazelnut Spread) -- tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!
Homemade Gianduja (Italian Chocolate Hazelnut Spread)
For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
Ingredients
- 50 g dark chocolate chopped
- 50 g hazelnut butter 100% pure ground hazelnuts
- 20 g icing sugar
- pinch sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a heat-proof bowl, add in the chopped dark chocolate.
- Place the bowl over a double-boiler and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a spatula until the chocolate is melted.
- Next, add in hazelnut butter in small increments, stirring until fully incorporated.
- Add in the icing sugar, sea salt and stir until the mixture is smooth.
- Turn off the heat and add in a tiny splash of vanilla extract. Give it a stir. If it starts to seize, continue to stir over the remaining heat and it should smooth itself out.
- Transfer the chocolate hazelnut spread to a clean, sterile jar or container and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.
David @ Spiced
Interesting idea using hazelnut butter here - that certainly saves time! I've never tried making my own "Nutella" at home, but I want to try this recipe. I'm also a little intrigued by a crunchy version...I mean I love crunchy peanut butter, so it seems like a good idea, right? Happy New Year!!
Michelle
Yes, a crunchy version would be sublime! Right, if there's crunchy pb, there should be crunchy Nutella! 🙂 Thanks David!
Holly
Homemade is always the best. Once you taste it, you will ditch the store-bought version right away. I will surely try this homemade version of chocolate spread soon. Thanks for sharing.
Michelle
Thanks Holly! Happy New Year!
Raymund | angsarap.net
I'm impressed, you make this at home too!
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
I've only recently learned of Gianduja, and I really wanted to give it a try - thanks for the recipe. Definitely much better than Nutella and any other similar spreads.
Michelle
You're welcome, Ben! Yes, definitely better than Nutella, which happens to be full of sugar and palm oil.