Feed Me Fridays: Homemade Nutella & Nutella Protein Smoothie

I have a tiny confession: I had never tried Nutella until our trip to Iceland last fall. Seriously...yes, I know that is ridiculous. But we really made up for it. We ate 2 whole jars during our 2 week trip! Our favorite snack was a slice of bread smothered with nutella and topped with banana slices.

Once we got back to the States, we decided that buying all that Nutella wouldn't be such a good idea. All that sugar and the extra additives are things we shy away from. So we set out to make our own.

creamy, delicious Nutella

Nutella
Yield                       1 pint

Ingredients
1 cup hazelnuts
1 tablespoon butter
6 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 tablespoons peanut oil
4 tablespoons coconut sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coarse salt, more or less depending upon your preference

vanilla extract, cocoa, coarse salt, chocolate chips, peanut oil, butter, coconut sugar, & hazelnuts

Directions
Spread the hazelnuts in a thin layer on a baking sheet. Toast the nuts at 350°F (176°C) for about 12 minutes. After they've cooled, place the hazelnuts in a kitchen towel and rub the outer skins off of them. If you need to toast them for longer to split the skins more, toast them for about 4-6 minutes longer. You probably won't be able to remove all of the skin, but that's alright. Just get as much of the skin off as possible.

hazelnuts & skins