Recently I have been making batches of dark chocolate roasted hazelnut spread to give as holiday gifts to friends and family. I decided to make it myself because I was disappointed with the commercial versions that are available. Nutella was the first chocolate hazelnut spread I ever tried. I enjoyed it, until I read the label and realized it contains palm oil, which is extremely high in unhealthy saturated fat. Nutella also contains artificial vanilla flavor. I prefer real ingredients.

This summer in Umbria Italy, where I was on vacation, I spotted a jar of dark chocolate hazelnut spread in the tiny town of Norcia. The contents almost looked black (compared to Nutella, which is pale brown) and I couldn’t wait to try it. This past fall I cracked open the jar one afternoon to enjoy the Italian Nutella with my tea. I spread the slick brown paste on a lightly salted cracker and–darn. The flavor of hazelnuts was weak, as was the chocolate flavor, despite the spread’s rich, chocolate color.

The good news: it’s incredibly easy to make dark chocolate roasted hazelnut spread at home. What’s more, my version is healthy. Yes, it contains fat from the nuts, but they are protein rich and contain heart healthy monounsaturated fat (the “good” fat that helps reduce the level of LDL or “bad” cholesterol). The chocolate flavor comes from unsweetened cocoa powder, which is fat-free and high in antioxidants. I added some pure hazelnut oil for smoothness, confectioner’s sugar for sweetness, and a pinch of salt to round out the flavors. That was it!

So what do you do with this spread? Well, it makes a tasty little snack smeared on a lightly salted cracker (love that sweet and salty combo). It’s also very good dolloped on banana chunks and spread on ripe pear slices or tangy apple wedges. If you’re feeling French, you can spread it on a fresh baguette. Or, simply eat it straight from the jar on a spoon. Mmmmmm.

Dark Chocolate Roasted Hazelnut Spread (Makes about 7 cups)

You can save time and energy by buying skinned hazelnuts. Simply follow the directions for roasting at the same temperature for the same amount of time.

4 cups raw hazelnuts (or raw skinned hazelnuts)

2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I like Valrhona)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

4 tablespoons pure hazelnut oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Scatter an even portion of hazelnuts (or skinned nuts) on two baking sheets. Roast nuts in oven, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool.

2. If nuts have their skin on, wet a clean tea towel, ring it out, and lay on a counter. Place a few cups of nuts on one half of tea towel. Fold other half of towel over nuts and rub towel back and forth over nuts to remove skins. Place skinned nuts in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Continue rubbing nuts under towel until most of nuts have most of skin removed. (It’s okay if a few nuts have their skin on.)

3. Grind entire portion of nuts in a food processor until mixture becomes gooey, about 5 minutes. Add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Pulse to blend. Add hazelnut oil and process for 1 minute to create a smooth paste. Transfer mixture to clean, dry jars. Stays fresh in refrigerator for up to 3 or more weeks.