Do you know what today is? It’s World Nutella Day! Let’s all cheer and get hopped up on sugar and palm oil!
Wait, that isn’t right… is it?
Please indulge me for a moment as we hop into the time-machine — help yourself to a cup of tea or a shot of bourbon and remember to buckle your seatbelt as we flash-back to my original anti-Nutella post three years ago:
… On the World Nutella Day site the founders claim: Nutella is more than just a “chocolaty hazelnut spread,” it is a way of life.
Let’s pause for a moment to recap the ingredient list of Nutella: sugar, palm oil, hazelnuts, cocoa, skim milk, reduced minerals whey (milk), lecithin as emulsifier (soy), vanillin: an artificial flavor.
Ahem. That is certainly not the way of life I’m looking for — so instead of celebrating things that make me cringe I made a real-food fruit-based Chocolate Hazelnut Spread. And the following year I made an Aussie-tella Chocolate Macadamia Spread.
Then last year hazelnuts and I had a falling out (it involved a food processor and it wasn’t pretty), and while all is fine between us again I’m still wary of the tough little nut… So this year, in celebration against of World Nutella Day I’m bringing you not only an alternative to Nutella, but a nut-free alternative. How very fancy of me.
It only has three ingredients, although you are welcome to add more. Can be whipped up in a matter of seconds, really. And while (like Nutella) it’s Gluten-Free, Contains No Artificial Colors and Contains No Artificial Preservatives, it also (unlike Nutella) contains no artificial flavours, or processed sugar or animal-cruelty palm oil or diary or soy or nuts.
It’s also just as good on a spoon as spread on toast — how terribly convenient.
- ½ c tahini
- ½ c cacao or cocoa powder
- ½ c rice syrup (or maple syrup or honey depending on your fructose/grain/animal product tendencies)
- pinch sea salt (optional but highly recommended)
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Allow tahini to come to room temperature (if you store it in the fridge) or heat very gently in a saucepan until fluid. Stir through cacao powder, syrup and salt.
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Spread on things, or eat with a spoon. As all these ingredients have a long shelf life it should last for ages.
- Want it less sweet? Use rice syrup or add less syrup all together.
- Want it sweeter? Use maple syrup.
- For a thinner spread add oil or warm water a teaspoon at a time (however water will shorten the shelf life of the spread).
vegan // vegetarian // gluten-free // dairy-free // soy-free // nut-free // probably paleo
I LOVE the idea of using tahini in chocolate spread – it works so beautifully with chocolate and offers something different from the usual hazelnut. Such a good idea, now that’s a Nutella day we can all celebrate 🙂
I know a certain 1 year old who would love this! He’s a big lover of cacao my little guy.
I love tahini on toast but haven’t tried it with cocoa before. Sounds tasty!
Looks yummy
Oh wow, just made this as an alternative to my hazlenut and chocolate frosting (fauxtella) as one of my clients is allergic to nuts and it is delicious! Will be spreading it on top of her birthday cake tomorrow morning, thank you so much for this wonderfully delicious and simple recipe 🙂
That’s brilliant! Love the idea of using it as a frosting. ~ JJ
LOVE, LOVE it! Great alternative to satisfy sweet tooth. Question though, do you store in it in the refrigerator? I assume it will thicken if refrigerated.
I do store it in the fridge (I store my regular tahini there too though) and it does get thicker but it really depends on the consistency of your tahini to begin with! ~ JJ
I did make a less sweet version of this recipe, but am very happy with the result. I tripled the tahini, cocoa and salt quantities, but used 1/2 cup of honey. The result is a healthy, yet tasty chocolate spread. Low carb, source of fibres and proteins. ???
Amazing! Delicious! Thank you