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Homemade Chocolate Almond Spread

Chocolate Almond Spread
Nutella is a delicious – and addictive – chocolate hazelnut spread that is popular just about everywhere. As it has become more popular (here in the US, at least), I have noticed similar spreads popping up that feature different nuts. For instance, I’ve seen chocolate-peanut spreads and chocolate-almond spreads. I attribute the popularity of these other flavors to the popularity of these other nuts, as hazelnuts themselves aren’t nearly as commonly found in baked goods as peanuts, almonds or pecans are. That said, most nuts go very well with chocolate and I can pretty much guarantee that you would not be disappointed to find a jar of this homemade Chocolate Almond Spread in your kitchen.

The spread is made with almonds and milk chocolate, with a little bit of sugar, cocoa powder and salt to give it a little sweetness and depth. The whole thing is made in the food processor, and you’ll definitely need to use one to get a smooth, creamy texture in your spread. It is a lot like Nutella, but it has a mild almond flavor to it that goes very well with the milk chocolate. In short: it is simply delicious. You can use it just like Nutella, too, spreading it on pancakes, toast, cookies or just eating it with a spoon.

You can either toast the almonds yourself or buy them toasted, and you can use whole or sliced. I prefer to use almonds without skins since they turn out a (very) slightly smoother finished product, but it actually doesn’t make much of a difference and you won’t see the color of the skins in the spread if you choose to leave them on. If you need to smooth out your spread a little more, add in a little extra oil while the food processor is running, but otherwise you just need to be patient and let the spread blend for a few minutes. You’ll be well-rewarded in the end.

As long as it isn’t too warm out, I will typically keep a batch in an airtight container or jar and leave it on the counter in my kitchen for a few days. I can usually (with a little help!) eat through a batch within a week or so. The spread will firm up too much if you don’t keep it in an airtight container – and if that happens, you can warm it up in the microwave in a few seconds.

Homemade Chocolate Almond Spread
4.5-oz toasted almonds
1 tbsp cocoa powder
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 tbsp vegetable oil
12-oz good quality milk chocolate, coarsely chopped

In the food processor, combine almonds, cocoa powder, sugar, salt and 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Whizz until well-combined and the almonds start to form a paste, about 2-3 minutes.
In a large, microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate. Work in 30-45 second intervals, stirring the chocolate frequently to make sure that it doesn’t burn. Allow to cool slightly, then pour into the food processor with the almond mixture. Whizz until everything starts to become very smooth, about 3-4 minutes.
If the spread is grainy, add in an additional 1/2 – 1 tsp of canola oil at a time until and continue processing until it smooths out, more 1-2 minutes.
Transfer to a large jar or other airtight container and allow to cool completely, then store at room temperature.

Makes about 16-oz

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9 Comments
  • Kate
    February 28, 2013

    Huminah! That looks super-easy and delicious, but I don’t think I could ever trust myself to learn it … I’d be like Monica with her cookie addiction in Friends.

  • Cookin Canuck
    February 28, 2013

    Um, yep…diggin’ this! I know this would easily be devoured within a week at my house.

  • Whampton
    February 28, 2013

    Ohhhhh so lovely. Next time I’ll try it without the skins, but it is lovely this way. My sisters are going to go bats when they taste it.

  • Amanda @ Once Upon a Recipe
    February 28, 2013

    I have all of the ingredients needed for this delicious spread sitting in my kitchen right now. It may be almost midnight, but I know what I’m going to do!

  • Michelle@yagottahaveahobby
    February 28, 2013

    From someone who is allergic to both peanuts AND hazelnuts (but NOT almonds), God BLESS YOU! Thanks for this! I’m in trouble when I make it though!

  • Tania
    February 28, 2013

    I tried making chocolate hazelnut paste this morning but it did not turn out good. I roasted peeled hazelnuts then mixed them in the food processor for several minutes, but the mixture didn’t turn into a paste at all! It remained a coarse texture even after adding oil and melted chocolate. I’m not going to give up just yet, I will definitely try almonds or peanuts next time. Thanks for the recipe!

  • Nicole
    March 1, 2013

    Tania – I’m not quite sure if it was this recipe you tried or another one, but it sounds like you need to add more oil to your recipe to thin it out and allow the food processor to smooth the mixture out more. Different nuts have different fat contents, and roasting them can dry them out a bit – so you might need more oil from batch to batch.

    One thing that will also impact how smooth your spread gets is your food processor itself. Some (usually inexpensive) food processors never get things really smooth while others, like an expensive RobotCoupe, will smooth out just about anything.

  • Spencer
    March 3, 2013

    Looks delicious! I would so love to try some of that stuff!

  • Ashley
    September 29, 2013

    I tried this like 5 minutes ago, and I probably won’t make this again. It is a great recipe because the taste of it was amazing! However, I could not get the nut mixture to form a paste so I put it in the blender and then it formed a paste. Once I added the melted chocolate, all seemed good and well until my Mom’s blender started smoking. :/ I jusr pray that it stills works because if not, I’ll be roasted alive kinda like the almonds. Amyways, so I scooped out everything from the blender and it tastes great but has a grainy texture but I don’t mind that much. I think I’ll stick with buying my Nutella. 🙂

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