[Paleo] Homemade Nutella AND [Paleo] Nutella Fudge

Paleo Update:  As of February 1st, Jon and I have completed our January Paleo Challenge!  How convenient that February 1st happened to fall on a Friday, right?  There was a lot of celebratory indulgence this past weekend… maybe even a little too much.  But after a 31 day strict diet, I couldn’t help myself so maybe today’s Paleo Update should be titled “Paleo Confessions and How I Felt Afterwards.”

• On Friday, I ate two frosted sugar cookies, one Ghirardelli chocolate square, and had steak and scallop hibachi for dinner.  Wow, that sounds terrible saying it outloud but honestly, I don’t feel that guilty.  It’s not as though I plan to eat like that every day and it was a celebratory day.  Yes, I may have taken it to the extreme but honestly, it was one day and I still tried to set boundaries (except with the cookies, oops).  Pre-Paleo I would’ve ordered the steak and scallop hibachi dinner and eaten the entire thing in one sitting.  This time I pre-portioned it into THREE separate meals so calorie-wise it wasn’t that bad.  Yes, I consumed a lot of sugar and carbs though.
• Saturday evening, Jon and I had a friend over for a Paleo-inspired dinner and we indulged in red wine with dinner, a fruit and champagne dessert, and this deliciously decadent Nutella-inspired fudge (see below for the recipe).  Once again, we over did it but we both worked out and tried to eat in moderation earlier in the day.
• Sunday was the Superbowl of course and naturally we had pizza.  However, instead of our usual regular crust XL pizza, we ordered a medium thin crust pizza.  This translates to roughly 450 calories per slice vs. 180 calories per slice… HUGE difference!  Yes, it wasn’t even close to a Paleo-friendly meal but we did work out and we did eat in moderation again.
• So how did all of this non-Paleo food make us feel?  Jon could feel the starchy foods settling in his stomach and just sitting there.  I honestly did not feel any different – I thought I may get a stomach-ache from the sugar but I didn’t.  The only consequence was that I felt slightly bloated.  Although we ate poorly, I think it could have been a lot worse – at least we started making some portion control compromises.
• Overall, you can see that Jon and I ate terribly this weekend.  I’m not telling you this so that you do the same if you choose to complete a Paleo challenge.  I’m telling you because it’s the truth.  So how did all this make us feel?  Slightly guilty because we worked so hard all month but yet insanely happy because we were able to enjoy all the things we missed.  Now that we got it out of our system, I think we’re in the perfect position to move forward with our 75-80% Paleo-friendly lifestyle!

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In honor of February 5th, World Nutella Day, I bring you two Nutella recipes in one post!!

Who doesn’t love Nutella?  That chocolately hazelnut spread is pure creamy deliciousness.  Does anyone else find it ironic that the Nutella commercials showcase it as a healthy breakfast spread for kids?  I think it should be marketed for what it truly is – an ingredient meant for baking, melting, or using in desserts.  I mean, let’s be honest – it’s pure sugar so it’s probably not the best way to start your morning.

But this Paleo-friendly version… Mmm, I think it’s perfectly acceptable to eat this with ANY meal or snack throughout the day, especially because it has no refined sugar and it’s dairy-free!

It’s so easy to whip up.  All you have to do is roast some hazelnuts and then throw all of your ingredients in a food processor for 3-4 minutes.  I was a little worried that my whimpy Cuisinart food processor wouldn’t be up for the job, but it worked just perfectly.  (Too bad – I really wanted another reason to add to my “Why I Need a Vitamix” list. ;)).

After you’re finished mixing up your homemade Nutella, keep reading for a Paleo-friendly Nutella Fudge recipe!

[Paleo] Homemade Nutella

Inspired by Chocolate Covered Katie

Makes slightly over 1 cup

Ingredients

• 1 cup blanched hazelnuts
• 1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• dash of salt

What to Do

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees (F) and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
2. Lightly grease your baking sheet and spread the hazelnuts out.
3. Roast for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown.
4. Add the roasted hazelnuts to your food processor and blend until the nuts break down and become a butter, scraping down the sides as needed.  This took me roughly 1-2 minutes.
5. Add the vanilla extract, cocoa powder, honey, coconut milk, and salt.
6. Blend for another 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed.
7. Enjoy as a spread, as a dessert ingredient, or by itself!

Okay, now that we’ve got that freshly made Nutella, let’s use it to make some Nutella fudge!

Personally I think the best part about fudge is that it’s so rich that a little square will satisfy a sweet tooth.  This fudge does not disappoint.  It’s super smooth and creamy with a rich chocolate hazelnut flavor and a slight hint of banana.  In other words, it’s the perfect after-dinner treat to satisfy your sweet craving!

[Paleo] Nutella Fudge

Inspired by Chocolate Covered Katie

Linked to Fantastic Thursday #32 by Five Little Chefs

Makes 12 small squares (1″ squares, 1/4″ thick)

*Since this recipe makes such a small batch (perfect for 4 people), I would double the recipe next time.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/4 cup homemade Nutella (see above)
• 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
• 1/2 medium ripe banana
• 2 tablespoons honey
• dash of salt

What to Do

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend for 30-45 seconds.
2. Pour mixture in a small shallow pan.  I used a loaf pan because that’s all I had.
3. Place in the refrigerator or freezer to harden.
4. Slice into squares and serve.
5. Keep leftovers in the refrigerator as they will become soft at room temperature.

Tags: alternative, Challenge, chocolate, copy cat recipe, dessert, diet, dips, dish to pass, food processor, from scratch, fudge, hazelnuts, healthy, homemade, lifestyle, light, no bake, nutella, Paleo, Paleolithic, recipe, recipes, rich, spread, sweet, treat, Whole30, World Nutella Day

• February 4, 2013
• Desserts, Recipes
• 60 Comments