Healthy Protein Nutella Mousse
A friend of mine asked me to create a healthy Nutella recipe, so of course I accepted the challenge. As much as I love nut butter and eat it daily, I have actually never even tried Nutella spread! I know this spread is not the healthiest of spreads, but had to taste test it before I embarked on a healthy copycat recipe. The only thing I would say about this homemade recipe is that the hazelnut “skin peeling” part of the process is a bit of a pain. If you can find hazelnuts that have already been shelled and skinned, that would be the way to go for sure! Leaving the majority of the skin on will not change the taste, but will simply change the texture from creamy to gritty. I actually prefer a more gritty texture, similar to my natural peanut butter, so I didn’t mind leaving some of the hazelnut skin on.
I took this recipe one step further and added additional protein to make it much creamier and delicious…not to mention even healthier than the original “Healthy Nutella Spread” recipe! This Healthy Protein Nutella can be used in many recipes, such as on toast, as a trifle layer, and as a healthy dessert icing. The possibilities are endless…and very scrumptious!!!!
Ingredients
3/4 cup Healthy Nutella Spread Body Balance, see other recipe
15 oz can of black beans low sodium, drained
2 scoops Raw Protein Powder vanilla
1/4 cup stevia in the raw powder
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1-2 tbsp water ...to your liking
1/2 tbsp Vanilla extract
Instructions
Gather all ingredients, a cookie sheet, a spoon, a nut cracker, and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove the hazelnuts from their shells (by cracking them).
Throw away the shells and place the hazelnuts on the cookie sheet and roast for 6-8 minutes in the oven at 400 degrees. Remove the roasted hazelnuts from the oven and roll the hazelnuts in paper towels in order to remove the skins. This was the step that I failed miserably at, but I assure you, it doesn't make much of a difference in the taste department. If you are a sucker for the creamy texture of the Nutella Spread, try to remove as much skin as possible. I also suggest adding 1 tbsp of coconut oil to the recipe if you want that extra creaminess that the actual Nutella Spread has. I obviously went the healthiest route, and passed on the additional oil.
Add the "skinned" hazelnuts to a food processor and blend the nuts until they become a creamy texture. Add all other ingredients after about 1 minute of grinding up the hazelnuts. Make sure to scrape the sides of the food processor to ensure you are thoroughly blending all ingredients.
Scoop out 3/4 cup of the healthy Nutella Spread from the Blender/Food Processor and place the remaining amount into a sealed container. Feel free to eat the remaining healthy Nutella on toast or however you wish.
Add 3/4 cup of the Healthy Nutella Spread back in the food processor along with all other ingredients. Blend all ingredients together for at least 2 minutes or until well blended. The texture is similar to mouse. You can use this as a spread on whole grain toast, as a healthy icing, and in a trifle dessert. I will post my Healthy Nutella and Greek Yogurt Trifle recipe very soon! Keep this store in a sealed container in the refrigerator and enjoy for up to a week!