sin aditivos y con sabor

Can you imagine having a recipe for a hazelnut cream that provides energy and is delicious, but that is also homemade and without added sugar? Marianela Fernández, graduated in Human Nutrition and Dietetics and member of the specialization group of Nutrition and Dietetics for Physical and Sports Activity, GE-NuDAFD, of the Spanish Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, gives us all the keys.

Why make homemade and healthy hazelnut and cocoa cream without added sugar?

The famous hazelnut creams whose songs resonate in our heads are ultra-processed products and their consumption is recommended as occasional by dietitians-nutritionists. «Its main ingredient is sugar, followed by high oleic sunflower oil or palm butter. Hazelnuts represent a small percentage of the total product: from 4% to 13% depending on the brand,» details nutritionist dietician Marianela Fernández, who explains that both are very caloric foods «they provide more than 500 kcal per 100 grams», and most of their energy comes from added sugar and fats.

As it is an unhealthy food, better than buying it in the supermarket is to try to make it at home where we can control the ingredients and avoid low quality oils (such as palm oil), excess sugars and unnecessary additives. “The homemade version is more natural, more nutritious and maintains the real flavor of hazelnuts and cocoa, without an excess of empty calories from added sugars or saturated fats,” says the expert, adding that, in addition, when making it at home, “we can adjust the sweetness, the type of cocoa and the texture to our liking.”

Ingredients for a 100% natural hazelnut and cocoa cream and how to make the recipe step by step.

This hazelnut and cocoa spread with no added sugar is the perfect alternative to commercial versions, naturally sweetened with dates. It’s easier than you think and you only need these five ingredients that you find in any supermarket:

• Roasted or raw hazelnuts (no salt added)
• Pure cocoa powder (no added sugar) or chocolate with at least 85% cocoa components
• Natural sweetener: dates
• Healthy oil (Extra virgin olive oil)
• A pinch of iodized salt and/or natural vanilla extract to enhance the flavor

To prepare it, the expert proposes 5 simple steps:

• Use 200 grams of hazelnuts and toast them, if not already toasted, in the oven at 180°C for 10-12 minutes. “Let it cool and remove the skin if it is thick,” suggests Marianela.
• Bring water to a boil and, when it is done, let three dates, pitted, soak for 10 minutes.
• Grind the hazelnuts in a powerful processor until you obtain a creamy paste.
• Add two tablespoons of pure cocoa, the soaked dates, two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of iodized salt and vanilla to taste, and beat again until all the ingredients are well integrated.
• The final touch is to adjust the texture: “If you want it to be more liquid, add a little more oil or warm water,” says the expert.

Tips to make your hazelnut and cocoa cream perfect

To obtain a product that is nutritionally adequate and palatable, Marianela Fernández recommends that we opt for quality raw materials. Hazelnuts “that are toasted or raw”, and cocoa “the purer and without added sugar the better” and, if we use chocolate, that it is “minimum 85%”.

To achieve a creamy texture, the secret is to grind enough «it can take between 5 and 10 minutes depending on the processor,» warns the expert who reveals a secret ingredient: «a pinch of iodized salt, which enhances the flavor of the cocoa and balances the sweetness.»

To preserve the product we have made, the ideal is to do it in an airtight glass jar and in the refrigerator. “If the texture hardens, just stir or temper for a few seconds,” he says.

Nutritional composition in terms of types of fat, vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Marianela Fernández breaks it down, in detail, in the following table that she has prepared contemplating a product development with:

– 200 g hazelnuts

– 40g cocoa

– 60g dates

– 20ml olive oil

– 2 g of salt

Comparison: homemade hazelnut and cocoa cream versus commercial

The first difference is in the ingredients: «Healthy in the case of homemade preparation and unhealthy in the commercial cream,» declares the nutritionist who adds that, «while hazelnut is the main element in the homemade product, in the commercial one the added sugar predominates.» And, being a hazelnut cream, it is striking that the amount of this ingredient constitutes 40% of the homemade cream, while in commercial preparations it is «between approximately 4% and 13%.» Fats, “which are saturated in the case of commercial hazelnut cream, are healthy in homemade preparation, since unsaturated fats predominate.” The difference in the way each preparation is sweetened is also very important: “With added sugar in the commercial ones and with dates in the homemade one, which provides sugars naturally present in the fruit” in addition to fiber and minerals. For this reason, the expert also highlights that homemade cream is rich in nutrients while commercial cream «provides mainly empty calories, that is, it is very energetically dense without providing quality nutrients.» On the palate, the flavor of the homemade preparation is, in the opinion of the expert, “more intense and authentic,” compared to that of the commercial cream, which is “sweeter and more artificial.”

Healthy uses of homemade hazelnut and cocoa cream and consumption portions

This homemade cream, in addition to being spread “on whole wheat bread or homemade oatmeal pancakes” for breakfast and snacks, can be taken “as deck on fruits (banana, apple or strawberries), in natural yogurt or porridgeor as a filling for homemade desserts,” says Marianela Fernández.

It can also be ingested as part of salad dressings, “as a sweet vinaigrette, mixing a teaspoon of hazelnut cream with balsamic vinegar,” explains the expert. Likewise, it can be used to make energy bars “mixed with oats and nuts” or in “smoothies with milk and banana, for example,” he proposes.

The amount or frequency recommended by experts to consume this healthy hazelnut cream, «will depend on the person’s caloric expenditure, but in general, we can take about 20-30g of homemade cream a day and alternate with other nuts throughout the week,» says the nutritionist dietician.

So, you know, we should not give up the products and flavors that we like, but look for their homemade and healthy versions to be able to consume them responsibly.

Post Expert: Marianela Fernández D’Eboli

Marianela Fernández D’Eboli. Dietitian-nutritionist. member of the Spanish Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Member of the Academy Member of the NuDAFD Sports Specialization Group. Graduated in Human Nutrition and Dietetics (2015), Official Master in Nutrition in Physical Activity and Sports (2016) and ISAK level II (2022). He has 15 years of experience working with athletes in various modalities, both amateur and elite. He currently runs his own Nutrition Consultation in Gandía: Nutrigandia. He has collaborated in the creation and implementation of a nutritional education program in schools, both for teachers and students, for the Gandía City Council. (from 2017 to present). He has participated in training in schools, cultural centers, universities, institutes, town halls, FP (from 2008 to the present). INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK: @Nutrigandia

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