Chocolate Hazelnut "Nutella" Mousse (gluten free, vegan, soy free, oil free, refined sugar free)

Chocolate Hazelnut "Nutella" Mousse 

(gluten free, vegan, soy free, oil free, refined sugar free)

The other day I found some old hazelnuts from last autumn from our hazelnut bush.

They were still in peel and I wasn't quite sure what to do with them. I've always wanted to make some sort of hazelnut chocolate butter or some ground hazelnut cake, however, I don't have a food processor at home. So no nut butter for me.

Then I remembered a cake I had the other day, which had an amazing mousse filling made of peanuts. So why not make a mousse out of hazelnuts? It's perfect as a cake filling, but for sure also great as a topping for oatmeal, yogurt or smoothie bowls or just to dip some fruit in! (Well, turns out it's not that great on rice crackers without anything else added. I'd suggest you to use it as one of the things mentioned above or just eat is as a mousse with a spoon or swirled with some jam (my suggestion would be cranberry sauce/jam!))

At first, I was a little concerned about it becoming the right consistency, but the longer you blend, the better it gets. Just make sure it doesn't turn into nut butter! Just give it a try every now and then (great excuse for snacking, isn't it?)

So now let's jump right into the recipe! (And if you try it, make sure to tag me on Instagram or leave a comment down below!)

Chocolate Hazelnut "Nutella" Mousse 

Serves: 1 jar
Soaking time: 30 minutes to 2 hours
Preparation time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 150g Hazelnuts
• 200g Water
• 40g Raw Cacao Powder
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 50g Agave Nectar (or any other liquid sweetener of choice)
• pinch of Salt

Instructions

• soak hazelnuts in around 400mL of boiling water for at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours. If your blender is super weak, I'd suggest you to soak them overnight, however, this will change the consistency of your final product)
• drain the hazelnuts, put them into a blender and add all your remaining ingredients
• blend until you reach that fluffy, creamy consistency or until you reach the consistency you like. This step can take up to 10 minutes, depending on your blender or food processor. (Make sure to scrape down the sides so it blends evenly!)
• store in an air tight container and keep in the fridge for up to a week or so (mine didn't even last that long because we ate it within the first 3 days)