Hazelnuts and chocolate are an unbeatable combination. My kids disagree with me on this, but I will not be swayed from my adoration of this delectable concoction. In the winter I drink hot chocolate hazelnut milk, but in the summer, I drink it icy cold as a smoothie.
You could make this smoothie out of toasted raw hazelnuts, but I use a shortcut and make it with hazelnut butter. You can buy hazelnut butter in the supermarket, but it’s expensive. I make mine at home by toasting a pound of raw hazelnuts in a 350 degree F oven for 15 minutes, and then processing them in my food processor until they turn into butter.
Cacao powder is always on my shelf, along with coconut milk as well as plenty of ice in my freezer. Toss everything into the blender along with some stevia for sweetness. In minutes, you’ll have a refreshing chocolate hazelnut smoothie ready to drink.
Hard as it is to believe, this is a sugar-free drink. It tastes rich and plenty sweet, but the sweetness comes from liquid stevia. Use your judgement about how much stevia to add. The stevia I buy at Trader Joe’s is somewhat weak, so I use a whole teaspoon. But the stevia I buy at my local organic supermarket is much stronger, so I use a half teaspoon. Start with less, then add more if you need it. Too much stevia will add a bitter flavor to this rich tasting, sweet smoothie.
Dairy-Free Chocolate Hazelnut Smoothie
Chocolate, hazelnuts and ice blend into a sweet, delicious icy cold smoothie.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup hazelnut butter
- 1/4 cup cacao powder
- 1 can coconut milk (unsweetened)
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon liquid stevia (to taste)
- 4 cups ice cubes
Instructions
Put all ingredients in a blender, and blend until very smooth.
Pour into glasses, spritz the top of each glass with cocoa powder or garnish with a sprig of mint, and enjoy!
Put 1/2 cup hazelnut butter in a blender. I use homemade hazelnut butter.
Add cacao powder, coconut milk and stevia.
Blend with 4 cups of ice.
Pour into a glass, and enjoy!
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