We’ve all done it, don’t lie. Sneaking into the kitchen and stealing a spoon of Nutella. No bread, no cracker, just straight from the jar. The smooth, creamy, sweet taste taking us back to childhood. As I have grown up, the guilt associated with the Mission-Impossible level heist from the cupboard has also increased. Recently, I tried to assuage my guilt by making my own version of Nutella. By controlling exactly what goes into it, I can feel less guilty about eating it (or so the theory goes). I would like to thank the Minimalist Baker for the wonderful recipe inspiration.
Recently, as I enjoyed my fifth spoon of home-made Nutella, I began to think about my IBS suffering brethren. Can they enjoy this delight? Well, looking at the main ingredients there are some pitfalls. Hazelnuts can only be tolerated in low quantities due to their GOS content (a low FODMAP dose is 15g), and the lactose content in chocolate can put a limit on how much you can eat. But limiting Nutella intake is not the point of Nutella. Can we make a binge-able low FODMAP version?
First the nut; we need a nut that is equally as tasty as hazelnuts, but also okay from a FODMAP perspective. My personal favorite are pecans, and luckily up to 100g of pecans is low FODMAP. Now this sounds like an indulgent serving size! But, what would Pecan Nutella taste like? I was intrigued; I had to find out. That led me to the creation of this recipe, adjusted from the aforementioned recipe inspiration. Pecan Nutella is a delightful and unique treat. I cannot recommend trying this creation out enough. Enjoy, and may the skill of Ethan Hunt be with you as you sneak into the kitchen, bloat free!
Recipe
Difficulty Rating: Easy
Prep/ Cooking Time: 20-30 mins
Serves: Makes one small jar of Pecan Nutella
Ingredients
- 3 cups of pecan nuts
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 2-3 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1-2 tablespoon maple syrup
Method
- Lay the pecan nuts out on a baking tray and roast in the oven on 160C for 10-12 minutes, until slightly darkened and fragrant.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes.
- Place the cooled nuts in a blender/ food processor and turn on low for about 10-12 minutes. The nuts will first become a small crumb, before slowly transforming into a smooth nut butter consistency. If it is taking a while, be patient, it may take longer depending on your food processor. The middle picture above shows what it should look like when fully blended.
- Scrape the bottom and sides of the food processor and run again for a couple of seconds to mix these bits in.
- Add the salt, vanilla essence, and cocoa powder (start with 2 tablespoons, and add more later if it needs it).
- Blend again until well incorporated. The mixture will thicken quickly during this process. The last picture above shows the finished Pecan Nutella.
- Add the maple syrup (again add 1 tablespoon to begin and add more later if it needs it) and blitz again. Open the food processor and stir quickly to fully bring the mixture together.
- Add your Pecan Nutella to jars and store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks (but I doubt it will be around that long!)
FoodMarble AIRE is the world’s first personal hydrogen breath tester. It is a pocket-sized breath analysis device. It helps people with chronic digestive issues determine the foods that work best with their digestive system.
Read user reviews of FoodMarble AIRE on Trustpilot
To learn more about FoodMarble, visit foodmarble.com or follow us on our social media channels
