Make A Healthy And Homemade Cocoa And Hazelnut Spread
How many children usually ask that their toast or sandwiches be spread with cocoa and hazelnut spread? And how many adults resist this temptation because they know it is unhealthy? But you do not have to reject this pleasure if you know a healthy, homemade and delicious alternative.
In this article we explain how to make a natural cocoa and hazelnut cream to make it much more nutritious. In addition, we will give you some suggestions so that you can take advantage of it in multiple ways in the kitchen.
Why is it not healthy?
The main ingredient in conventional creams is white sugar, a food considered practically a “poison” by nutritionists. Not only does sugar not provide any nutrients, but it also contributes to overweight and is a very harmful nerve stimulant for children.
The second ingredient is usually some type of unspecified vegetable fat or oil, which leads us to think that it is of doubtful quality and possibly from rapeseed, palm or soybean.
It also contains dairy derivatives and, to a lesser extent, cocoa and hazelnuts, which would be the healthiest ingredients. Some creams also contain artificial flavors or preservatives.
The healthy alternatives
How can we incorporate nutritious and beneficial options, especially for children?
Goodbye to sugar and vegetable oil
- Bee honey instead of white sugar : honey is a food that stands out for being a natural antibiotic. It raises our defenses and provides us with a large amount of vitamins and minerals. Beware of children: honey consumption is often a trigger for botulism, especially in young infants.
- For the cream to have a spreadable texture, we need a fatty food. In this case, we are going to use a quality oil that can be olive or coconut. The second has the advantage that it solidifies easily, which will give us the texture and consistency we need. It is also a vegetable fat that accelerates our metabolism and is quickly converted into energy, something important for daily activities.
You won’t have to turn down the sweet taste!
The cocoa that we will choose will be pure and of good quality. This food, with a high magnesium content, can be very beneficial for our body, according to studies. Of course, we have to consume it in moderation.
Natural cocoa maintains the characteristics of color, flavor, acidity and the presence of flavonoids, while that treated with alkalizing agents has a darker color (which can turn black), a more intense flavor, a more pronounced solubility and fewer antioxidant flavonoids. .
Hazelnuts, which are found in very little quantity in conventional creams, may be in greater proportion in our homemade cream. They are rich in fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
It is a way to eat nuts without even realizing it. In addition, the touch of hazelnut flavor is essential in any cocoa cream, and it makes it delicious!
With these ingredients, it will not be necessary to add any dairy derivatives, so it can also be taken by people who are lactose intolerant.
How do we make this cream?
We will explain the steps, but the quantities will be to the consumer’s taste. Therefore, we suggest that you try it while you make it.
This is our suggestion:
- 100 gr of pure cocoa powder.
- 100 gr of toasted and ground hazelnuts.
- 100 gr of extra virgin olive or coconut oil.
- 50 gr of honey.
Mix the ingredients well and keep this cream in the fridge.
Suggestions for use in the kitchen
From now on, you can eat cocoa and hazelnut spread without regrets and give it to the whole family, knowing that they are offering a very nutritious food. As we already mentioned, be careful with giving it to young children, since honey could be dangerous for them.
For this reason, you no longer have to resign yourself to smearing a thin layer on sandwiches, but you can use this cream in any way you can think of:
- Cover or fill biscuits, cakes and crepes
- Bathe pieces of fruit
- Prepare smoothies: you only have to beat a banana, a glass of vegetable drink or milk and a tablespoon of this cream
- Accompany a coffee: if you add a little cream and a spoonful of the cream you will get a delicious and quick cappuccino
- Prepare chocolate and agar jellies
