Name: 2 Ingredient Nutella
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 37 min
Total time: 47 min
Ingredients: 2 cupshazelnuts (or 1 cup hazelnut butter); 2/3 cupchocolate chips (For a version without chocolate chips, try thisHomemade Nutella Recipe.)

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I make this simple 2 Ingredient Nutella every time I want something chocolatey, quick, and genuinely better than store-bought for a fraction of the fuss. No long ingredient lists. No stabilizers. Just toasted hazelnuts (or hazelnut butter) and chocolate chips. It reads like a shortcut, but the flavor is full and clean.

It’s practical. You can toast whole hazelnuts and turn them into a fresh, warm nut butter in your food processor, or skip straight to a jar of hazelnut butter when time is short. Either route gives you rich, spreadable chocolate-hazelnut goodness in under 20 minutes of active work.

I’ll walk you through the exact steps I follow, what to watch for, and sensible swaps for diet or allergy needs. I also include storage tips so your jar stays smooth and ready for toast, pancakes, or an afternoon spoonful straight from the jar.

Gather These Ingredients

2 cups hazelnuts (or 1 cup hazelnut butter) — the base for the spread; use whole nuts if you want to toast for fresher flavor, or hazelnut butter to skip straight to combining.
2/3 cup chocolate chips — melts into the hazelnut butter to make the chocolate layer; choose your preferred sweetness. (For a version without chocolate chips, try this Homemade Nutella Recipe.)

Stepwise Method: 2 Ingredient Nutella

If using 2 cups hazelnuts: preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Spread the hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast for about 7 minutes, until lightly browned and fragrant. (If using 1 cup hazelnut butter, skip to step 4.)
Remove the toasted hazelnuts from the oven and let them cool 1–2 minutes. Place them in a clean kitchen towel, fold the towel over the nuts, and rub vigorously to loosen and remove as much of the skins as you can. Discard the loose skins.
Put the skinned hazelnuts in a food processor or high-speed blender. Process for about 5–10 minutes, stopping every 1–2 minutes to scrape down the sides, until the nuts turn into a smooth hazelnut butter.
Melt 2/3 cup chocolate chips carefully: either microwave in 20–30 second bursts, stirring between each burst, until smooth, or melt in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water. Let the melted chocolate cool 1–2 minutes so it is warm but not very hot.
If you processed whole hazelnuts in step 3: add the melted chocolate to the hazelnut butter in the processor and process briefly until evenly incorporated and smooth. If you are using 1 cup hazelnut butter instead of whole nuts: place the hazelnut butter in a bowl and stir in the melted chocolate with a spoon until fully combined.
Transfer the finished Nutella to a clean jar or airtight container. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for best freshness (it can be left at room temperature for a few days).

Why You’ll Keep Making It

You’ll come back to this recipe for three simple reasons: control, flavor, and speed. Making Nutella at home lets you control the intensity of the hazelnut and chocolate notes. Toasting whole hazelnuts delivers a warm, toasty depth that jarred versions can’t match. If you want something even quicker, the hazelnut butter shortcut keeps prep under ten minutes.

Another reason is texture. Homemade versions are free of emulsifiers and stabilizers, which means you can control how smooth or rustic you want your spread. A quick blitz in the food processor gives you a buttery, silky finish. If you stop a little earlier, you get a slightly textured spread that’s fantastic on thick, crusty bread.

Finally, it’s versatile. Use it as a spread, a baking ingredient, a dip for fruit, or a spoonable treat. It’s also a small, satisfying kitchen project that doesn’t require a shopping list or special equipment.

Healthier Substitutions

If you’re trimming sugar or fat, there are sensible options you can try without changing the structure of the recipe.

Swap chocolate chips for a higher-cocoa (lower-sugar) option like dark chocolate chips to reduce sweetness while keeping texture.
If you want less fat overall, use the hazelnut butter option and choose a lightly strained or lower-oil commercial butter, but expect slightly different mouthfeel.
For a slightly lighter feel, blend in a small spoonful of unsweetened cocoa powder with the melted chocolate before combining—this stretches the chocolate flavor without adding extra sugar. (Add sparingly to keep spreadability.)

Tools & Equipment Needed

Oven and baking sheet — for toasting whole hazelnuts if you choose to start from nuts.
Clean kitchen towel — to rub and remove loose hazelnut skins after toasting.
Food processor or high-speed blender — essential if you’re turning whole hazelnuts into hazelnut butter; it does the heavy lifting.
Microwave-safe bowl or heatproof bowl and saucepan — for melting the chocolate chips gently.
Spatula and spoon — for scraping and stirring the chocolate and nut butter together.
Clean jar or airtight container — to store the finished spread.

Don’t Do This

Don’t rush the toasting or rub the skins off while the nuts are very hot. Letting them cool for a minute or two makes the skin come off cleaner and reduces steam that can make the nuts soggy. Also, don’t pour piping-hot chocolate straight into a cold food processor bowl—let it cool 1–2 minutes so you don’t risk overheating the motor or changing the texture of the nut butter.

Don’t expect jarred Hazelnut spread texture if you leave the processor unattended. Over-processing is rare, but depending on your machine, it may warm up the nuts and change viscosity. Stop and scrape often during the 5–10 minute processing stage.

Allergy-Friendly Swaps

Hazelnuts are the primary allergen here. If you need a nut-free version, consider these swaps while noting they will change the flavor profile:

Sunflower seed butter in place of hazelnut butter (if there’s no seed allergy). Use a neutral sunflower butter and fold in the melted chocolate as directed.
Tolerant households can try peanut butter as a base, but that becomes a different spread—still delicious, but not Nutella.

For dairy-free needs, use dairy-free chocolate chips. Melt them the same way and proceed with the recipe. These swaps keep the approach identical while respecting dietary restrictions.

Behind the Recipe

I first pared this down to two ingredients because I wanted the purest, quickest lane to homemade chocolate-hazelnut spread. The fewer the ingredients, the more each one matters. Toasting hazelnuts will always win the day for flavor; nuts fresh from the oven release oils and aromatics that lifted every jar I made.

Because the recipe is so short, you can focus on technique. Toast long enough to bring out the flavor but not so long that the nuts go bitter. Scrub off as much of the skin as you can for a smoother, less astringent finish. And most importantly: use tools that can handle the job—a proper food processor or high-speed blender makes the transformation from grainy crumbs to silky butter.

How to Store & Reheat

Transfer the finished spread to a clean jar or airtight container. Allow it to cool to room temperature before sealing, then refrigerate for best freshness. You can leave it at room temperature for a few days if you plan to use it quickly, but refrigeration is recommended for longer storage.

If the spread firms in the fridge, let the jar sit at room temperature for 15–30 minutes before scooping, or warm gently by placing the jar in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes. Stir thoroughly after warming so the oils and solids recombine into a smooth texture.

Common Questions

Can I skip to hazelnut butter? Yes. The recipe accepts 1 cup hazelnut butter in place of toasting and processing whole nuts. If you do, skip straight to melting and combining the chocolate.
How smooth will it be? Very smooth if you process for the full 5–10 minutes. Stop early if you prefer a slightly chunkier texture. Machines vary; scrape and check often.
Can I use other chocolate? Yes—chocolate chips are used for convenience. Darker chocolate reduces sweetness, while milk chocolate increases it. Melt gently and follow the same cooling guidance.
Does this keep like commercial Nutella? Homemade versions have no stabilizers, so they won’t keep as long at room temperature. Refrigerate for best freshness; the recipe itself notes it can stay at room temperature for a few days.

Save & Share

If you try this 2 Ingredient Nutella, save the post so you can come back when a craving hits. Share a jar with friends, or snap a photo of your first spread and tag someone who loves toast as much as you do. This is one of those small kitchen victories that feels luxurious but is shockingly simple to make.

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