A super simple post for today, but it’s something the whole family has enjoyed so much that I wanted to share it. Chocolate hazelnut butter is of course a well-loved favorite, but recently we’ve discovered how pleasant this vanilla hazelnut butter can be. It’s pure hazelnut flavor, enhanced by vanilla and lightly sweetened by medjool dates. While the consistency is not as creamy as some nut butters, it’s still very spreadable and is lovely on toast or crackers. Up later this week- a special Valentine’s Day treat using this vanilla hazelnut butter!

Vanilla Hazelnut Butter

Ingredients

2 cups raw hazelnuts
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3-4 medjool dates, soaked in warm water for 20 minutes

Instructions

To remove the bitter skins off the hazelnuts, roast the hazelnuts in a single layer for 10-12 minutes in a 350 oven. Transfer the hazelnuts to a kitchen towel, and use the towel to rub the skins loose. (Removing the hazelnut skins always seems a bit tedious to me so this time I did not stress about getting every skin peeled and the results were just fine.)
Drain dates, but do not squeeze water from dates. In the bowl of a food processor or high speed blender, place the toasted hazelnuts, vanilla, and dates. Process or blend until hazelnuts become smooth and have a spreadable consistency, scraping down sides when necessary. Length of time needed to process depends on the strength of the appliance, ranging between 5-10 minutes.

Notes

*If medjool dates are extra soft, soaking may be unnecessary.
*Updated 10/21/2015: After some more experimenting, I’ve found the best results are achieved when hazelnuts are ground FIRST into a creamy nut butter to which the dates and the seeds from one vanilla bean are then added and blended into the nut butter. I’ve found this method to yield the creamiest consistency.

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