Simple Hemp Chocolate Spread
When I am at my busiest, the ideas pour in. I’m in a state of high productivity and usually the only challenge I have is fitting in everything I want to do. But then an idea pops into my head and there is no option other than to make it happen. When we put together the Baking and Sweet Treats module for the Culinary Nutrition Expert Program, I decided that a grain-free almond bread was nothing without a melt-in-your-mouth, creamy, rich hemp chocolate spread.
Now, we don’t kick it with Nutella around here. I have nothing against hazelnuts, it’s all the other stuff. That being said, I am forever grateful to those who introduced us to the idea of spreadable chocolate.
The catch with mine, especially as this recipe was now going to be part of the Culinary Nutrition Expert Program curriculum, is it had to be healing and nutrient dense on every level.
Brain Fueling Chocolate Spread: Culinary Nutrition benefits
- Hemp Seeds: Hemp seeds are mostly fat and protein. The ratio of omega 3 to 6 is ideal as an anti-inflammatory agent and the easily digestible plant proteins make hemp seeds a superfood for brain health and nervous system nourishment.
- Raw Cacao: Having less caffeine than its roasted counterpart, raw cacao lets us take advantage of the powerful anandamide, a plant chemical that translates as bliss in the brain. Combine that with the high antioxidant concentration and magnesium to help relax the smooth muscles of the body, and you’ll be laughing at this goodness – literally!
- Ghee or Coconut Oil: The medium chain saturated fats found in both ghee (clarified butter) and coconut oil are super brain fuel. These fats provide a steady flow of energy to the body and the brain that help us to feel energized in a calming way – without the spikes and crashes. As far as a spread goes, I also love that both ghee and coconut oil are relatively solid at room temperature, but sweetly melt when spread on warm bread or a muffin.
- Raw Honey: Raw honey is my go-to sweetener of choice as it’s available locally in Toronto, and is jam packed with anti-microbial phytonutrients, enzymes and B-vitamins (or should I say bee vitamins?).
Social Media + student Love for Hemp dairy-free Chocolate Spread
This dairy-free hemp chocolate spread is absolutely amazing – but don’t just take my word for it. It’s also become a student fave! Just look at the love our students have shared:
Jessica Forse, Queensland Australia
“Grain free almond bread and hemp chocolate spread. Homework never tasted so good! Thanks #cneprogram.”
Gemma Digby, Burlington ON
“Sometimes I eat chocolate for breakfast. And I don’t feel guilty about it. I’m here to tell you to eat it and eat it with confidence! Raw cacao is full of magnesium, iron and all sorts of other goodies. Hello less stress, better sleep and more energy. This Hemp Chocolate Spread is full of vitamins and brain boosting hemp hearts.”
Candra Reynolds, Toronto ON
“Hemp seed cacao spread! Now this is yummy homework! Plus my kids ate it for breakfast. Well 2 out of 3 anyways. So easy and full of goodness.”
Elizabeth Peret, Troy MI
“A filling almond bread served with a creamy hemp seed cacao spread. Love this adventure in the nutritional culinary world!”
Jennifer Barr, Toronto ON
“There’s no turning back, freshly baked grain-free almond bread paired with freshly whipped chocolate hemp spread – simply heaven. Can’t. Stop. Eating!”
Lindsay Longley, Innisfil ON
“This nut and seed bread with a cacao-based chocolate spread was a hit with my picky eater!”
Susan Labadiam, Newington CT
“I am in love with these recipes! The chocolate hemp spread is amazing.”
Deb Ganske, Red Deer AB
“Love my homework! Especially when it’s THIS good. And easy!”
Laura Hearn, Markham ON
“This week’s homework was AH-mazing! My family has been reaping the rewards of my labour and I couldn’t be happier.”
How To Use This Hemp Chocolate Spread
This spread is amazing in so many ways!
- Spread on fresh baked gluten-free breads or muffins
- Enjoy slightly melted with apples or strawberries
- Stir a spoonful of this into your morning tea (okay, fine, or coffee) for a little mocha burst
- Use it as a cake or cupcake frosting
- Stuff it into a dried or fresh date
- As a topping for pancakes or waffles
- When freshly blended, and it’s warm and liquid-y, drizzle over dairy-free ice cream
- By the spoonful! (Yes, I went there.)
more Chocolate Spread Recipe Benefits
As I was developing this recipe for the Culinary Nutrition Expert Program, I was also taking into account the varied dietary needs of my students and their future clients. And so proudly, this can be modified to work with the following dietary restrictions or styles of eating:
- Gluten-Free
- Dairy-Free
- Soy-Free
- Vegan
- Paleo
- Raw
- Nut-Free
- Grain-Free
Hemp Chocolate Spread
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
Description
A simple blender spread that is rich in brain-fueling fats and tastes awesome!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup hemp seeds
- 1/3 cup raw cacao
- 1/4 cup ghee or coconut oil
- 2 tbsp honey
- pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Process all ingredients together until smooth. Add more sweetener as desired to taste.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Category: Condiment, Dessert
I truly love creating recipes – it’s one of my most favourite things ever. And when I get to create recipes for the Culinary Nutrition Expert Program, it’s an extra layer of creativity as I aim to have every ingredient in the recipe count for health. No fillers allowed, and this of course is also the type of recipe creation I teach in the program.
Enjoy this vegan chocolate spread recipe in video-form, along with loads more in our Free Culinary Nutrition Mini-Training. Check it out now.
I think you should call the amazing single hemp chocolate spread, not-tella! Get it? Nutella. Not-tella? Thanks for all the great recipes and ideas you post Meghan! Its my dream to take a week of classes from you in TO. Best wishes!
★★★★★
So simple, yet so delicious! Also great texture. I am glad I tried this recipe!
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Made it. Loved it. Do you suggest refrigerating it or can it stay in the cupboard?
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So glad you loved it, yay! We recommend keeping it in the fridge.
It looks “yummy”, I can’t wait to try it ! I would add a little bit of Ceylon cinnamon powder to bring out more the chocolate flavor and also for health benefits. I tried it before in chocolate chia pudding and it was delicious. Thank you a lot for all the recipes and advices, YOU are awesome !
I am really trying to transform how myself and my family eat, and love all your recipes! I am embarassed to say that once upon a time I did buy Nutella for my daughter, until one day I actually read the ingredients. I just made this spread and she loved it (and so did my very picky son)!
It really tastes great, but the only thing is that my coconut oil seemed to separate from the rest of the mixture when I processed it. Has that happened to anyone else? Did I do something wrong?
It’s possible your mix got too hot. If your blender or food processor warms up to much, it can cause that to happen.
Thanks! I will keep that in mind for my next batch
If it has already happened is there a way to repair it or is that batch doomed? Love the taste by the way, many thanks for this recipe!
Made this today! AMAZING! Can’t wait to eat it with apples. Yumm!
My daughter, Carla, sent me this recipe and I just finished making it…. delicious! Thanks.
P.S. I received your book “The Undiet Cookbook” for Christmas and have already made several of the recipes and I must say this is my favourite cookbook.
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tasty & easy, I luv it! do you have any such ideas for a savoury spread, for spreading on crackers, veggies etc., besides the usual hommus?
You could try eggplant dip, pesto, or make a dip with veggies instead of beans: roasted red peppers, butternut squash, carrots, etc. and then mix with tahini, garlic, salt, olive oil and lemon. Delish! Or guacamole. Here are some fantastic guac ideas: https://www.culinarynutrition.com//20-best-guacamole-recipes/ and other condiments you might enjoy: https://www.culinarynutrition.com//12-homemade-condiments-youll-never-need-to-buy-again/
thank you, sondi!
★★★★★
Has anyone tried this with Hemp powder?
Do you use whole or shelled hemp seeds? I used whole and the spread is very crunchy and heavy
The shelled hemp seeds are easier to blend for sure. Try those next time!
I’d love to try this unique recipe, but we can’t use ghee or coconut oil due to food allergies. Do you think a non dairy butter would work instead or do you have any other ideas? Thanks!
We haven’t tried it with non-dairy butter, as we’re not fans of it. However, perhaps avocado oil or a neutral-tasting olive oil might be nice. You will probably need to use a little less of a liquid oil so it will be firmer. Experiment and see what you enjoy!
Wow! This tastes SO good! I will use it on my beetroot brownie when the kids will be coming over! Thank you all!
What would you say is the shelf life of this? How long would it be good for?
If you keep in the fridge, it should last for awhile. In our experience, people always eat it well before it has a chance to spoil.
I found this page by looking for a nutella alternative. Do you know what the calorie count is in this?
Hi Bobby! We don’t calculate the nutritional information on our recipes. Here’s why: https://www.meghantelpner.com/blog/how-to-read-nutrition-labels/
This sounds delicious. Can you use cocoa powder instead of the raw cocoa?
Thank you
Yes, you could definitely use cocoa powder – you may want to use a little less sweetener if you do.
Is there a replacement to hemp seeds, it’s not sold in Egypt.
Hi Laila! We’d recommend using about a 1/4 cup of any nut or seed butter you can find. You’ll want to use the ground nut/seed butter and not the whole seeds, as they won’t grind down finely enough.
Like one of the other commenters, mine has separated. Initially, it looked good, but I felt I needed to go back and blend it a little more and when I did that, then the coconut oil separated from the rest of the mixture. Is there anyway to remedy the batch so that it will come together again? Maybe just chilling it for a while in the fridge and then re-blending slightly to incorporate it?
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Hi Gwen! It’s possible that you overblended it, which made the chocolate overheat and separate from the rest of the mixture. We wouldn’t recommend re-blending it, as that can cause more separation. You could try stirring the oil back in at room temp, or draining off some of the excess oil. If you try this recipe again, you could double the recipe so it blends quicker and reduces the chance of overheating.