Creamy, soft macadamia nuts blend with cacao or carob powder and honey to make a rich, smooth, vegan Nutella-like spread that I call mac nut"ella". Look for very fresh mac nuts to make this amazing spread for your kitchen. Nut-free suggestion included.
¼ to ½cuphoney or pure maple syrupto taste, see note
¼teaspoon+ ⅛ teaspoon salt
2teaspoonscoconut oil
4-8tablespoonscoconut or other non-dairy milksee note
Instructions
1. In a food processor or Vitamix, blend the nuts until they’ve turned to butter. For macadamias, this happens very quickly - as little as 30 seconds in a food processor - but I let it go for 2 minutes to get it as smooth as possible.
2. Add all other ingredients and blend until it’s smooth like nut butter. I blended off-and-on for a full two minutes. It would be extra-creamy in a Vita-mix, but a Cuisinart food processor works as well. If it’s stickier than you’d prefer, use the additional coconut milk and pulse until it's incorporated.
Notes
For our taste, ¼ cup of honey is sweet enough. If you tend to enjoy your spreads sweet, taste before you remove your nut"ella" from the food processor and add more if you prefer. In baking, such as in a brownie recipe I'll be publishing next, the sweetener works with the eggs to form the shiny brownie crust.Adjust the amount of coconut milk depending on whether you want a thicker or thinner spreading consistency.