Reboot-style Nutella

Today, the vision of soft pumpkin cookies wouldn't leave my mind (I blame my addiction to Foodgawker for this). And when I pictured these cookies, I saw them with chocolate. But not just any chocolate. No little chocolate chips in this daydream. I'm talking about thick, fudgey frosting in the form of something like Nutella. Nutty, really sweet, and kind of fall-ish. 

 But here's the problem. I'm in the middle of my six-week Reboot and the leader cannot falter!! That means a jar of Nutella is a big no-no for now because I'm staying clear of (to name a few) refined sugar, artificial flavors, and I'm really watching my dairy intake as well. Beyond those nutritional prerequisites, the Reboot is all about minimal foods coming from packages. So that means I need to make this Reboot-style Nutella from scratch.

Fast forward to this afternoon, and I'm feeling pretty stoked since I have all the ingredients on hand: 2 cups of hazelnuts from Trader Joe's, 10 Medjool dates, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, 2 tsp vanilla, 2 tsp coconut oil, pinch of salt.

Here's what I did. I put the hazelnuts in my food processor and blended them until a nut butter was formed. This took about two minutes. I think mine could've been puréed for a bit longer as it was still a bit chunky. Next I added the pitted dates one at a time and blended until smooth. Then I added the rest of the ingredients one at a time and mixed until combined. 

That's it! It took me no time at all and seriously folks, this is going to make a fantastic dessert served with apple and banana slices or strawberries. And I won't feel one bit guilty swirling a spoonful into my oatmeal or Greek yogurt in the morning. Or how does a banana-Nutella-spinach smoothie sound? I'm all over it!

Hope you give this a try the next time you crave pumpkin cookies (ha! Who needs 'em when you have a spoon!). 

Mission Reboot-style Nutella: Accomplished