Chocolate

Cocoa Dusted Hazel-Nuggets

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We call my son the “Nugget.”  My friend Angie came up with this name and it stuck. He’s got a smile that brightens up my day…..always. I made these in honor of his nickname. These Cocoa Dusted Hazel-Nuggets are perfect to share with your loved ones on Valentine’s Day. The combination of chocolate and hazelnuts is always a treat. Hence the invention of delicious Nutella spread. Nutella Day is here and this is my contribution. This is a major holiday in the world of food bloggers.

I am looking forward to touring around the web to see all the goodies everyone has come up with for this super fun event!

About Hazelnuts

  • A great source of healthy fats.
  • Suitable for vegans, vegetarians and meat eaters.
  • A great grab and go snack/mini-meal.
  • Versatile.  You can grind hazelnuts and use them to replace traditional flour “breading.”  Instead of almond meal you can grind up hazelnuts and use them in my Skinny Almond Crusted Chicken Strips.  Hazelnuts can top salads and can be eaten out of your hand.  They can be ground into Hazelnut Butter.

Eating nuts mindfully and with portion control can be a great addition of healthy fats to you balanced diet.  Nuts are rich in fiber, omega-3’s, antioxidants, phytonutrients and they play a role in good cardiovascular health.

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Cocoa Dusted Hazel-Nuggets

makes about 8 servings

Notes

  • I say go Big Batch here, the more Cocoa Dusted Hazel-Nuggets you have the better!  This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.
  • Source Organic ingredients when available
  • As always, use your own taste buds to determine how you want to season your Hazel-Nuggets.  My ingredient lists are wide open for interpretation! I would love to hear your version.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups Hazelnuts: Soak for 1 hour in warm water and peel off skins if you want to, I did
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Orange Extract (You can omit or use Coffee or Coconut Extract here too!)
2 tbs Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 Egg White
1/4 cup Agave Syrup, or Maple Syrup
1/4 tsp Salt
Add the following to a bowl, combine & set aside:
2 tbs Sweetened Cocoa Powder -or-
2 tsp Stevia Powder & 2 tbs Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

METHOD

Pre heat oven to 275˚F. Line a baking sheet w/Silpat or parchment. Whisk together all ingredients excluding hazelnuts until well combined. Add hazelnuts to mixture, toss well to coat evenly. Place coated hazelnuts on lined baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for about 35-40 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes.  Watch carefully towards the end so they do not burn. Let them cool on baking sheet. Toss nuts in bowl with cocoa powder until well dusted. Store in an airtight container.
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Fresh Variations

  • Use your Cocoa Dusted Hazel Nuggets to top your Oat Bowl.
  • Spread a handful over your Thick Greek Yogurt parfait.
  • Don’t have Hazelnuts, try this recipe with almonds instead.

Nutella (Hazelnut Chocolate) Recipe Links

~ Marla Meridith

Join the Conversation

43 thoughts on “Cocoa Dusted Hazel-Nuggets

  1. You know what’s funny is I love hazelnut flavoring but I’ve never actually had a hazelnut! Any phrase with the word nugget in it cannot be made in big batches at my house! I’m going to see if I can find some hazelnuts at the store tomorrow to try this 🙂

  2. Now THIS is a recipe that I adore 🙂 Chocolate. perfect. I mean, hello 🙂

    Thanks for all your awesome comments the past few. Your email that you received; there will always be someone w/ somthin’ to say. Delete key works wonders sometimes 🙂

    Blogs before bedtime, when else do we moms have 2 secs to ourselves LOL so of course you do 🙂

    xoxo

  3. thankyou SO much for visiting my blog and your sweet comments! I am so glad you did because now I found you!! LOVE your blog and LOVE this recipe! omg its perfect for valentines day or anytime of the day 🙂

    your son is adorableeee!!!

  4. Ah Ha! More healthy goodness recipes. Thanks for stopping by my site. Your right we do have a lot in common. However you are one up on me as far as food goes. I’m learning as much as I can about healthy and delicious ways to eat. I love agave. Very excited to try these bad boys out.

  5. Pingback: The Very Next Thing | Organic Living Ideas and Discussions | Green Eco Friendly Products | I'm Organic for Earth Friendly Gifts
  6. These sound delicious! I love that you created a Nutella-flavored snack without actually using Nutella – in fact these sound rather healthy! Hope you had a great Nutella Day!