Do you drink coffee? I actually don’t! I’ve just never got into it, despite having lived in Italy and France, both places with serious coffee cultures.
I love love love the smell of coffee, but the taste isn’t for me EXCEPT when it’s combined with chocolate of course! In that case, I adore it!
I’ve been making fresh almond milk probably twice weekly for some time now but was feeling like a change. We all know chocolate and hazelnut is one of those magical flavour pairings (Check out my Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Muffins or Raw Chocolate-Hazelnut Strawberry Jam Thumbprints if you agree!), so it made sense to give my mocha shake a hazelnutty base.
Hazelnut milk is just as easy to make as other nut milks- even easier in fact because hazelnuts don’t need soaking, since, unlike a lot of other nuts, they don’t have any (or very little) enzyme inhibitors. If you haven’t made your own nut milk before now’s your chance! You can make it as creamy as you like depending on how you plan to use it and avoid any unnecessary preservatives or fillers.
All you need is a high-powered blender. I use the Optimum 9400 from Froothie which is fantastic. It’s even more powerful than the famous Vitamix and Blendtec but much more affordable!
I also recommend a nut milk bag, like this one 
as it just makes things even easier and is reusable too. You can also use cheesecloth or a very fine sieve though.
One you’ve got your lovely creamy hazelnut milk and it’s nice and chilled, you’re ready to make the best shake you’ve ever had! And it’s healthy to boot! I used Organic instant coffee powder for the coffee flavour but you could use strong chilled espresso or even coffee extract if you want to keep this completely raw.
Rich, chocolat-ey and nutty. What more could you want?!
I was flying after drinking this. Maybe it was the little caffeine jolt for someone who’s not used to it…
Ingredients
- 1/2 C (75 g) Hazelnuts, soaked overnight
- 2 C (500 ml)Water
- 3/4 C Chilled hazelnut milk
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1 Tbsp Hazelnut butter
- 2-3 Medjool dates, pitted
- 1 Tbsp Raw cacao powder
- 1 Tbsp Cacao nibs
- 1-1/2 tsp Instant coffee
- 1 Small frozen banana
- 1/3 C Ice
Instructions
- Hazelnut milk:
- Blend together nuts and water using the highest setting on your blender, until as smooth as possible.
- Strain the liquid through a nut milk bag, or a cheesecloth, draped over a bowl.
- Squeeze, twisting from the top down, to get all liquid from the fabric and leave a dry pulp behind.
- Store in the fridge ( I use these Luminarc glass jugs with lids
)
- For the smoothie:
- Blend together hazelnut milk through to coffee until smooth. It may take a little time to pulverize the dates, depending on your blender. Add the frozen banana and ice and blend again.
- Serve in a chilled glass.
Notes
For drinking the hazelnut milk plain or for cereal, tea, etc. I make it a little thinner with an extra 1/2 C water. Also, after straining I return it to the blender and blend in one large date and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract.
Even if you don’t think you like coffee I urge you to give this Healthy Mocha-Hazelnut Shake a try. The coffee enhances the chocolate and really gives the shake its wow-factor.
Enjoy!
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I love the taste of coffee by itself (though that was very much an acquired thing, I used to also hate the taste and love the smell!) but am not at all fond of it mixed with chocolate. Or at least, not in the form of chocolate truffles. However I’ve been dumping spoonfuls of cocoa powder into my coffee every now and then, so perhaps they were just bad truffles XD This recipe looks like it would work for a “want coffee, but its too hot, and also I’m slightly hungry” moment. Or I guess it would also be doable to leave out the coffee and have a nutella shake…?:D
A “Nutella” shake would be fab too of course! You could also just add half the coffee and you probably won’t notice it. It will just add another layer of flavour and boost the chocolat-ey taste!
I love coffee when combined with chocolate too-who doesn’t?
This shake sounds awesome, I’ll have to try it.
Hope you do! Let me know what you think
I also love the smell of coffee, but have never much cared for the taste. This sounds really good though! I’m okay with a subtle coffee flavor especially when it’s combined with chocolate and hazelnut
You could always halve the coffee if you’re worried about too much coffee taste. It really brings out the chocolat-ey taste though so I wouldn’t omit it. Let me know how you like it if you do try it.
I’m just the same, I don’t drink coffee much but with chocolate and hazelnuts it’s just magical! In fact I’ve made quite a few chocolate hazelnut recipes on my blog and I never tire of inventing new ones, it’s just too good a combination
It really is isn’t it! I have really vivid memories of eating hazelnut chocolate on skiing holidays when I was little so the flavour combo has some nostalgia attached to it too
I haven’t made hazelnut milk in a while. When I do, I’ll make this - it sounds wonderful.
Hope you do Vicky! Please report back with how you like it as well.
This looks lovely Emma! I do drink coffee, as well as tea, but am always happy to make room for mocha flavours. I haven’t ever made hazelnut milk either! I will have to rectify that.
You definitely need to do something about that Kari. Hazelnut milk is beautiful stuff. I hated drinking cow’s milk growing up but now a love a glass of chilled nut milk
I’m a bit of a coffee addict, but I especially love it when mixed with chocolate. This sounds amazing!
I have a feeling I’ll probably get into coffee one day…for now I’m happy for another reason to have chocolate!
That looks utterly amazing! I seem to be having a resurgence in the kitchen experimenting thing at the moment, looking forward to making my own nut milk again
Hurrah for kitchen experimenting! Love those creative periods. I’m in the swing of making my own nut milks now, I think it’s helped getting a good storage jug so I can just keep it in the fridge door like a carton.
This looks so good! I’m definitely going to try it! I’m not much of a coffee drinker, but this looks really fantastic!
Great! Hope you love it as much as me
You are speaking my language with this smoothie. I loveee the hazelnut and chocolate combo (hello nutella!) and you can never go wrong with chocolate and coffee so combine the three and I’m in heaven. It’s nice to hear that you don’t have to soak the hazelnuts so no need to plan ahead. Can’t wait to try this out!
It’s a triple whammy!! Hope you do try it Katie. Let me know what you think
Oh golly…YUM.
😉 haha, that’s what I said when I took the first sip!
Hazelnut milk sounds delicious!
It’s wonderful Lauren. Go make some NOW!
We just drank a similar shake at a vegan cafe and I was so excited to see your recipe. I think it’s pretty darn close and I can’t wait to whip this up!
Perfect! Hope you do try it! I’m in love 😀
I’m similar to you, I’m not a coffee drinker at all (in fact, the idea of it makes me nauseous!) but love the smell and flavour in cakes, ice creams etc. Anyway, this sounds fantastic and I have all the ingredients - well, no hazelnut milk but I’m thinking almond milk would work well too?
Almond milk would definitely work too. I just love the chocolate-hazelnut pairing. It doesn’t take long to whip up a batch of homemade nut milk.
Sounds and looks amazing Emma! I love chocolate, love hazelnut, love coffee flavor. All sounds fabulous. I only use coffee for desserts, too. I love the taste of coffee and the smell is divine, but my body freaks out when I drink it, so I leave it to just enhancing desserts. I’ve never made hazelnut milk before, but it sounds divine!!
Enhancing is exactly the right word. Coffee just brings out the chocolatey deliciousness here. And you must make hazelnut milk- divine stuff!
Now this definitely sounds like my kind of drink! I’ve been meaning to have a go at making my own nut milks for ages now, but never seem to get round to buying the cheesecloth/nutbag. Really need to get on and do this!
Thank you so much for sharing your yummy recipe & stunning pics! ♥ p.s. I hope the exams are going well xx
Can’t believe you haven’t made your own nut milk yet Sharon! Once you’ve tried it you’ll be hooked I’m sure. It’s really really easy too. I’m using a jelly bag (bought from the kitchen shop in Bath) as I lost my nut milk bag. It works really well and is easy to clean with just a quick rinse under the tap.
Delicious and gorgeous photos! But I can never find the button to “like” your posts!
Thanks so much Julie! And you’re right, I don’t have a “like” button. Maybe I should get one 😉
Oh man, I’m trying to eat my way through my pantry and hazelnuts happen to be the only nut I have left- Definitely going to have to try this!
Ah yes, the pantry clean outs. I should really start on one. You don’t even want to know how many nut butters I counted today…let’s just say it’s in the double digits!
Let me know how you like the shake