I finally managed to whittle down my out-of-control nut butter stash to just 2 jars - 1 peanut, 1 almond (coconut butter and tahini don’t count 😉 ) but then my cupboard was looking a little bare so I had to restock again (!) and decided to do so with some of the homemade variety.
If you haven’t made your own nut butter before, I urge you to remedy that now. It’s so easy, you can control the added ingredients (most of the store-bought varieties still contain unnecessary palm oil), it’s much cheaper than buying it and roasted nuts make your house smell amazing!
Hazelnut butter is a good one to start with since hazelnuts are on the higher fat end of the nut spectrum which makes them quicker to blend and gives you a super silky end product. And remember, nuts contain the good kind of fat which is so important for both physical and emotional health, so don’t be afraid of them!
Once you’ve got a lovely jar of homemade hazelnut butter you’ll of course have to make my favourite Hazelnut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins!
But for this recipe, as mad as it might sound to some, I wanted to go chocolate-free.
I bet if you played the word association game and asked people to name the first word they think of when someone says “hazelnuts”, it would be chocolate. And you’d definitely be in the minority if you didn’t like Nutella growing up….
But, as much as I’m a fan of the chocolate/hazelnut thing, hazelnuts are amazing in their own right and other pairings are also worth exploring.
Coffee and hazelnut is another magical combination but until now I’d only had it with chocolate in the mix too, as in my Healthy Mocha-Hazelnut Shake. Another must-try!
You honestly do not miss the chocolate one bit in this recipe. The mousse is sweet and creamy, with a rich, nutty depth and kiss of caramel flavour from the coconut sugar. I didn’t want it to be too heavy so instead of going all out on the nuts, I used silken tofu as the base. You don’t taste it so don’t worry if it sounds strange!
See my Little Lemon Pots and Blueberry Coconut Cream Parfaits for other tofu desserts.
I especially love the Hazelnut-Coffee Mousse layered up with sliced bananas and chopped roasted hazelnuts for some crunch. It’s a really easy, pretty wholesome, and outrageously delicious dessert!
Ingredients
- 1 x 200g/7oz pkg Silken tofu, drained ( I use Clearspring Organic )*
- 1/4 C Roasted hazelnut butter*
- 1/4 C Coconut sugar
- 1 Tbsp Maple syrup (optional, if you like your desserts on the sweeter side)
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 tsp Instant coffee (I used Four Sigma Foods Mushroom Coffee with Chaga & Cordyceps)
- 1/4 C Roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
- 1 Ripe banana, sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 190C/400F, spread hazelnuts in a roasting dish/tray and roast for approx 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, wrap the nuts in a tea towel and rub together vigorously to remove most of the skins ( don't worry if a few don't come off). Place the skinned nuts into a food processor with a large pinch of salt and process until smooth. This can take at least 10 minutes. You will need to stop and scrape down the sides a few times at the beginning.
- Blend all ingredients in a food processor or high-powered blender until smooth. Pour into a bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. When ready to serve, spoon into small glasses or ramekins, layering with sliced banana and roasted hazelnuts if desired.
Notes
*If using unsalted hazelnut butter, add a pinch to the mousse ingredients when blending.
*If you're using a larger pkg of tofu and have some spare, try adding it to a smoothie for a creamy texture and protein boost!
Have you tried making your own nut butter yet? What’s your favourite flavour?
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