Here is why America is the greatest country on Earth: Nutella.

I know. You’re thinking, “Nutella is an Italian product.” Ok, yes, smartypants, but this isn’t about origin. It’s about availability. And while European markets may be rife with Nutella delights, so are American ones. But it gets better: we also have peanut butter, speculoos spread, and even products SWIRLED WITH MORE THAN ONE. Europe, step YOUR GAME UP. (disclaimer: I still love Europe.)

We have all of these spreads available in spades. You know when even Jif is trying to get in on the chocolatey hazelnut action, it’s hit the mainstream.

And yet, in a sea of variety and choice, I was still left completely deprived in the Nutella department. True tragedy: the very first ingredient in Nutella is sugar. Great. Sure, there are loads of excellent recipes available to make your own, but sometimes you want to be able to just buy something instead of exhausting all that effort. HAZELNUTS DON’T BLANCH THEMSELVES, YOU KNOW.

So, essentially: water, water, everywhere, and not a drop to drink. 

This is why I openly wept with joy when Go Lo Foods sent me a few samples of their Sugar Free Dark Hazelnut Spread With Cocoa. Sweetened with erythritol (my sweetener of choice!), it literally says “100% less sugar than Nutella” on the packaging. Yes. 

Read it and weep (with joy).

Straight off the spoon, this spread provides a mellow, dark chocolatey hazelnut flavor without the cloying sweetness of so many other spreads. With a bag of hazelnut flour, some sugar free dark hazelnut spread, and a dream, I knew what I had to do. I had to stop eating the samples long enough to make nutella cupcakes. 

I opted for a simple vanilla buttercream to let the hazelnutty chocolate goodness be the real star of the show. One bite of these brought me to my knees. I am actually still on my knees. It has been very uncomfortable to type this.

So come join me on the floor and whip up a batch of these today! Thanks, Go Lo Foods!

“Nutella” Cupcakes (Low carb, no added sugar, gluten free, dairy free)

Cupcake recipe adapted from Keto Adapted 

Yields: About 12 regular cupcakes, or 24 mini cupcakes

Ingredients: 

Cupcakes:
2 cups hazelnut or almond flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp sea salt
2 egg whites, or about 1/3 cup egg whites
½ cup unsweetened almond milk
½ cup granulated sweetener
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp liquid stevia, optional

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
½ cup butter or dairy-free spread, softened
2 – 2 ½ cups powdered sweetener
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp almond milk or heavy whipping cream
¼ cup Go Lo Foods Sugar Free Dark Hazelnut Spread With Cocoa

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F and line cupcake/muffin pan with cupcake liners.

In a large bowl, combine the hazelnut or almond flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. In a medium bowl, combine almond milk, egg whites, sweetener, stevia, and vanilla extract.

Stir the wet ingredients into the hazelnut or almond flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Spoon the batter into the liners, about 2/3rds full.

For regular-sized cupcakes, bake 18-25 minutes (around 12-18 minutes for mini, but keep an eye on them), until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

To make buttercream frosting, beat softened butter or dairy-free spread and powdered sweetener until well combined and smooth.

Add vanilla extract and unsweetened almond milk or cream and beat until fully incorporated, adding more if needed for spreading consistency.

Spoon or pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

For topping, spoon or pipe dark chocolate hazelnut spread on top of vanilla buttercream in swirls or melt slightly and drizzle over frosting. Enjoy!!

Nutritional Info (Calculated for 12 regular-sized cupcakes, with hazelnut flour and dairy-free spread):

 

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post, however I did receive a sample for my review. All opinions expressed are purely my own and not influenced in any way.