One of the hardest parts of being a new vegan (or even an old seasoned vegan) is trying to keep up with all the new products out there. I must have spent over $50 looking for the "right" vegan cheese my first year being a vegan and I have over 50 vegan/vegetarian cookbooks in my arsenal but not all the recipes are the greatest. I’m the first born so I’m used to being a Guinea Pig and now I’m your Vegan Guinea Pig. So here are my recommendations and critiques. Let me know what you think!

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter (Move Over Nutella)


There's a lot of things that I never had as an omnivore or a vegetarian - a Philly cheesesteak, a Reuben and I never had nutella.Now in my vegan life I have fallen so in love with a vegan chicken philly that I actually took one on a plane wrapped up in foil back from Philly to Atlanta and I make tempeh Reuben's at least twice a month. Now that I have found Justin's chocolate hazelnut butter I will be adding a new vegan experience to make routine.

When I look at the nutrition facts label of Nutella I see why I was never allowed to have it as a child and why I steered clear as an adult. It's basically frosting disguised as a nut butter. I honestly can't believe they advertise this stuff as a breakfast food with toast. A 2 tablespoon serving has 20 grams of sugar in it! To put it in perspective Pillsbury's Chocolate Fudge Frosting has 18 grams of sugar per 2 tablespoon serving. No wonder everyone loves this stuff so much. Who doesn't love sugar on a spoon?!

Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter has only 7 grams of sugar and double the protein of Nutella and it's damn delicious. And of course, unlike Nutella, Justin's is 100% vegan. Made of hazelnuts, almonds, cane sugar, organic cocoa cocoa butter, palm fruit oil, vanilla and sea salt. It is a bit pricey, I've seen it at Kroger and Whole Foods and both retail prices hovered near or over the $6 range for a 16 ounce jar. The taste is so good that the price doesn't dissuade me from buying it, it just ensures that I will use it conservatively and cherish every bite of it.

So far I can't stop cooking with it. Stay tuned for my Hazelnut Chocolate Pumpkin Pancakes and Hazelnut Hot Cocoa recipes!

Oh! I can't believe I forgot one of the best parts! This wonderful spread also comes in little individual packets so you can take it anywhere with you. I always keep one in my purse  now. You never know when the moment strikes that you just need a little chocolate and hazelnut.

6 comments:

  1. I haven't tried this, but I was a big fan of Nutella in my prior life. :) thanks for the review; I will need to check this out. - Cindy

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  2. Both recipes are already posted! Check out the recipes section.

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  3. I love the little packet idea. Nice to keep in the car emergency kit too.

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  4. Just bought it and I'm pretty sure it's my favorite thing in the world. Thanks for the recommendation!

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  5. They now also sell at Target...for a whopping 10.99!!!

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