Chocolate Hazelnut Oatmeal

When was the first time you experienced Nutella?

I had never even heard of it until my freshman year of college when I was taking French 101. A number of my classmates had birthdays within a week or two of each other, so one day, our professor walked into class carrying a stack of crepes and a jar of Nutella. Bon anniversaire, indeed!

Personally, I'd rather enjoy spoonfuls of Peanut Butter and Co.'s "Dark Chocolate Dreams," which tastes less artificial and sickeningly sweet, but I can kind of understand the obsession with Nutella. I'd rather have the homemade version. ;) Did you know sugar is the first ingredient listed in Nutella? Before the hazelnuts! What is that madness?!

Because I'm not a huge fan of actual Nutella, I did not merely stir in spoonfuls of the beloved nut butter into my porridge and call it a recipe, but don't let me stop you from doing so if that's what you prefer. Instead, I took the basic elements of Nutella (chocolate and hazelnuts) and let them do their thing. Of course, you will need to sweeten it somehow. This can be accomplished with chopped dates, maple syrup, or even vanilla yogurt. Mashed banana is also an option, but that would impact the flavor drastically (although I think that sounds kind of tasty!).

Chocolate Hazelnut Oatmeal

by The Oatmeal Artist

Prep Time: 2 min

Cook Time: 5 min

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Ingredients (serves 1)

• 1 cup milk of choice, or water
• 1/2 cup rolled oats (I use Country Choice Organic)
• 4 tsp cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp hazelnut extract (optional)
• 1/4 cup yogurt of choice (plain or vanilla)
• maple syrup, if necessary
• handful of hazelnuts, crushed
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Bring milk (I use 1/2 c original almond milk and 1/2 c water) to a boil, add oats, and reduce heat to medium. (If you'd like to add flax or chia seeds, or chopped dates, do so now.)
2. Once more of the liquid has absorbed, add cocoa powder, optional hazelnut extract, and salt. Stir.
3. Stir in optional yogurt, as well as half of the crushed hazelnuts. Taste and sweeten with maple syrup if necessary.
4. When you're pleased with the consistency of the oatmeal, transfer to a bowl. Serve with another splash of your milk of choice, remaining hazelnuts, and any other additional toppings (chocolate chips, sliced bananas, fresh strawberries, shredded coconut, nuts, etc.).

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