Drinkable Nutella

Drinkable Nutella ~ a warm, sippable version of your favorite chocolate hazelnut spread.   This beats any drinking chocolate you’ve ever had, and it’s pure, molten bliss.  Go ahead, skip right to the recipe, I won’t be offended, I’d do the same thing if I were you…

When it comes to warming chocolate drinks there’s a definite pecking order and it starts with the lowest of the low, instant cocoa.  It’s unremarkable stuff made with water and sketchy powder ~ the mini marshmallows aren’t fooling anybody.   Then there’s hot chocolate, a step up with milk and real chocolate.  On the next rung you’ve got drinking chocolate (remember Starbucks’ Chantico?) which is rich and chocolatey, for sure, but so unctuous you can only tolerate it by the thimble full.  Finally, at the tippy top of them all is this DRINKABLE NUTELLA ~ silky, creamy, hazelnutty, and utterly hygge.  I know you’re gonna love it.

Prepare to have your mind, and taste buds, blown.  This is the best thing since sliced bread, and it’s SO much tastier!  I don’t know how I got this idea into my head, but once it was there, it wouldn’t let me alone until I went out and bought the biggest jar of Nutella I could find.  I got right to work with some delicious experimentation, and luckily it didn’t take long before I was sipping my way to nirvana.  A little trial and error was all it took to get the perfect drinkable Nutella ~ here’s how it all went down…

• MILK: a logical choice, but too thin and wimpy.  Ditto for almond and soy milk.
  
• CREAM: simply too decadent, and guilt just ruins the whole thing.
  
• SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK: too sweet, and has a ‘cooked’ flavor I didn’t want.
• COCONUT MILK: adds a coconutty flavor that detracts from the Nutella.
  
• EVAPORATED MILK: the results are thick, creamy, and just right!

Yup, the secret to this heavenly beverage is equal parts Nutella and evaporated milk.  Don’t be afraid of the evaporated milk, it’s real milk that has had 60% of the water removed (basically, concentrated milk.)  The evaporated milk gives this drinkable Nutella a nice thick dimensional quality without adding extra fat or unnecessary thickeners.  Love.

It’s a happy coincidence that both Nutella and evaporated milk are pantry staples.

If you have a problem with using canned milk you can actually make your own evaporated milk by simmering fresh milk in a pan until it’s reduced by 60%, instructions here.  You can also make evaporated milk by mixing 1 1/2 cups non-fat dry milk powder with 1 1/4 cups water until smooth.  This will give you the equivalent of a 12 ounce can.

TIP:  Evaporated milk is really handy to have around, so I recommend keeping a few cans in the cupboard.  It works especially well for creamy or cheesy sauces where you want a thick silky consistency.  You can use it in place of milk in soups, casseroles, desserts, and even as a coffee creamer!

And if you want to get all homesteader about this you can even make your own Nutella, I’ve got a recipe for HOMEMADE DARK CHOCOLATE NUTELLA.

TIP: To make this drinkable Nutella ahead for a party, combine the milk and Nutella in a saucepan until smooth, then refrigerate, and reheat on the stove or in the microwave just before serving.  The evaporated milk keeps really well.  You can even keep it warm in a crock pot.

Can’t get enough Nutella?  I also love these Nutella recipes…

• NUTELLA S’MORES BARS ~ it’s like having summer at your fingertips all year long because you bake them in the oven…no campfire needed.
• And one of my all time favorite cakes on the blog is this BANANA CAKE WITH NUTELLA BUTTERCREAM ~ it’s to die for.
• This decadent FLOURLESS NUTELLA CAKE?  Made with only 2 ingredients: Nutella and eggs!
• Nutella works really well in ice cream, like this Cookies and Cream Nutella Ice Cream.
• This elegant Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse Cake takes Nutella to a whole new level!
• Mid-Westerners will appreciate this Nutella Gooey Butter Cake
• These Pumpkin Nutella Cookie Bars have my name written all over them.
• This easy Nutella Fudge will come in handy during the holidays.

Make it your own ~

• There’s no reason you couldn’t make a boozy drinkable Nutella ~ I suggest maybe some Frangelico, Kahlua, or Amaretto.  Even whiskey, vodka, or rum.
• Pour this drinkable Nutella right over top of a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream for a fabulously easy dessert.
• You can reduce the ratio of Nutella to milk to cut calories.