Preheat your oven to 180℃
Line a baking tray with baking paper, and spread out your hazelnuts evenly
Place in oven and roast your hazelnuts for 10-15 minutes. Keep a close eye on them as they can burn in a blink of an eye!
Take out hazelnuts and let them cool for 5 minutes.
If your hazelnuts have skin on them, it's time to de-skin them. Take a clean kitchen towel or a rough cloth. Place the roasted hazelnuts in the center of the towel and fold it over the nuts. Rub the hazelnuts vigorously within the towel to loosen and remove the skins. Continue rubbing until most of the skins are removed. You might need to repeat this process a few times with a fresh towel if necessary.
Now blend hazelnuts in a food processor until they form a smooth butter. It's good to do this while they're still a bit warm as the oils will be released easier. Stop and scrape down the sides to make sure all of the nuts are blended evenly. This will take about 5-10 minutes depending on your blender.
Now add in cocoa powder, pitted dates, almond butter, vanilla extract, and salt and continue to blend until combined.
Store in an airtight glass jar in the refrigerator.
