Spread hazelnuts onto an ungreased, rimmed baking sheet.
Bake at 300 degrees in the middle rack for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature for 2-3 minutes.
Place hazelnuts onto a clean thick dish towel, then rub hazelnuts against the towel to remove the skins. I'm not going to lie: this is my least favorite part, and it can take a while. However, don't be too picky: hazelnuts can have a bit of skin on them and it's going to be fine!
Place de-skinned hazelnuts into a food processor and process until smooth. This takes about 3-4 minutes.
Once the hazelnuts are a smooth texture, add the coconut sugar, cocoa powder, melted coconut oil, and water. Process until the cocoa powder combines fully and the mixture is now a beautiful chocolate color.
To add sweetness, start by adding a half tablespoon of maple syrup, pulse, then stop the food processor and taste the spread. If you prefer the spread to be sweeter, repeat with another half tablespoon of maple syrup and pulse, until the chocolate hazelnut spread reaches the level of sweetness you prefer. For us, we found one and a half tablespoons to be perfect.
Notes
MAKES about 1 to 1.5 cups, enough to use as a dip or drizzle of about 12 to 15 servings. The nutrition value is based on 12 servings.STORAGE: store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week, or in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.