{"id":156670,"title":"Homemade Algerian El Mordjene Hazelnut Spread","modified":"2026-07-18T02:33:17+02:00","plain":"The delicious recipe for the famous Algerian hazelnut spread!\n\n\n\nChocolate-hazelnut spread has become a staple treat around the world, and Algeria is no exception, with its own local creations. Among the most famous is El Mordjene, a hazelnut spread from the Cebon brand that has won over sweet-toothed fans. \n\n\n\nI tried the delicious recipe from blogger Rachida and adapted it slightly to suit my taste. You’ll find her link in the culinary sources section at the bottom of the article.\n\n\n\nThis product took off on social media, quickly becoming a viral sensation. With its intense hazelnut flavor, it has earned a place among the very best spreads, even outshining global favorites like Nutella.\n\n\n\nUse it in the frosting for cinnamon rolls\n\n\n\nThe Origins of Algerian Spread\n\n\n\nSpread in Algeria has a long history, rooted in the country’s appreciation for hazelnuts, a nut prized throughout the region. With its fertile northern lands, Algeria produces hazelnuts, although that remains little known internationally. \n\n\n\nThese spreads are often associated with the richness of local flavors, blending roasted hazelnuts and chocolate into a silky, creamy spread.\n\n\n\nEl Mordjene, from the Cebon brand, has emerged as a flagship product of this tradition. Its success comes from the perfect balance of flavors, giving it a texture and taste strongly reminiscent of the filling in Kinder Bueno. \n\n\n\nThough modern, this artisanal product draws on older practices of using local, natural ingredients to make desserts and sweet spreads.\n\n\n\nMy American mom’s cookie recipe for the perfect afternoon treat\n\n\n\nThe Controversy\n\n\n\nThe spread was recently banned from sale in Europe. Why? The official reason is that Algeria is not among the countries authorized to sell dairy-containing products in Europe.\n\n\n\nAll this comes just as it is enjoying meteoric success, even though it had already been sold in France for several years…\n\n\n\nThe Main Ingredients in El Mordjene Spread\n\n\n\nHazelnuts: Choose whole, unsalted hazelnuts. For a deeper flavor, you can roast them in the oven, but it’s not essential.\n\n\n\nWhite chocolate: Choose a high-quality white chocolate that isn’t overly sweet for better balance with the hazelnuts. \n\n\n\nDrizzle this Algerian spread over delicious homemade Japanese pancakes\n\n\n\nGrapeseed oil (optional): Although not essential, a little oil can help extend the spread’s shelf life and keep it from hardening in the refrigerator.\n\n\n\nTonka beans: My own small addition to the original recipe; they have a very powerful flavor, so use them sparingly.\n\n\n\n\n\n\tHomemade Algerian El Mordjene Spread\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t350 g hazelnuts (unsalted if pre-roasted)180 g white chocolate1 tablespoon grapeseed oil (optional)0.5 teaspoon ground tonka bean (optional)\t\n\t\n\t\tPreheat the oven to 160\u00b0C.Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until lightly golden and fragrant. Be careful not to let them brown too much.Let the hazelnuts cool for a few minutes, then rub them in a clean kitchen towel to remove the skins.Place the hazelnuts and ground tonka bean in a food processor and blend until smooth and fluid. Add a spoonful of oil, if needed, to adjust the consistency.Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring after each one.Gradually stir the melted chocolate into the hazelnut paste until smooth and creamy.For an extra-smooth texture, pass the spread through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any remaining hazelnut bits.\t\n\t\n\t\tKeeps in the fridge for up to 3 weeks\n\t\n\t\n\t\tDessertAlg\u00e9rienne\t\n\n\n\n\n\nCulinary Sources\n\n\n\nI originally found the recipe on the Algerian cooking website \u201cRachida Cakes and Cooking.\u201d Feel free to visit her blog; it is full of wonderful recipes. I slightly reduced the amount of white chocolate and added a pinch of tonka beans. I know they can be hard to find, but believe me, they really add a little something extra.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156670","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=156670"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156670\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18138"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=156670"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=156670"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=156670"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}