Choosing Better Ingredients
Choose a low-sugar or no-sugar alternative for a healthier option. Nutella contains 21 grams of sugar per 32-gram serving, almost the entire recommended daily allowance of sugar for a healthy diet. Look for an alternative with less sugar or even no sugar. Barefoot and Chocolate Hazelnut and Chocolate Spread has 20 percent less sugar than Nutella and many of the other leading spreads. Nuttzo’s Organic Paleo Chocolate Power Fuel has only 2 grams of sugar per 32-gram serving. Naturefood Company’s Nutilight is a sugar-free spread containing plant-based sweeteners. Their products are also gluten-free and cholesterol-free.
Opt for a nut-free spread to avoid potential allergens. Although a nut-free butter may not be a true Nutella substitute, those with a nut allergy or other dietary restrictions often still want to enjoy the familiar taste without the risks. Options include Don’t Go Nuts’ Chocolate Spread, made with cocoa and roasted soybeans, and Pascha Organics’ Make Me Smile Chocolate Fruit Spread, which is free of both soy and nuts.
Avoid dairy if you are vegan or lactose-intolerant. There are plenty of dairy-free alternatives to Nutella, including: Rawmio Hazelnut Spread, Peanut Butter & Co. Dark Chocolate Dreams, and Justin’s Chocolate Hazelnut Butter Blend.
Search for organic options to avoid unnecessary chemicals and preservatives. Although Nutella promotes its spread as containing all-natural ingredients, they are not organic. Some similar spreads with all-organic ingredient lists include Nocciolata’s Organic Hazelnut Spread with Cocoa and Milk, and Nutiva Organic Hazelnut Spread. Nocciolata also makes a dairy-free option now.
Consider higher quality chocolate for more flavor. Instead of products featuring mass-produced cocoa with added sweeteners, some chocolate fans have turned to spreads made with higher-end options like Hotel Chocolat’s Salted Caramel and Pecan Chocolate Spread, and Pierre Marcolini’s Classic Jams and Chocolate Spread.
Select a nuttier choice if you prefer a spread that is not as sweet. You may find you prefer a butter blend that emphasizes the hazelnut flavor more than chocolate. In that case, you may like Justin’s Chocolate Hazelnut Butter or Barefoot and Chocolate Hazelnut and Chocolate Spread, both of which focus more on the nut side of the equation.
Buying Budget- and Eco-Friendly Products
Balance quality with price to get the best value. While higher-end Nutella alternatives may be incredibly delicious, some are also incredibly pricey. Olivier’s & Co. L’Extreme Chocolate and Hazelnut Spread ranks high on many taste tests, but will set you back $20 for a single 8.4-ounce jar. On the other side of the spectrum, bargain hunters have been happy with products like Hershey's Spreads: Chocolate with Hazelnuts (around $3.49 for 11 ounces) with some even preferring the chocolate-heavy taste to Nutella itself.
Go for locally produced products to reduce your carbon footprint. Although it is enjoyed worldwide, Nutella is a product of the Italian food conglomerate Fererro. If you want to support local farmers and food producers---and you don’t live in Italy---investigate some homegrown options. In the United States, these include Rawmio, Peanut Butter & Co. products, and Justin’s Nut Butters, among others. The United Kingdom is home to Hotel Chocolat and Waitrose, which both produce spreads similar to Nutella.
Prioritize Fair Trade ingredients to support sustainable agriculture. Fair Trade certification ensures that products are produced in environmentally sustainable ways that also promote the wellbeing of the farmers and food producers. For example, Barefoot and Chocolate’s Hazelnut and Chocolate Spread is made with Fair Trade cocoa, cane sugar and vanilla.
Avoid palm oil due to health and environmental risks. Around half of all packaged products in supermarkets contain some form of palm oil, which has been linked to deforestation in the countries where it is produced. A common contaminant in refined palm oil has also been linked in some studies to cancer. In 2015, Nutella’s manufacturer Ferrero announced it had completely switched to sustainable palm fruit oil in all of its products, but regular palm oil may still be an ingredient in many of its competitors.
Making Your Own
Assemble the necessary ingredients. To make your own "Nutella," you'll need 1 cup of blanched hazelnuts, ¾ cup of melted 70% chocolate, ½ cup of sugar, and *½ teaspoon of kosher salt.
Toast, cool, and blend the nuts. Preheat an oven to 350 °F (177 °C). Toast the nuts in a single layer on a lined baking sheet for 8 to 10 minutes. Let them sit until they're cool to the touch. Then, chop the nuts coarsely or process them in a food processor. Add in chocolate, sugar, and salt and process the ingredients until the mixture is smooth.
Use sugar substitutes for a healthier choice. Substitute maple syrup, honey, or stevia extract for sugar in do-it-yourself recipes. A good rule of thumb is to use three-quarters of the amount of maple syrup or honey to substitute for cane sugar. Stevia is much sweeter than sugar, however, so use only about 1/16 the amount of powdered or liquid extract as the listed amount of sugar.
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