We Taste-Tested 9 Chocolate-Hazelnut Spreads—Here Are Our Favorites
For our latest taste test, we’re taking on one of my favorite things to spread on toast, waffles, or fill doughnuts with—gianduja spread! What’s that, you say? These spreads have come to be colloquially known as “Nutella spreads.” Like how Microplane has become synonymous with rasp graters, Nutella is now a catch-all for this chocolate-hazelnut spread category. Though Nutella technically does not contain enough hazelnut to be classified as gianduja, it’s the gateway brand for most Americans who enjoy this spread. According to the European Union, “gianduja” should contain at least 20–40% finely ground hazelnuts, so we broadened the taste test category to include various chocolate-hazelnut spreads.
In another twist, this taste test includes brands you may not find in your local supermarket. Your go-to stores will probably carry Nutella, Caffarel, and a few others. Many of these spreads are imported from Italy and found at Italian specialty foods stores. If you’re still not able to find them (and some of them—some of them—are so worth finding!), they’re all easy to acquire if you order them online. I went down a chocolate-hazelnut rabbit hole, looking at over 30 different spreads, and ordered the top-rated options. The rest came from Eataly, which has an awe-inspiring selection of highly rated chocolate-hazelnut spreads (and bars, but a team can only be asked to eat so much sugar in a single day!).
The Criteria
A good gianduja spread needs the right balance of chocolate and hazelnut flavor. It must also be decadent. The best will be spreadable versions of gianduja bars, the solid form of these spreads, which taste like the most luscious melt-in-your-mouth truffles. The serving size is small, 1-2 tablespoons, so it should exude luxury in just a tiny bite. It cannot taste sickly sweet or unpleasantly coat your tongue. And, of course, the spread must spread! Weird clumping and oily separation simply will NOT do.
Our favorite spreads had the highest concentration of hazelnuts. The top spreads all had hazelnut as their first ingredient, and the ones we liked the least had sugar as their first ingredient. Our top pick boasts 50% hazelnuts. The same brand also had the most minimal ingredient list—no emulsifiers, cocoa butter, flavorings, or other nuts. Other top contenders all had high hazelnut content but notably also had emulsifiers listed in their ingredient lists. The spreads at the bottom of the pack contained more sugar, cocoa butter, and emulsifiers, a few had preservatives, and some even included other nuts (gasp!).
All of these spreads were pre-mixed, poured into a bowl, and labeled with a corresponding number. Our vessels for testing were small pieces of generic, sliced white bread since most people aren’t eating these right out of the jar (No judgment if you are. Everyone should do this at least 3129x in a lifetime.). They were asked to rate the spreads on flavor, texture, and chocolate-to-hazelnut ratio. I also prompted them with the question: “How would you use this spread?” This aimed to determine if they’d be inclined to use a spread for something other than spreading on toast. A dessert, perhaps? Slathered on breakfast? Or maybe just as the first of 3129 spoonfuls straight out of the jar.
Anyway, it’s important to note that these spreads have a long shelf life; we’re talking years, not months. Our favorite jar had an expiration date of next year (2025, if you’re reading this well into the future), and some less spreadable options listed dates in the next few months. Since brands do not list the production date on the label, it’s impossible to know exactly how old they are. Do yourself a favor and pick a spread with a long life ahead; it’ll give you more time to enjoy it, though I’m willing to bet it’ll disappear from your pantry fairly quickly.
On to our rankings.
The Contenders
- Marco Colazani Cacao e Nocciole Crema Spalmabile
- Rigoni di Asiago Organic Nocciolata Classic Hazelnut Spread
- Crema Novi Gianduja Spread
- Nutella
- Eataly Gianduja Spread
- Barbero Crema Spalmabile al Gianduia
- San Cassiano Gianduja Cream with Hazelnuts and Cocoa
- Caffarel Gianduia Cream Hazelnut Spread
- Maison Nocciola Piemonte Gianduja Hazelnut Spread
Editor’s Note: We also tasted two spreads that we did not include in the results. Trader Joe’s Cocoa Almond Spread was a well-liked Nutella-like alternative, but since it’s made from almonds, it did not qualify for the test. Ghia’s Ghianduja Crunch Hazelnut Spread should really be considered a super crunchy topping rather than a spread, as it was so full of almonds and puffed quinoa that it was also excluded from the results.
The Rankings
Marco Colzani Cacao e Nocciole Crema Spalmabile, 3.7/5
(50% Hazelnuts)
Marco Colzani’s spread was the clear winner. All but one of our tasters ranked this spread with top marks. Genevieve thought the hazelnut and chocolate were perfectly balanced. It was smooth and spreadable, and more than one person compared it to Ferrero Rocher. Amanda said, “This is more hazelnut-y, which is what I want, so this is the correct level of chocolate.” We collectively decided this was our idea of what gianduja should taste like.
Maison Nocciola Piemonte Gianduja Hazelnut Spread, 3.58/5
(52% Hazelnuts)
This was a very pleasantly spreadable gianduja. It was a little more liquidy, but that made it easier to spread—a plus everyone felt compelled to mention. Is there such a thing as too much hazelnut when you’re eating gianduja? For one person in our group, the hazelnut flavor was a little too strong. But generally, the group loved the taste. The color led us to expect a chocolate-forward flavor, but we were wrong. This spread delivered on its promise of 52% hazelnut.
Caffarel Gianduia Cream Hazelnut Spread, 3.56/5
(40% Hazelnuts)
The hazelnut-forward flavor of Caffarel’s spread was a pleasant plus to some. We all noticed that it was creamy. Like, it was very creamy! Genevieve called it “really thick and luscious.” But did the richness result in point deductions? The viscosity was definitely a problem. I had so much trouble mixing this spread because it was so thick that I broke a knife. Yes, that’s what I get for using plastic.
Eataly Gianduja Spread, 3.5/5
(50% Hazelnuts)
Eataly’s store brand also fared well with the group and got high marks in the flavor category. Everyone considered it a “good” or “solid” choice. Several noticed that it had a nice hazelnut flavor. The texture was creamy, but some people noted graininess from the sugar. Genevieve wrote it was “not too sweet, which is nice, but it definitely leans towards milk chocolate.”
Nutella, 3.15/5
(13% Hazelnuts)
Several clocked the sweetness; Genevieve compared it to milk chocolate, a less-than-delighted comment from our resident pastry wiz. Two people correctly guessed that this was Nutella. However, it received high praise in the spreadability department. Our business development lead Erin thought it was “perfectly smooth to spread and consume.” I’ll have to agree with her there. Nutella is creamy and doesn’t separate, which is certainly part of the appeal.
Crema Novi Gianduja Spread, 3/5
(45% Hazelnuts)
The consensus on Crema Novi was that it was very middle-of-the-road. Only one taster wholeheartedly approved of this spread. Associate photo director Jordan said, “This is my favorite one by far.” Several members noted the oil separation, making it easy to spread but less appetizing. I promise I made every effort to mix this puppy, but it did not want to stay together! Genevieve pointed out, “I’m really not getting much chocolate!” And she wasn’t the only one.
Rigoni di Asiago Organic Nocciolata Classic Hazelnut Spread, 2.7/5
(Hazelnut percentage unclear)
This was another sweet contender! We struggled to consume the recommended serving size (1 tablespoon) on our bread squares. Amanda even reported stomach trouble. Most thought the texture was a positive; Genevieve even said, “It’s smooth and drapes nicely.” There wasn’t enough chocolate or hazelnut, and it had a hint of artificial chocolate taste. It tasted more like a poor-quality chocolate spread than a proper chocolate hazelnut spread.
Barbero Crema Spalmabile al Gianduia, 2.13/5
(45% Hazelnut paste)
The flavor was OK, but the texture was distracting. Our tasters called it clumpy, chunky, and sticky. Genevieve said, “Oh my god, this is like the peanut sludge that won’t come out of the bottom of your jar!” In the section where I asked how they might use this, multiple people replied, “I wouldn’t.”
San Cassiano Gianduja Cream with Hazelnuts and Cocoa, 1.9/5
(15.5% Hazelnut paste)
Was there an artificial sweetener added to this gianduja spread? No. Was there corn syrup in it? Also no! Did bubblegum somehow accidentally get mixed all up in there?!?! Almost certainly not! And yet…
Our Testing Methodology
All taste tests are conducted with brands completely hidden and without discussion among tasters that could influence results. Tasters taste samples in random order. For example, taster A may taste sample 1 first, while taster B will taste sample 6 first. This is to prevent palate fatigue from unfairly giving any one sample an advantage. Tasters are asked to fill out tasting sheets (Google docs) ranking the samples for various criteria. All data is tabulated and results are calculated with no editorial input in order to give us the most impartial representation of actual results possible.
