There are several brands that make chocolate hazelnut spread — Nutella being the most commonly known. Most of these brands use palm oil for texture, however, due to its high saturated fat and caloric content, it is a dubious choice for health. But chocolate hazelnut spread tastes so good, right?
Enter Nocciolata by Rigoni di Asiago in Northern Italy. They’ve developed a recipe for chocolate hazelnut spread that is free of GMOs, preservatives, colors, additives, artificial sweeteners and palm oil. It comes in two varieties — with milk and without milk — and I was given a jar of both to taste test and share my opinions (good or bad).
What I Liked about Nocciolata Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
Bot the milk chocolate version and the vegan (no-dairy) version are very smooth. They both also have a strong, rich, luscious chocolate flavor.
In addition, their sugar and caloric content is lower than Nutella. Two tablespoons of Nutella has 200 calories and 20 grams of sugar. A same sized serving of Nocciolata has 190 calories and 18 grams of sugar for the dairy version and 17 grams for the vegan version.
Another plus, the product is organic!
What I Didn’t Like About Nocciolata Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
The milk chocolate version was less firm than the vegan version and tasted sweeter. But the different really is slight. My biggest beef with this product is that the jars are so small — only 9.52 oz! A typical jar of Nutella is about twice that size.
Overall Comments on Nocciolata Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
This stuff tastes really good. It could be habit forming. I liked the vegan version better because it had a more dark chocolate flavor. If you’re looking for the decadence of a chocolate hazelnut spread but want to reduce sugar intake or eat more organically, you can’t go wrong with Nocciolata.
Who Is Nocciolata Chocolate Hazelnut Spread Suitable for?
Anyone who likes chocolate hazelnut spreads in general will like Nocciolata. It would taste good on toast, pancakes, crackers … even fillings for cakes and homemade sandwich cookies.
