We’re no strangers to having chocolate for breakfast. There’s nothing like a hot cup of tsokolate, or tablea hot chocolate, to go with your pandesal. Champorado, easily the best breakfast known to man, is flat-out chocolate rice.
It’s no surprise, then, that Filipinos have embraced Nutella and folded it into their breakfast rituals, to spread over bread and drizzle over pancakes, perhaps even rice (we won’t judge).
Nutella is the most popular chocolate hazelnut spread in the world, but it’s not the only one. Big-name brands like Gardenia and Goya have also come out with their own chocolatey spreads.
This taste test samples seven other chocolate hazelnut spreads to find the ones we like, and see how similar they look and taste to Nutella. Because while Nutella sets the standard, let’s be real: it’s not cheap. Which alternative chocolate hazelnut spread gets you that same sweet, nutty, chocolate hazelnut indulgence—for less?
What is Nutella?
Nutella is a popular chocolate hazelnut spread by the Ferrero company (the same guys who make Ferrero Rocher). The spread takes inspiration from gianduja or gianduia, an Italian chocolate-hazelnut paste.
Nutella combines roasted hazelnuts, cocoa, and skim milk, creating a silky-smooth chocolate spread with a distinct nutty flavor. It’s often enjoyed as a breakfast and snack item, but can also be incorporated into pastries and drinks.
Nutella is now shorthand for chocolate hazelnut spread. While it’s a far cry from real gianduja, it offers the most affordable and crowd-pleasing version. Roasted hazelnuts and milk chocolate come together with just the right sweetness, ending with a creaminess that lingers on the palate.
How we tested
We picked seven locally available chocolate hazelnut spreads for this taste test. Each brand, sampled by the spoonful and over crackers, was judged in terms of texture, nuttiness, and proximity of flavor to Nutella. Does it pass as a convincing dupe, or is it good on its own merits?
We tested our top picks further through a blind taste test. Together with the real thing, the Pepper team had to guess which of the chocolate spreads, placed in unlabeled cups, was Nutella. This helped us gauge which of our picks passes as a good Nutella dupe.
