Buy Chocolate

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I’ve eaten more chocolate spread over the past eighteen months than most people consume in a lifetime. It wasn’t purely for pleasure — though plenty of that happened too — I was trying to answer a specific question: which chocolate spread is actually worth buying? The supermarket shelves are packed with options ranging from $4 commodity jars to $25 artisanal tins, and the prices don’t always correlate with quality. This ranking covers ten brands across three price tiers, judged on taste, ingredient quality, texture, and value for money.

I tested each spread blind (someone else labelled the spoons) and then again with the label visible to see whether packaging influenced perception. The results shifted my opinions about several brands, and one or two of them might surprise you.

How I Ranked Them

Every spread was evaluated on five criteria. Taste accounts for 40% of the score — does it taste like real chocolate or artificial flavouring? Ingredients account for 25% — is the first ingredient sugar or nuts? Texture is 15% — smooth, gritty, oily, separated? Value is 10% — does the price match the quality? Nutrition accounts for the remaining 10% — sugar content per serving, fat quality, and any meaningful protein or fibre.

I don’t claim this is scientific. It’s one person’s palate with a systematic approach, and your preferences will differ. If you love the sweetness of mass-market spreads, you’ll disagree with some of my rankings. That’s fine — it’s chocolate, not medicine.

1. Rigoni di Asiago Nocciolata — The Best Overall

Nocciolata wins the number one spot with a score of 89/100. It contains 33% hazelnuts versus Nutella’s 13%, uses organic cocoa, and swaps palm oil for sunflower oil. The taste is genuinely nutty — the hazelnut flavour comes through clearly rather than being buried under sugar. A two-tablespoon serving contains 13g of sugar, which is 8g less than Nutella, and the texture is smooth without being greasy.

Price runs about $10 per 350g jar at Whole Foods. You can also find it at Sprouts and online. I prefer the dark chocolate version over the milk chocolate — it’s less sweet and the cocoa flavour is more pronounced. This is the spread I recommend to anyone who asks for a single versatile option.

2. Castronovo Chocolate Spread — Best Premium Option

Castronovo is a Florida-based bean-to-bar chocolate maker, and their spread uses the same single-origin cacao beans that go into their $12 bars. The ingredient list is absurdly short: organic cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter. No nuts, no palm oil, no lecithin. It tastes like melted dark chocolate bar rather than chocolate spread, which is exactly what makes it special.

The drawbacks are the price — $18 for a 200g jar — and the texture, which firms up significantly in cool temperatures. You’ll need to let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before spreading. The sugar content is also relatively high at 12g per serving, though the quality of that sugar (organic cane, not refined white) is better than the mass-market alternatives. For dark chocolate lovers with room in the budget, this is the best spread on the market.

3. ChocZero Hazelnut Spread — Best Keto Option

ChocZero uses monk fruit as a sweetener and delivers 1g net carbs per serving with zero added sugar. The hazelnut content is decent — it’s the second ingredient after cocoa butter — and the taste holds up well against sugar-based spreads. The texture is slightly thicker than Nutella, and the sweetness level is noticeably lower, which I personally prefer.

At $12 per 255g jar, it’s expensive for the size. The ingredient list includes soluble corn fibre, which some people find causes digestive discomfort. I don’t experience that, but it’s worth noting. If you’re following a strict keto diet, this is the best chocolate spread you can buy. If you’re not, you’re paying a premium for sugar substitutes you don’t need. Visit our keto chocolate spread recipe guide if you’d rather make your own low-carb version at home.

4. Nutella — The Benchmark, Not the Best

Nutella scores 65/100. It’s the benchmark that every other spread is measured against, but it’s not the best option available. The sugar content is genuinely high at 21g per serving, the hazelnut content is low, and the palm oil is a concern for anyone who cares about environmental impact or saturated fat.

That said, Nutella has perfected the texture that most alternatives struggle with — it’s always smooth, always spreadable straight from the cupboard, and universally recognised. If you’re baking for a crowd and need predictable results, Nutella delivers consistency that artisanal brands can’t match. For a full comparison of ingredients and nutrition, read our chocolate spread vs Nutella breakdown.

5. Pascha Organic Dark Chocolate Spread — Best Nut-Free

Pascha makes an organic dark chocolate spread using sunflower seeds instead of hazelnuts. It’s vegan, soy-free, and certified organic. The taste is closer to dark chocolate than the sweet milk-chocolate profile of Nutella, and the sunflower seeds give it a slightly earthy undertone that works well with the cocoa.

It scores 80/100 in my rankings. The texture is a bit looser than Nutella — it separates more easily — and the flavour is less universally appealing. But for anyone with nut allergies who wants a chocolate spread that doesn’t taste like a compromise, this is the best option. Find more nut-free options in our nut-free chocolate spread guide.

6. Chocolat Chiaro — Best Italian Artisan

Chocolat Chiaro is an Italian artisan brand that uses Piedmont hazelnuts (the IGP-protected variety), single-origin cocoa from Ecuador, and cocoa butter instead of vegetable oils. The ingredient list reads like a recipe rather than a chemistry experiment: hazelnuts, cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla. That’s all. The hazelnut flavour is the most pronounced of any spread I tested, and the texture is noticeably richer than mid-range options.

The catch is the price — $22 per 250g jar — and limited availability. You’ll need to order online from specialist Italian food retailers. It’s a special-occasion spread rather than an everyday pantry staple, but if you’re serving it to guests who appreciate quality chocolate, it will get noticed.

7. Nutivia Hazelnut Cacao Spread — Best Budget-Friendly Premium

Nutivia is a relatively new brand that positions itself between Nutella and the artisan options. It uses Italian hazelnuts (17%), fair-trade cocoa, and a mix of coconut oil and shea butter instead of palm oil. The sugar content is 11g per serving — less than half of Nutella’s — and the taste is noticeably more chocolate-forward.

At $7 per 300g jar, it’s the best value option in the mid-range category. The texture is slightly grainier than Nutella, and the spread separates if stored in a warm cupboard, but a quick stir fixes that. Available at Target and Walmart.

8. Love + Chew Cacao Spread — Best for Clean Ingredients

Love + Chew is an Australian brand that makes a seven-ingredient spread using coconut oil, cacao, and coconut nectar as the sweetener. It’s paleo-friendly, vegan, and free from refined sugar. The taste is more coconut-forward than traditional chocolate spreads — the coconut oil and coconut nectar both contribute noticeable flavour — so it works best if you enjoy that profile.

It scores 75/100. The texture is smooth at room temperature but firms up significantly in the fridge. Price is about $10 per 250g jar. This is a nice option for anyone who avoids refined sugar but doesn’t want to compromise on clean ingredients.

9. Justin’s Chocolate Hazelnut Butter — Most Disappointing

Justin’s is a well-regarded brand in the nut butter space, so I had high expectations for their chocolate hazelnut spread. The reality was disappointing: it’s gritty, the hazelnut content is low, and the chocolate flavour is faint. The ingredient list isn’t bad — hazelnuts, cocoa, palm fruit oil — but the execution falls short. At $9 per 265g jar, it’s not terrible value, but several cheaper options taste better.

10. Barefoot & Chocolate Hazelnut Spread — Honourable Mention

Barefoot & Chocolate is a Minnesota-based craft chocolate maker whose spread uses single-origin cocoa from the Dominican Republic and local honey as the sweetener. It’s the only spread on this list with honey instead of sugar, which gives it a distinctive floral note. The hazelnuts are roasted in-house, and the texture is thicker and more rustic than commercial options.

At $14 per 240g jar, it’s a justified premium for the ingredient quality. Available directly from their website and at select Midwestern retailers.

Final Rankings Summary

If you buy one spread, make it Rigoni di Asiago Nocciolata. If money is no object, Castronovo. If you’re keto, ChocZero. And if you just want the familiar taste of your childhood, Nutella still delivers — just know you’re paying for marketing as much as ingredients. For the full picture on how these compare to homemade versions, read our complete guide to chocolate spread.

I opened the last jar in my testing lineup on a Tuesday evening, not expecting much — it was a brand I’d never heard of, bought on a whim from a specialty food shop. The spread was darker than any of the others, almost black, and the texture was thick like room-temperature butter. One spoonful and I stopped writing notes. I just sat there, eating it straight from the jar, knowing I’d found something special. That jar was Castronovo. The best chocolate spreads don’t just satisfy a craving — they make you pause and actually taste what you’re eating. Visit the buy chocolate homepage to explore more brand guides and find your next favourite.

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread Guide