You know that quiet little joy of twisting open a fresh jar of hazelnut spread, running a butter knife across the top, and getting that perfect first smear on warm toast? For decades, Nutella has owned that moment for millions of people. But if you’ve recently found yourself searching for 6 Alternatives for Nutella, you’re not alone. More than 41% of regular chocolate spread buyers say they’ve looked for substitutes in the last two years, according to 2023 grocery industry data. Whether you’re avoiding dairy, cutting added sugar, dealing with nut allergies, or just want to try something new, you don’t have to give up that creamy, sweet breakfast treat.

A lot of people assume all alternatives are boring, bland health foods that taste like cardboard. That’s not true anymore. Today’s spreads come in every flavour profile, dietary restriction, and price point you could want. Some are even better than the original, depending on what you’re looking for. In this guide, we’re breaking down every option, how they taste, what diets they work for, and when you should pick each one. No fancy ingredients, no impossible recipes, just spreads you can actually pick up at your regular grocery store or order online.

1. Homemade Unsweetened Hazelnut Cacao Spread

If you love the classic Nutella flavour but hate the 21 grams of added sugar per serving, this is your perfect swap. Most people don’t realize only about 13% of a standard Nutella jar is actually hazelnuts. This homemade alternative uses 70% hazelnuts, raw cacao, and just a tiny touch of maple syrup if you want sweetness. You can make a whole jar in 10 minutes flat, and it stores in the fridge for up to three weeks.

You don’t need any fancy equipment besides a good food processor. Most people already have everything they need in their pantry. Here’s what you’ll need for one small jar:

• 2 cups roasted, skinless hazelnuts
• 3 tablespoons raw cacao powder
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 pinch of sea salt
• Optional: 1 tablespoon maple syrup

This spread tastes richer and nuttier than store bought Nutella, because you aren’t diluting the flavour with palm oil and extra sugar. Many people who try this never go back to the original. It works great on toast, pancakes, fruit, or even eaten straight off the spoon. It’s also naturally gluten free, and you can skip the maple syrup entirely for a zero added sugar version.

The only downside is that it will be slightly thicker than commercial Nutella. You can fix this by adding an extra half tablespoon of coconut oil when blending. Don’t over blend though, or you’ll end up with hazelnut milk instead of spread. Start with 1 minute of blending, scrape down the sides, and add 30 second bursts until you get the texture you want.

2. Vegan Sunflower Seed Chocolate Spread

For anyone with nut allergies, this is the holy grail of Nutella alternatives. Sunflower seeds create an almost identical creamy texture, and when mixed with cacao, most people can’t tell the difference in blind taste tests. This is the most popular nut free chocolate spread on the market right now, and it’s available at almost every major grocery chain.

Unlike a lot of allergy friendly foods, this spread doesn’t cut corners on flavour. It is completely dairy free, nut free, gluten free, and vegan friendly. It also has 30% less added sugar than standard Nutella. Let’s break down the direct comparison:

Nutrition (per 2 tbsp)	Nutella	Sunflower Seed Spread
Calories	200	190
Added Sugar	21g	14g
Protein	2g	4g

This spread works perfectly for every use you would normally use Nutella for. You can bake with it, spread it on sandwiches, dip pretzels in it, or use it as a frosting base for cupcakes. It also doesn’t separate in the jar, so you don’t have to stir it every time you open it. The only thing to watch for is a very faint sunflower aftertaste, which most people don’t notice at all once it’s on toast.

You can also make this at home if you want even less sugar. Just swap hazelnuts for roasted sunflower seeds in the homemade recipe we shared earlier. This is a great option for school lunches, since most schools ban nut products entirely. Many parents say this is the only alternative their kids will actually eat without complaining.

3. No Added Sugar Almond Chocolate Spread

If you’re trying to cut added sugar completely out of your diet, this spread is made for you. Most low sugar chocolate spreads use artificial sweeteners that leave a weird chemical aftertaste. This one uses only the natural sweetness from almonds and a tiny amount of monk fruit extract that doesn’t have that bitter aftertaste.

A 2024 consumer study found that 68% of people who tried this spread rated it equal or better than Nutella. That’s almost unheard of for zero added sugar products. It also has twice the protein and half the fat of regular Nutella, making it a much more filling breakfast option. People eating this for breakfast report staying full 90 minutes longer than those eating regular Nutella.

This spread works best for specific uses. You will get the best results if you use it for:

1. Spreading on whole grain toast or rice cakes
2. Mixing into oatmeal or overnight oats
3. Dipping apple slices or banana chunks
4. Stirring into plain yoghurt for a chocolate treat

The one place you shouldn’t use this spread is for baking. The lack of sugar changes how it melts and holds together at high temperatures. It will work fine for no-bake recipes, but avoid putting it in cookies or cakes that go in the oven. You can find this spread at most health food stores, and it’s also available for delivery on all major grocery apps.

4. White Chocolate Coconut Spread

Sometimes you don’t want an exact copy of Nutella, you just want something equally delicious to spread on your toast. This white chocolate coconut spread is the indulgent alternative that feels like a treat, but is still much better for you than regular Nutella. It’s creamy, sweet, and has a light tropical flavour that works perfectly with fresh berries.

This spread is naturally dairy free and vegan, since it uses coconut cream instead of milk solids. It has no palm oil, which is a big plus for anyone trying to avoid that ingredient for environmental reasons. It also has 25% less sugar than Nutella, though it still tastes plenty sweet enough for most people.

A lot of people use this as a topping instead of just a spread. It works amazing on pancakes, waffles, ice cream, and even as a cake filling. It melts very smoothly, so you can also drizzle it over popcorn for a fancy movie night snack. If you’ve never tried this before, start with a small jar first, since the coconut flavour is quite noticeable.

If you want to make this at home, you only need three ingredients:

• 1 can full fat coconut cream, chilled
• 1 cup white chocolate chips, dairy free if needed
• 1 pinch of fine sea salt

Just melt everything together over low heat, stir until smooth, and let it cool in the fridge for two hours. That’s it. No blending required.

5. Peanut Butter Cacao Spread

This is the budget friendly alternative that almost everyone already has the ingredients for at home. If you have peanut butter and cocoa powder in your pantry right now, you can make this in 60 seconds flat. It’s not an exact copy of Nutella, but it’s creamy, chocolatey, and incredibly satisfying.

This spread is by far the highest protein option on this list. A two tablespoon serving has 7 grams of protein, which is more than three times what you get from Nutella. That makes it the best choice if you eat your spread first thing in the morning and need something that will keep you full until lunch. It’s also cheaper per serving than every commercial chocolate spread on the market.

Let’s compare the cost, since that matters for a lot of families:

Spread	Cost per 2 tbsp serving
Name brand Nutella	$0.42
Store brand chocolate spread	$0.31
Homemade peanut cacao spread	$0.12

That’s almost 70% cheaper than regular Nutella, and it takes one minute to make.

You can adjust this recipe exactly how you like it. Add a little honey for extra sweetness, throw in a dash of vanilla extract, or even add some crushed peanuts for extra crunch. It works for baking, dipping, spreading, absolutely everything. The only downside is obviously the peanut content, so it’s not good for nut allergies. Otherwise, this is the workhorse alternative that you will end up making every single week.

6. Lentil Chocolate Spread

This one sounds weird, we know. But hear us out. Lentil chocolate spread is the new viral alternative that everyone is talking about, and for good reason. It’s completely nut free, gluten free, vegan, has almost no added sugar, and has an unbelievably smooth, creamy texture that is almost identical to Nutella.

Cooked red lentils blend down into a completely smooth neutral base that takes on chocolate flavour perfectly. You can’t taste the lentils at all. No really, you can’t. Most people who try this blind guess it’s regular hazelnut spread. It also has 6 grams of fibre and 5 grams of protein per serving, which makes it easily the most nutritionally dense option on this entire list.

You can make this at home with these simple steps:

1. Cook ½ cup red lentils until completely soft, drain well
2. Add lentils, 3 tbsp cacao, 1 tbsp maple syrup, pinch salt to blender
3. Blend on high for 3 full minutes, scraping sides halfway
4. Let cool in fridge for 1 hour before using

That’s all. No nuts, no dairy, no weird ingredients.

This spread is perfect for anyone with multiple food allergies. It works for almost every restricted diet, and even picky kids usually love it. The only thing to note is that it does go bad faster than other spreads, so only make a small jar at a time and keep it refrigerated. It will last about 5 days in the fridge, which is more than enough time to eat the whole thing.

At the end of the day, there is no perfect replacement for Nutella, but there is a perfect replacement for your needs. Whether you need nut free, low sugar, vegan, budget friendly, or just something new to try, one of these six spreads will fit what you’re looking for. You don’t have to give up that morning treat just because Nutella doesn’t work for you anymore.

This week, pick one option from this list to try. Start with whichever one fits your biggest need first. If you hate it, you can always go back, but most people are shocked at how much they enjoy trying something new. Share your results with other spread lovers, and let everyone know which one ends up being your new go-to breakfast treat.