I’ve always been a hardcore Nutella fanatic, regularly eating it by the spoonful. During a particularly adventurous week, I decided to test out a couple other nutty chocolate spreads in an attempt to expand my repertoire of soul foods.
It was a selfless sacrifice, but I ate my way through five different kinds of chocolate spreads in order to determine which one really deserves the accolade of number one. I tested World Market’s Almond Chocolate spread, Peanut Butter & Co’s Dark Chocolate Dreams, Hershey’s Chocolate spread, Jif’s Chocolate Hazlenut Spread and, of course, Nutella.
So how did they compare? Let’s look at them from least to most satisfying:
5. Hershey’s Chocolate Spread:
Photo by Katherine Surko
This just tasted like moist hot chocolate powder. There was a weird granulated texture, revealing of cheap, poorly made chocolate with artificial flavoring. I would not recommend it.
4. Jif’s Chocolate Hazelnut Spread:
Photo by Katherine Surko
At first, this one tasted okay. It has a nice smooth texture, and you could definitely pick up the chocolate and hazelnut notes. The aftertaste, however, ruined the original experience. The solution to this problem would be to continuously shovel the Jif spread into your mouth – I can definitely think of worse things.
3. Peanut Butter & Co’s Dark Chocolate Dreams:
Photo by Katherine Surko
This spread was simply good. I wouldn’t find myself reaching for it at the grocery store again, but it has a satisfying taste, despite its slightly cloying, thick texture. The peanut butter overpowered the chocolate, but it didn’t leave me cringing, and it certainly did not stop me from eating more than my fair share.
2. World Market’s Almond Chocolate Spread:
Photo by Katherine Surko
This one would be about a 7.5/10 on the scrumptious scale. It has a quality chococolate taste, with a good almond-to-chocolate balance. It could have been a little smoother texture-wise, but it tastes great with pretzels and wouldn’t look at all out-of-place in a foodie’s pantry.
1. Nutella
Photo by Katherine Surko
So, as it turns out, Nutella does reign supreme. There were simply no other spreads that could compete with the silky texture or the perfect balance of hazelnut and chocolate flavors.
Photo by Grace Yoojin Lee
It can be good to shop around and see what’s out there, but don’t get absorbed with a “the grass is always greener on the other side” mentality – the Nutella standby is a classic for a reason. It was devoured within the day by me and my roommate, and now it’s dangerous for us to even keep it in our room. So, by all means, purchase yourself a jar, and feel free to congratulate yourself when it lasts more than 24 hours.