To be honest, I hate Nutella — the sickening sweetness and artificial aftertaste; the unmasked flavor of processed chocolate; the heavy feeling after a single bite. It might be the organic kid in me, but when it comes to dipping breadsticks or dowsing french toast, I simply don’t see the appeal.
I’m not opposed to Nutella in theory. I’m all for the chocolate-hazelnut combo, if done with better ingredients in mind. If I’m going to change my breakfast to spread and toast, I want to feel good eating it. That’s where Noah Schnapp comes in.
How is Noah Schnapp's company, TBH?
Set on elevating eco-friendly snacking, the Stranger Things actor and budding entrepreneur launched TBH, a food and beverage brand currently selling a better-for-you-and-the-planet chocolate hazelnut spread. Schnapp and his co-founders focused on “radical transparency” in developing their product and the brand itself. Most importantly, TBH Hazelnut Cocoa Spread is free of palm oil, a proven driver of deforestation and detrimental climate change.
How is TBH Hazelnut Cocoa Spread different from Nutella?
The entirely vegan alternative is, instead, made with sunflower oil, cocoa, organic sugar, monk fruit, and USA-grown hazelnuts. The addition of pea protein gives Schnapp’s spread three times the amount of protein than the standard brand, serving up nostalgia and health benefits in a single spoonful.
TBH gained traction in 2021 on Republic, a platform used to crowdsource funds for new business endeavors. Backers invested as little as $50 in the budding company in exchange for bonus perks like lifetime discounts, annual event invites, and even a dinner with Schnapp himself, based on their pledged amount. Schnapp said the grassroots strategy — which exceeded its initial funding goal by 1900% — was hugely successful thanks to Gen Z consumers. Their Earth-conscious spending and impressive engagement on TikTok and Instagram helped get TBH off the ground.
Available at more than 500 stores across the country and online, I wanted to challenge my Nutella aversion to see if Schnapp’s “reinvention” really stands up to the hype. Though I haven’t missed the chocolatey-concoction since giving into my lactose intolerance, would TBH Hazelnut Cocoa Spread be the thing to break my spread skepticism? Armed with bread and sliced banana, I prepared my toast with an open mind.
How does the TBH spread taste?
The result: TBH Hazelnut Cocoa Spread really is superior snacking. The consistency of the spread is spot on. I was nervous about the pea protein being grainy or noticeable, but the texture is just as smooth as the original version. Satisfied customers mentioned this “good mouth feel” on the company’s website, a sentiment I can definitely get behind.
Monk fruit is not on my list of go-to sweeteners — I find the taste often chemically in comparison to simple cane or brown sugar — but again I was pleasantly surprised. The sugar blend added levity to the rich cocoa and rounded out the decadent flavor. My roommate and I balanced out the chocolate with our own sweet-and-salty creation dipping pretzels into our shared jar of TBH.
What’s best about Schnapp’s new and improved Nutella is the roasted hazelnuts get to shine through. The lack of artificial flavors and preservatives gives TBH Hazelnut Cocoa Spread a nuttiness more akin to almond or peanut butter, meaning you can actually get through more than a few dollops. The plant-based alternative isn’t just a dessert or infrequent treat, but a flavor to be enjoyed everyday.
Once opposed to the chocolate spread phenomenon, I am already brainstorming the ways I can put TBH Hazelnut Cocoa Spread to good use. Blended in a smoothie, swirled in banana bread or eaten as a pre-workout snack, there’s no limit to the ways I can express my new appreciation for the eco-friendly product. The only question is if I will allow my roommate another bite.