A healthier alternative to Nutella is a chocolate spread where nuts, not sugar, come first on the ingredient list. Look for no palm oil, no added emulsifiers and a few grams of sugar per serving instead of about 20. Nut-based spreads still have plenty of calories. What changes is where those calories come from.
What's actually in Nutella?
Sugar is the first ingredient in US Nutella, and palm oil is the second.
The US label lists 200 calories, 21 g total sugars and 19 g added sugars per 2 tablespoons (37 g), according to Ferrero's SmartLabel listing. That is 38% of the Daily Value for added sugars in one serving. The ingredient list also includes skim milk, soy lecithin (an emulsifier) and vanillin.
None of that makes Nutella a bad food or makes anyone who eats it wrong. It's a sweet spread that tastes great, and it's honest about what it is. If you want something you can eat more often, though, the label shows you what to change.
What should you look for in a better chocolate spread?
Read the ingredient list first and the nutrition panel second. Three things matter most.
- What comes first. Ingredients are listed by weight, from most to least. If sugar comes first, you're buying a sweet spread with some nuts in it. If nuts come first, it's mostly nuts.
- Palm oil. Many spreads add palm oil to keep them smooth and stop the oil separating. Palm oil is about half saturated fat, per the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. A nut butter doesn't need it, since nuts already bring their own oil.
- Emulsifiers and stabilizers. Soy lecithin, mono- and diglycerides and gums keep a spread uniform on the shelf. They aren't dangerous, but they're a sign of a more processed product. Without them, the jar may separate, and you stir it.
Then check the Added Sugars line on the Nutrition Facts panel. The FDA sets the Daily Value for added sugars at 50 g. A spread with 2 to 5 g of added sugar per serving is a very different food from one with close to 20. Our guide to finding a low-sugar chocolate spread goes deeper on reading that line.
How does Nutella compare with a nut-first spread?
The biggest difference is sugar. The ingredient lists come next.
Here's a side-by-side. Nutella numbers come from its US label, scaled to 32 g so every column uses the same weight. The "typical better-for-you spread" column describes the category in general, not any one brand.
| Nutella (US) | Asher's Nuts Dark Cocoa + Sea Salt | Typical better-for-you spread | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First ingredient | Sugar | Macadamias | Usually nuts (often hazelnuts, almonds or peanuts) |
| Total sugars per 32 g | About 18 g | About 3 g (2 g added) | Lower than Nutella; varies widely by brand |
| Palm oil | Yes (second ingredient) | No | Often none, but some still use it |
| Emulsifiers | Soy lecithin | None | Sometimes |
| Dairy | Skim milk | None | Varies |
| Sweetener | Sugar | Raw honey and the cane sugar in 70% dark chocolate | Sugar, coconut sugar, dates, or stevia and sugar alcohols |
| Separates in the jar? | No | Can separate; stir it | Often |
At the same 32 g weight, that works out to about 80% less sugar in our jar than in Nutella.
Are healthier chocolate spreads lower in calories?
Usually not, and it's worth being straight about that.
Nuts are mostly fat, and fat has more calories per gram than sugar. Nutella has about 173 calories per 32 g. Our spread has about 210 for the same 32 g, because it's mostly macadamias and walnuts. Most nut-first spreads land in a similar range.
So the swap isn't about eating fewer calories. It's about what you get with them. A nut-first spread trades most of the sugar for unsaturated fats, fiber and minerals from the nuts. Ours has about 2 g fiber, about 1.1 g of plant omega-3 (ALA) from the walnuts, and roughly 47% of the Daily Value for manganese per 2 tablespoons. If you're watching calories, keep to about 2 tablespoons and enjoy them. Our piece on whether nut butter is good for you covers portions in more detail.
What does Asher's Nuts put in the jar instead?
Eight ingredients, listed by weight: macadamias, walnuts, dark chocolate, raw honey, desiccated coconut, Madagascar vanilla extract, Ceylon cinnamon and sea salt.
Macadamias make it rich and creamy. Walnuts add depth and that plant omega-3. The dark chocolate is 70% cacao, made without soy lecithin or emulsifiers. A little raw honey rounds it out, and a pinch of sea salt makes the chocolate pop. No palm oil, no seed oils, no gums. Asher grinds every batch by hand in San Francisco. Read what makes Asher's Nuts different or how it started.
It isn't the only good option. Plenty of brands make nut-first spreads. Use the checklist above and pick the one you like eating.
Quick facts
- US Nutella: 21 g total sugars and 19 g added sugars per 2 tbsp (37 g).
- Asher's Nuts Dark Cocoa + Sea Salt: about 3 g total sugars (2 g added) per 2 tbsp (32 g).
- That's about 80% less sugar at the same weight.
- Nut-first spreads aren't lower in calories. They trade sugar for fats, fiber and minerals from nuts.
- Look for: nuts first, no palm oil, few or no emulsifiers, low added sugars.
FAQ
Is Nutella unhealthy?
Nutella is a sweet treat. Sugar is its first ingredient, with 21 g per 2 tablespoons. It's fine as an occasional treat, but it isn't built for every day.
What's a good Nutella substitute for kids?
Look for a spread where nuts come first and added sugars are low, then check allergies. Asher's Nuts contains tree nuts (macadamia and walnut), so it isn't right for anyone with a tree nut allergy.
Why does my natural chocolate spread separate?
Spreads without palm oil or emulsifiers let the nuts' natural oil rise to the top. Stir it back in. Keeping the jar in the fridge helps it stay mixed.
Does Asher's Nuts taste like Nutella?
No, and it isn't trying to. It's less sweet and more chocolatey, with a buttery macadamia base and a salty finish. Think dark chocolate rather than milk chocolate.
Try a jar of Dark Cocoa + Sea Salt: 8 oz, $18, with free shipping on orders over $65.