Top 8: Balance sweetness and nutrition with these shop-bought nut spreads
We have listed sugar content (the sugars come mostly from added sugar), so you can judge for yourself how to prioritise fats (nuts have healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated), protein and sugars.
Today's survey was prompted by a young family member’s insistence on ladling chocolate spread onto her breakfast pancakes.
Her mother wanted to find a healthy spread that ideally has little sugar, as too much can cause an energy crash, and without palm oil, which can cause environmental damage if grown unsustainably.
When testing this week’s Top 8, we prioritised a good proportion of nuts, a secondary source of protein (like seeds and wholegrains) that adds satisfaction and keeps hunger at bay.
We have listed sugar content (the sugars come mostly from added sugar), so you can judge for yourself how to prioritise fats (nuts have healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated), protein and sugars.
Many spreads come from Italy, where the combination of chocolate and nuts appears in the wonderful gianduia chocolate, which originated in Turin in the early 19th century, when chocolate was scarce and hazelnuts plentiful.
For Halloween, try blobs of chocolate hazelnut spread on cupcakes or rounds of toast for eyes, and put white icing, cherries or tiny rounds of carrot in the centre to scare away the monsters.
No added oils, with fats coming only from the high 45% hazelnuts, and 9% fat-reduced cocoa powder and cocoa butter, all delivering a low 36% fats.
Sugars are moderate at 40.7%, protein a decent 10.4%. A welcome short list of ingredients.
It was a big hit with tasters who loved the perfect balance of nuttiness and chocolatiness. From Delitaly, Marlborough St, Cork.
- Score: 10
This creamy mix was singled out as perfect for croissants.
With less chocolate than others, and pistachios instead of hazelnuts, made in Galway by a Sicilian couple with a farm in Sicily, where they go for the harvest.
This has 35.5% pistachios, cocoa butter and olive oil to make it smooth (and tasty).
Fats 36.7%, sugars a modest 36.6%, protein a decent 17%. Delizioso!
Tasters thought the price was justified. From The Chocolate Shop, English Market, Cork.
- Score: 10
A short list of ingredients includes Piedmont hazelnuts (69%) from a protected area of Italy that guarantees good quality nuts (PGI).
They tasted like they had been roasted. Coconut sugar delivers a low 16% sugars, with 7% dairy-free cocoa powder.
Sunflower lecithin (the fat part of sunflower seeds) emulsifies the spread.
Fats are 47%, and protein is a decent 12.7%. A good product at a high price.
- Score: 9.5
This organic chocolate and hazelnut cream has a delicious crunchy texture from 4% hazelnut nibs and 18% hazelnut paste, mixed with sunflower oil, soya lecithin, and vanilla extract.
Made in Asiago (famous for its cheese in the Veneto region of Italy), this was tops with tasters for its rich milk chocolate flavour, creamy texture and the crunchy bits.
33% fats, 48% sugars, 8.7% protein. We bought in The Good Food Shop, English Market, Cork.
- Score: 9.25
A fresh chocolate taste with 16% ground hazelnuts was a favourite.
Sunflower and rapeseed oils (and the nuts) deliver smoothness.
There is reduced cocoa powder, dried skimmed milk, dried whey, cocoa butter, and soya lecithin to emulsify the mixture.
Fats 35.7%, sugars 43.9%, protein 7.4%.
Tasters also approved of M&S Plant Kitchen vegan hazelnut spread (200g €3.50)
- Score: 9
This crowdpleaser, especially for the junior tasters, uses sunflower and rapeseed oils.
A fair 20% hazelnuts, skimmed milk powder, fat-reduced cocoa powder 5.5%, cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin as the emulsifier, and vanilla extract.
Fats are 34%, sugars are a high 51% (perhaps why the children liked it), and protein is 6.7%.
- Score: 9
A high 52% hazelnuts from Piedmont in Italy.
8% cocoa powder, skimmed milk powder, cocoa butter, soya lecithin (as the emulsifier), and vanilla flavouring (often used when chocolate flavour is low).
40% fats, moderate 37% sugars, and protein at a decent 12%.
For value for money, this got a high score with tasters enjoying the smooth mix, though one taster would have preferred more chocolate.
- Score: 8.75
30% Piedmont hazelnuts, 7% cocoa powder, and rapeseed and sunflower oils, along with cocoa butter, provide smoothness, while skimmed milk, whey powders, and added lactose contribute to the texture.
The emulsifier is soya lecithin. With 29% fats, sugars at 54% are the highest of our Top 8, and protein is the lowest at 6.5%.
The result is a smooth, thick paste that tasters liked, though not their top favourite.
- Score: 7.5
