Best chocolate hazelnut spreads: Nutella vs supermarket own labels

With so many chocolate hazelnut spreads on the shelves, which one gives you the best taste for your money? 

The question is: should you pay more for iconic Nutella, upmarket Bonne Maman, or lower-sugar Jim Jams? Or will a cheaper supermarket own-brand effectively hit that satisfyingly sweet spot for less?

Sixty committed taste testers shared their considered opinions after tasting eleven different jars of chocolate hazelnut spread. We pitted the three brands against eight supermarket own-labels from Aldi, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and others.

Waitrose won top spot, with Nutella just a hair's-breadth behind.

We also found a cheaper supermarket own-brand that tied with Nutella and makes an excellent budget buy without any compromise on taste. Read on to find out more.

Best chocolate hazelnut spreads

Have you ever wondered if there's a chocolate spread like Nutella? If so, the answer is yes. 

While Nutella was much enjoyed by our tasters, Waitrose just beat it, while Tesco’s chocolate hazelnut spread tied with the top brand. The latter is also a good deal cheaper.

Next came Asda and Lidl, which were both big hits with our taste testers. 

Best Buy: Waitrose Essential Hazelnut Chocolate Spread

Price: £2.50 (400g)

Score: 82%

A delicious, much-praised chocolate spread that achieved the highest overall score in our taste test.

Nearly three-quarters of our tasters said the strength of both the chocolate and the hazelnut flavour was spot on, and a similar proportion were fans of its consistency. Even more said it was perfectly sweet.

Waitrose’s spread is the priciest of the supermarket brands, but it was the first choice of our taste testers, so is our top Best Buy.

Available from Waitrose.

Best Buy: Nutella Hazelnut & Chocolate spread

Price: £2.90 (350g)

Score: 81%

The iconic chocolate hazelnut spread was pipped to the post by Waitrose, but Nutella was still very much enjoyed by our tasters, so we’ve also made it a Best Buy.

More than three-quarters relished the satisfying chocolatey flavour, while just a few less said the hazelnut flavour and sweetness levels really worked for them.

The thickness of this spread was less universally praised, however, with more than half finding it too stodgy.

As you’d expect, Nutella is pricier than all the supermarket own-brands, and it comes in 350g jars, which is less than the supermarket jars (400g). Look out for it on offer, and if you’re a household of Nutella fans, the larger 630g or 1kg jars give you more for your money.

Available from Amazon, Asda, Co-op, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose.

Best Buy & Great Value: Tesco Hazelnut Chocolate Spread

Price: £1.65 (400g)

Score: 81%

Tesco’s chocolate spread is a clear value-for-money winner. Our panel found it matched Nutella for quality and taste, despite costing half the price. So it's a Best Buy and Great Value too.

This chocolate hazelnut spread was praised across the board. Most said it looked appetising, and around three-quarters found the strength of the chocolate and hazelnut flavours to be right up their street.

Sweetness levels were also praised by three-quarters of our tasters. And its consistency was also relished by most, unlike Nutella’s, which split the vote.

Tesco’s spread makes an excellent choice, much cheaper than the other Best Buys, with no compromise on quality.

Available from Tesco.

Asda Hazelnut Chocolate Spread

Price: £2 (400g)

Score: 80%

A score this high would usually guarantee a Best Buy, but Asda just misses out, scoring a touch lower than our top three.

If you shop at Asda, this chocolate spread is still an excellent choice, as it looks and smells good right out of the jar.

Close to three-quarters of our tasters praised both chocolate and hazelnut flavours, and even more were fans of its sweetness.

As with Nutella, there was some division regarding consistency. While more than half felt it was just right, most of the remainder said it was too thick for their liking.

Asda often rolls back the price of its spread, making it one of the cheapest around. It’s also available in 750g jars, which work out cheaper per 100g.

Available from Asda.

Lidl Choco Nussa Hazelnut Chocolate Spread

Price: £1.65 (400g)

Score: 80%

Another good choice is Lidl’s chocolate hazelnut spread, which matches Tesco for price and scored only one percentage point less.

It looked good and three-quarters of our tasters said the sweetness was just right.

Two-thirds of tasters liked the chocolate flavour and thickness. Just over half were happy with the hazelnut strength, while more than a quarter wanted it to be stronger. 

Available from Lidl.

How other chocolate hazelnut spreads compare

Sainsbury’s was the best of the remaining spreads, while the two brands – Bonne Maman and Jim Jams - plus M&S, came next.

Aldi was bottom of the pack, spreading least pleasure among our tasters.

• Sainsbury’s Hazelnut Chocolate Spread – 75%. Good looks, consistency and sweetness, although some found it a bit lacking in chocolate and hazelnut flavours. £1.65 for 400g (41p per 100g). Available from Sainsbury’s.
• Bonne Maman Hazelnut Chocolate Spread – 72%. Priciest on test, although with more hazelnuts and no palm oil, this spread was mostly enjoyed. A third wanted it to be thicker and have a stronger chocolate flavour. £4.10 for 360g (£1.14 per 100g). Available from Amazon, Co-op, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose.
• Jim Jams Hazelnut Chocolate Spread – 72%. Standing out for having by far the lowest sugar content (it contains a sweetener) and no palm oil, Jim Jams was generally enjoyed, although more than half wanted a stronger hazelnut flavour. £3 for 350g (86p per 100g). Available from Amazon, Co-op, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s and Tesco.
• Marks & Spencer Smooth Hazelnut Chocolate Spread – 72%. Looked good and generally liked, but half wanted a richer chocolate flavour and also a nuttier taste. £2.50 for 400g (63p per 100g). Available from M&S (in-store only) and Ocado.
• Morrisons Hazelnut & Chocolate Spread – 71%. An ok spread, but a bit on the bland side for many. More than half said it lacked hazelnut flavour. £2.09 for 400g (52p per 100g). Available from Morrisons.
• Aldi Nutoka Hazelnut Chocolate Spread – 62%. This spread divided our tasters, and was the least liked overall. Half wanted a stronger nutty taste, while a third said it was too thick and not chocolatey enough. £1.65 for 400g (41p per 100g). Available from Aldi.

Can chocolate really ever be good for you? Sort the fact from the fiction by reading our article on the hidden health benefits of dark chocolate

Full results from our chocolate hazelnut spread test

How we tested chocolate hazelnut spread

Sixty people gathered at our specialist test lab to taste eleven chocolate hazelnut spreads in our quest to discover if Nutella is the best.

All the chocolate spreads were blind-tasted, so our tasters couldn’t be sure if they were eating Nutella, Bonne Maman or one of the eight supermarket own-labels.

Each person had their own private tasting booth, so there was no discussion or exchange of opinion between them.  It was served on white toast, and an estimated 660 portions were sampled. 

The tasters rated the chocolate hazelnut spreads on flavour, aroma, appearance and texture and told us what they liked and disliked about each one. 

The overall score was based on:

• 50% flavour
• 20% aroma
• 15% appearance
• 15% texture

Find out more about our editorial independence policy and see behind the scenes of our taste tests to understand more about how we work

Is there any healthy chocolate hazelnut spread?

Most of the chocolate spreads we tested were nearly 50% sugar, so on these grounds alone aren’t a healthy option.

Jim Jams stands out as containing a lot less sugar, with around 9%. This is because it uses maltitol. Maltitol is a polyol (sugar alcohol) which, although it will cause your blood-sugar levels to rise, the effect is less than standard sugar. 

So, if you're watching your sugar consumption but want your fix of chocolate spread, Jim Jams could be the answer. Bear in mind that Diabetes UK warns against excess consumption of polyols as they have a laxative effect. Follow this link for guidance from the NHS regarding The truth about sweeteners.

All the chocolate spreads get a red light for overall fat and saturated fat. The latter is a particular issue because of its association with heart disease and stroke. 

A heaped tablespoon (around 15g) of chocolate spread will, on average, supply 83 calories, 5g fat, 1g sat fat, 7g sugar and 1g protein. The only nod to health: the spreads contain hazelnuts. These make up 13% of the content, except for Bonne Maman, which contains 20%.

 All are suitable for vegetarians, but their milk content prevents them from being vegan-friendly. 

See the table above for the details on each brand.

Should you believe the health claims about certain sugars? Read about the healthier sugars according to a nutritionist

Is the palm oil in chocolate hazelnut spread sustainable?

Palm oil has become ubiquitous in UK supermarket products, often found in ultra-processed foods such as pizza and chocolate, as well as in non-food items such as shampoos, toothpastes and laundry detergents.

Palm oil is used so widely largely because it’s an extremely efficient crop, needing far less land than other vegetable oils for an equivalent yield. However, it’s notoriously associated with ecosystem destruction, especially in parts of Africa, Malaysia and Indonesia. 

All but two of the chocolate spreads we tested contain palm oil, the exceptions being Bonne Maman and M&S. Both of these use rapeseed oil, while Bonne Maman also lists sunflower oil in its ingredients. 

All the chocolate spreads that use palm oil state on their packaging or website that it comes from a sustainable source, usually citing the Roundtable of Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).

RSPO is a longstanding and common certification scheme. Its stated aim is to protect the wellbeing of the environment, communities, workers and wildlife, while still enabling the use of this versatile oil. Read more about the issues around palm oil in our guide to how to buy sustainable palm oil.

All the chocolate spreads we tested contain cocoa, which is another ethical minefield. Our article on how to buy sustainable chocolate gives further details on the implications of cocoa use in the products we buy. 

Can I buy vegan Nutella?

Yes, at a price. Nutella offers a plant-based hazelnut and chocolate spread, which costs £4 for 350g, around £1.50 more per jar than their standard spread.

Its nutritional profile isn’t far off that of regular Nutella, although contains a little less sugar. It has no milk powder, and additional ingredients include chickpeas, rice syrup and salt.

M&S has its own brand of plant-based smooth chocolate hazelnut spread, while Co-op and Tesco stock Nature's Store hazelnut and cocoa spread. At Asda you can get Vego crunchy fine hazelnut chocolate spread. 

Jim Jams also makes a plant-based version of its lower-sugar spread, which is currently available on Amazon, Ocado, and in some health-food stores.

Price and availability checked: February 2026