February is here and we're already on the countdown to Pancake Day.
Shrove Tuesday 2023 arrives on February 21 so it's time to get your store cupboards stocked with all those delicious ingredients and toppings that go into creating the perfect pancake. Nutella is a firm favourite with many people obsessed with its thick, chocolatey hazelnut taste.
Slathered on top of pancakes, it's a real treat, but a jar of Nutella isn't always that cheap when compared to supermarket own brands. Many of the big stores do their own version of the chocolate hazelnut spread - but do they taste as good?
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This week we had the tricky task of putting three Nutella replicas to the test to see which, if any, were good enough to top our pancakes with this Shrove Tuesday. Here's our verdict:
Sainsbury's Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
A 400g jar of Sainsbury's Chocolate Hazelnut Spread costs £1.60 at the supermarket, whereas a smaller 350g jar of Nutella is usually £3.15, though it's currently on offer at £2. I have to admit, I'm a big Nutella fan and have never really deviated from the brand when it comes to Pancake Day.
But keeping an open mind I was hopeful this might be a good swap that would save me some cash at the tills. Looks wise, the jar is similar to Nutella with the white and red label, but it had a bit more of a basic look.
When I opened it up I noticed it had a much more nutty smell than Nutella but when I stuck my spoon in I could tell straight away the texture was different. Nutella is so incredibly thick, whereas this had a much softer, smoother consistency.
Now for the most important bit - how did it taste? To be honest, I wasn't overwhelmed. It was chocolatey yes, and you could definitely taste the hazelnut, but it just lacked that depth of flavour Nutella has. This was slightly sweeter and less moreish. It won't be a swap for me, so I'm off to pick up some Nutella while it's still on offer.
Price: £1.60
Rating: 2/5
Where to buy: Sainsbury's stores or online
Just Essentials Asda Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
I'm absolutely obsessed with Nutella, and can pretty much eat it straight out of the jar with no regrets. I've been really impressed with the Asda Essentials range in the past, so I had high hopes for their own brand chocolate spread.
The 400g jar is priced at £1.15, which is pretty good value considering a 350g of Nutella costs £2.50 currently in Asda. In terms of aesthetics, the jar looked similar in terms of shape to Nutella, but had much more of a plain and basic look.
I decided to add a generous amount of the Chocolate Hazelnut spread to a piece of thick toast, like I would Nutella, to see how it really compared. The consistency of the spread was thick and it spread really easily - but how did it taste?
Sadly, as nice as the spread was, it just didn't taste anything like Nutella. It had a very faint resemblance to Nutella, but definitely didn't pack a punch when it came to the iconic nutty flavour.
I found myself quite disappointed with this spread, and will probably just end up sticking to the real deal for now until I find a better alternative. I guess I'll just have to continue eating Nutella out of the jar for now - what a shame.
Price: £1.15
Rating: 2/5
Where to buy: Asda stores or online
Morrisons Savers Hazelnut Chocolate Spread
I adored Nutella as a child and loved to eat it on toast, pancakes or just simply out of the jar. I hadn't eaten it for years so was excited to see how a supermarket own brand version compared.
I picked up the Morrisons Savers Chocolate Hazelnut Spread, which cost £1.15 for 400g. I was really pleased with how much cheaper it was than the branded version. When I opened the jar, I was pleasantly surprised by the smell - which was just like Nutella.
In terms of texture, the spread wasn't as thick as Nutella and definitely felt a lot smoother. I opted to try it on some toast and was really impressed with the taste. It didn't taste exactly like Nutella but for £1.15, it was very close to the real deal. I'd definitely try it again and was really impressed with it.
Price: £1.15
Rating: 4/5
Where to buy: Your local Morrisons store
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