Hershey’s Chocolate Spreads, Reviewed

When you think about a spreadable chocolate product, you probably think of Nutella, the popular chocolate hazelnut spread that originated in Italy over 50 years ago. But Nutella isn’t the only chocolate spread on the market anymore, as quite a few brands are coming out with their own versions of the tasty treat. Hershey’s is the latest company to release a line of creamy, spreadable chocolate products and it makes sense to see something like this coming from a chocolate maker. Hershey’s Spreads are available in Chocolate, Chocolate with Almonds and Chocolate with Hazelnuts. Naturally, I had to try them all to see which one was the most delicious.

Hershey’s Chocolate Spread is the cornerstone of the Spreads line. This spread tastes like a strong, rich hot chocolate – only with the consistency of an ultra-creamy peanut butter. It has a strong cocoa flavor and, although there is some nonfat milk listed in the ingredients, it has a more bittersweet cocoa flavor that makes it taste more like dark chocolate than milk chocolate. It has a relatively short ingredient list and is primarily made with sugar, vegetable oil, nonfat milk and cocoa powder. You could stir it right into a bowl of vanilla ice cream for a great chocolate swirl.

Hershey’s Chocolate with Almonds Spread is very slightly thicker than the Chocolate spread, but still has the same ultra-creamy consistency. It smells like roasted almonds and cocoa when you open the jar, and you can really taste the toasted almonds in every bite of the spread. Chocolate and almonds go extremely well together, and this spread has close to a perfect balance of both flavors where neither is overwhelmed by the other. It is sweet, but the strong toasted almond flavor tempers it a little bit. This one is especially good when topped with a sprinkle of sea salt to highlight its nuttiness.

Hershey’s Chocolate with Hazelnuts Spread is the spread that Nutella fans will most likely want to try first – and I suspect that they won’t be disappointed because this spread hits the mark in terms of both flavor and texture. It is creamy and smooth, and has a strong hazelnut flavor. Unlike the almond spread, where the nuts really stand out, the hazelnuts blend seamlessly with the chocolate to create a flavor profile that is very cohesive and very addictive. This spread would be good on just about anything, from toast to toasted marshmallows.

With so many more chocolate spread options out there, that only means one thing: I have a lot more flavors to work with from here on out as I come up with new recipes that use chocolate spreads.

Disclosure: I have been compensated by The Hershey Company to promote its Hershey’s Spread products, but any and all opinions expressed are my own.