This Chocolate Spread is so good, you’ll want to lick the knife clean! It’s easy to make, nut-free, and tastes great on everything from toast to waffles!
I first came up with this chocolate spread as a result of an email I got from a reader in Australia. This lovely reader asked if I knew how she could make Milky Way spread at home. This email made me sad for several reasons:
1) I’ve never been to Australia. Here I am with a serious kangaroo fetish and no way to indulge it. Hmph.
2) I’ve never tasted Milky Way spread, and had to do a google search to figure out what it is.
3) Apparently, Milky Way spread is a magical chocolatey spread with stripes of…white chocolate? marshmallow? the google machine was unclear…but it looks delicious!
4) Being a Milky Way spread ignoramus, I was unable to truly answer her question.
It was a sobering email day, indeed.
After I got over my disappointment at the lack of Australia-visiting and Milky Way spread-eating in my life, I started obsessing about making my own chocolate spread.
Think about it: Nutella hogs all of the glory! Sure, it has a little cocoa in it, but at heart it’s a hazelnut spread (or a hydrogenated palm oil spread, if we’re being brutally honest) with a little touch of chocolate flavor. The spread I wanted to make was deeply, intensely chocolately, without nuts or any other fillers getting in the way.
This recipe is built on two of my favorite ingredients: chocolate and butter. It has a small amount of vanilla, and a pinch of salt, but it’s really all chocolate, all the time. When it’s first made it has the consistency of hot fudge sauce (and I won’t stop you if you want to pour it all over ice cream, cake, your hands, etc…) but once it’s chilled it’s gorgeously rich and smooth, with a consistency that’s perfect for spreading on toast or using as a dip for fresh fruit.
Oh, and did I mention that it takes mighty well to a sprinkling of crunchy toasted coconut (or nuts) on top? Because it does. Yessir. I can also recommend it straight from the spreading knife. Ahem.
Ultimately some good did come from that email. I may not have recreated Milky Way spread, and I may not get to ride a kangaroo in the near future, but I have enough chocolate spread to last me at least a week, and that’s good enough for now.
💗More Sauces and Syrup Recipes
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Coconut Macaroons
Lick-The-Knife-Clean Chocolate Spread
Ingredients
- 2 fl oz water (1/4 cup)
- 3.5 oz granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
- 1 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 oz bittersweet chocolate finely chopped (about 2/3 cup)
- 5 oz unsalted butter (1.25 sticks), softened and cubed
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine the water, granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, and salt.
- Place the pan over medium heat and stir until the sugar and cocoa powder dissolve. Continue to heat the pan, stirring frequently, just until it reaches a simmer.
- Once simmering, remove the pan from the heat and add the vanilla extract, chopped chocolate, and cubed butter.
- Whisk until the chocolate and butter melt and the mixture is completely smooth. When it is freshly made, this spread will have the consistency of hot fudge sauce.
- Pour the spread into a jar or other container with a lid. Press a layer of plastic wrap on top of the chocolate to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate it until it thickens.
- If it is too cold to spread easily, let it sit at room temperature for a short while before serving. Store it in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Video
Recipe Notes
Measuring Tips
Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.
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This recipe is truly lick-the-knife-clean delicious!! The taste and texture combination are beyond perfect!
I’m so glad to hear that you loved it! Thank you for taking the time to leave a reivew. 😀
I didn’t want to spoil my review with a question, but I’m wondering what you would recommend to add to it if I want to use it as a filling in a pastry, so that it doesn’t melt back into the liquid form when it bakes?
Hi! I’m sorry to say I can’t say for sure — this isn’t something I’ve tried myself (yet!). Other people have also had this question, and it’s something I want to experiment with this year so I can offer better advice. If you do give it a try or make some adjustments I’d love to hear how it goes for you!
So excited to find this recipe among my search results! I don’t like hazelnuts or Nutella because it leaves a nasty aftertaste for me, but I couldn’t find any other chocolate spreads. I will now happily be making my own!
Hi Maria! So glad you found my recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. It’s a really great nut-free recipe. All the best to you!
I was wondering if this can be frozen
And thawed for later use?
Hi Doratha. I’ve never tried freezing it but initial thought is that it might change the texture after freezing. You could try freezing a small amount to see what happens. Let me know how it turns out if you decide to try it.