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 to apple slices! This recipe is a longtime fan favorite, and it’s now been updated with new troubleshooting tips and step-by-step photos, to make sure yours turns out perfectly every time.
🍫 The Best Nut-Free Chocolate Spread
This recipe came about because a reader asked a simple question: could I help her make a tasty chocolate spread at home? The requirements: no nuts, no complicated equipment, no unfamiliar ingredients, and no long list of steps.
It took a few attempts, but I finally nailed a recipe that hit all the right notes: it has a deep chocolate flavor and a lush, silky texture. The ingredients are all things you probably have at home already, and it comes together in just 5 minutes.
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. If you’re looking for a nut-free alternative to peanut butter or Nutella, this is the recipe for you!
When it’s first made it has the texture 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 creamy and smooth, with a consistency that’s perfect for spreading on toast or using as a dip for fresh fruit.
Dairy-free or Sugar-free?
If you’re working around other food allergies or restrictions, check out our recipes for Dairy-Free Coconut Spread, and Sugar-Free Chocolate Spread.
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Spread
This delicious dark chocolate spread was first published back in 2012, and it quickly became a favorite with readers (and my own family!) It’s easy to see why people love it:
- simple list of easy-to-find ingredients
- no complicated methods or equipment
- nut-free!
- only 5 minutes to make it
- can be kept for weeks
- good for snacking, or dessert
- makes a great gift
More Chocolate SPREADS
Check out some of our most popular frostings, filling and spreads for when you need a chocolate fix: The BEST Chocolate Ganache, Edible Cookie Dough (frosting, filling or dip!), Easy Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting, and Dark Chocolate Fondue.
Table of Contents
🧾 What You’ll Need
Ingredients
You won’t need much to make this rich and smooth Chocolate Spread. Here’s a few ingredient tips to help you gather your ingredients. Full ingredient amounts can be found in the recipe card. (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)
- Dark chocolate: Dark chocolate gives the spread a super boost of chocolate flavor. This is where most of the flavor comes from, so don’t use cheap chocolate chips here: make sure you use flavorful chocolate that you enjoy eating.
- Water: To dissolve the other ingredients and get the right consistency.
- Granulated sugar: Use a little granulated sugar (aka white sugar or regular sugar) for sweetness.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: For rich, chocolately flavor, use a high quality unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Unsalted butter: Butter gives the spread its lush, creamy texture. I like to use unsalted butter and add salt separately, but you can use salted butter and omit the extra salt. Make sure your butter is cubed and at room temperature, so it incorporates easily into the spread.
- Vanilla extract and salt: These round out and balance the chocolate flavor.
Equipment
- Saucepan: You’ll need a small saucepan to heat the ingredients on the stovetop.
- Whisk: You’ll also need a whisk to combine the ingredients and stir them while simmering.
- Jar: You’ll need some type of container to store your spread in. The container should hold at least 12 ounces. My preference is to use mason jars.
- Plastic wrap: As the spread cools down, its important to cover it with plastic wrap to avoid having a thick skin form on the top of the spread.
Ready to Make This?
- Get the recipe below 👇👇
- Scroll below the recipe for step-by-step photos
- Read the tips and FAQs
❤️ More Dessert Sauces
Leave a Review!
If you make this recipe, let us know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on the recipe below, and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram @elabau, or use #sugarhero on IG!
Lick-The-Knife-Clean Chocolate Spread
Ingredients
- 4 oz dark chocolate, (about 2/3 cup when chopped)
- 2 fl oz water, (1/4 cup)
- 3.5 oz granulated sugar, (1/2 cup)
- 1 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 oz unsalted butter, (1 stick or 1/2cup), cubed and at room temperature
Instructions
- Finely chop the dark chocolate and set it aside for a moment.
- 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, until bubbles appear around the sides of the pan and it starts to 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, place the lid on, and refrigerate it for at least an hour, until cooled.
- If it is too cold to spread easily, let the chocolate spread sit at room temperature for a short while before serving.
- This chocolate spread can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month.
Video
Recipe Notes
Variations
- To make it dairy-free: substitute the butter for an equal amount of coconut oil – no need to melt it first. Add it in when you would add the butter. Note that your spread will probably have a light coconut-chocolate flavor, unless you’re using refined coconut oil.
- To make it sugar-free: substitute a 1:1 sugar replacement for the granulated sugar in the recipe, and use a sugar-free chocolate, like Lily’s brand. We have tested it with both Swerve and Splenda, and both work fine. Make sure you are using a 1:1 product, and measure by volume, not weight.
Tips
- If your spread becomes grainy: heat it in the microwave in 30-second increments, whisking well and checking it for sugar crystals after each interval. To check, rub a bit of the chocolate spread between your fingers to see if you feel any sugar crystals. When the spread is warm and you can find no trace of sugar crystals, pour it back into a container.
- If your spread becomes oily: heat it in the microwave in 30-second intervals, whisking after each time, until it is warm and fluid. Place an immersion blender in the bowl and blend it until the oil mixes back into the chocolate. It might take a minute, but you should see your mixture transform into a glossy chocolate with a pudding-like texture.
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.
Want to learn more about baking measurements and conversion?
Nutrition
📸 Photo Tutorial: How to Make Chocolate Spread
Follow this photo tutorial to see how easy it is to make this Chocolate Spread. Full instructions are included in the recipe card above.
- Chop chocolate: Finely chop 4 oz dark chocolate.
- Combine water, sugar, cocoa powder and salt: In a small saucepan, combine 2 fl oz (1/4 cup) water, 3.5 oz (1/2 cup) granulated sugar, 1 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder, and a pinch of salt.
- Stir and simmer: Place the pan over medium heat and stir until the sugar and cocoa powder dissolve. Continue to heat the pan, stirring frequently, until it reaches a simmer.
- Add vanilla, chopped chocolate and butter: Once simmering, remove the pan from the heat and add 1 tsp vanilla extract, previously chopped chocolate, and 4 oz cubed butter.
- Whisk until smooth: 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.
- Cover and refrigerate: 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, add the lid, and refrigerate it for at least an hour, until it cools.
- Enjoy or store: 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 a month.
🥣 Making it Dairy-Free or Sugar-Free
This recipe is flexible and can be adapted to many different dietary needs.
- To make it dairy-free: substitute the butter for an equal amount of coconut oil – no need to melt it first. Add it in when you would add the butter. Note that your spread will probably have a light coconut-chocolate flavor, unless you’re using refined coconut oil.
- To make it sugar-free: substitute a 1:1 sugar replacement for the granulated sugar in the recipe, and use a sugar-free chocolate, like Lily’s brand. We haven’t tested it with every sugar replacer, but we have tested it with both Swerve and Splenda, and both work fine. Make sure you are using a 1:1 product, and measure by volume, not weight.
💡 FAQs
Rarely, the spread can develop a grainy texture over time. This happens if the sugar has not been completely melted and dissolved during the heating step. Even just a few stray sugar crystals can make it so that the rest of the sugar slowly crystallizes, leading it to have a grainy texture.
You might not notice it when it is freshly made, but over time you’ll see and taste the spread becoming more granulated. It’s still perfectly safe to eat, but most people don’t enjoy the crunchy texture. Fortunately, it’s easy to fix the grainy texture.
Transfer the chocolate spread to a bowl and heat it in the microwave in 30-second increments, whisking well and checking it for sugar crystals after each interval. To check, rub a bit of the chocolate spread between your fingers to see if you feel any sugar crystals. When the spread is warm and you can find no trace of sugar crystals, pour it back into a clean container, place plastic wrap on top, and let it cool completely.
If you notice your chocolate spread developing a clear oily layer on top, this means the fat in the spread has “separated.” This is rare, but it does happen sometimes.
It usually occurs because the butter and chocolate weren’t mixed well enough into the spread. Maybe the butter was too cold when it was added, or the chocolate was in large pieces so it didn’t incorporate well. It can also happen if the spread goes through multiple heating and cooling phases. (See below for a longer explanation.) It’s still completely edible, but it doesn’t look very appetizing, so here’s how you fix your oily chocolate spread.
First transfer it to a bowl and heat it in the microwave in 30-second intervals, whisking after each time, until it is warm and fluid. Next, place an immersion blender in the bowl and blend it until the oil mixes back into the chocolate. As you blend, move the blender around, including the sides and bottom of the bowl, so all of it gets well mixed. It might take a minute, but you should see your mixture transform into a glossy chocolate with a pudding-like texture.
Don’t have an immersion blender? A regular blender can also be used, but it’s my second choice since it can be a pain to clean, and doesn’t work as well for smaller quantities. You can also try just using a whisk after reheating, but if you do that, be sure to keep whisking until you see the texture change. This could take several minutes.
Bonus nerdy section on why the spread sometimes separates: the spread is an emulsion, meaning it has fat particles from butter and chocolate suspended in the water and sugar base. Not mixing it enough, or heating and cooling it frequently, can both result in the fat dropping out of the suspension and coming to the surface of the spread.
The spread will have the texture of hot fudge sauce when it is first made, but after chilling it, it will become spreadable. Hot weather and hot kitchens can cause it to soften again. If your kitchen is quite warm, you’ll find that it becomes soft again when it is left out on the counter for long periods. Simply refrigerate it briefly until it firms up again.
This chocolate spread should be stored in a jar or container with tight-fitting lid. It can kept in the refrigerator for at least a month – but anecdotally, I’ve had it last longer and be completely fine.
It will be pretty firm when it comes out of the refrigerator, so you can either stir it until it becomes more spreadable, or let it sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes until it softens a bit.
Oh, my, but you are some kind of evil! I have a friend who LOVES Nutella but I’ll bet this would convert her. Gonna put a pin on it!
“Evil” is code for “good,” right? Let me know if you try it!
This sounds amazing. Nutella needs to be dethroned, anyway.
Right? It’s hogged all the fun for far too long.
oh my! oh my! just imagine that choc spread on donuts…. *drool* ^_^
Doughnuts–yes! I love the way your mind works. Or you could even use it as a chocolate frosting on cupcakes, too.
I have never liked Nutella. I don’t like hazelnuts. As a consequence, this means I don’t like virtually every chocolate spread in existence. Years ago, an Australian supermarket chain (Woolworths) stocked a chocolate spread made by their own homebrand which was amazingly chocolatey and non-nutty. And then, what happened? They changed the recipe and added hazelnuts! In the intervening fifteen years or so, I have had no luck finding a replacement chocolate spread (until I visited Belgium two weeks ago and found one that was amazing, but only came in 750g bottles, a bit big to bring home!) I may have to try this one!
There is no such thing as too much chocolate to bring home. Feel free to share.
Seriously, next time bring the big jug back and share it with the rest of us. I have a theory that no one really likes Nutella. Everyone just suffers with it while wishing it was pure chocolate spread.
Hi Leah although I love nutella Hershey’s makes this wonderful chocolate spread I’m not sure if there is nuts in it (sure doesn’t taste like it) but its darned good and I went around looking for things to dip in it.
Wow. I have a nut-allergy daughter and can’t keep things like Nutella around. This may just save me.
Oh my. I wanted to make chocolate croissants in school next week but i found nutella too boring. You just saved me :’)
This is truly amazing, delicious, and surprisingly easy. Two weeks? That’s ambitious, there’s no way that I would eat it all by then.
Maybe you have some hungry friends who would be willing to help a sister out? 🙂
Oops, I meant there’s no way that it would last that long 😛
Haha, NOW you’re talking!!
Years ago Cadbury made a Plain chocolate spread, that actually tasted of chocolate – they stopped, then Sainsbury made a plain Begian spread, you can only get milk chocolate spread from them, I can’t wait to get to the shops on Monday so that I can try this recipe
Oh my goodness Elizabeth – I found your site completely by accident when googling “Chocolate Spread”. I sent you that email about the Milky Way spread and obviously have not got over my obsession for spreadable chocolate. Ironic it was exactly around this time a whole year ago. April must make me crave chocolate spreads…
I’m sorry my email made you sad. I promise that if Milky Way spread ever hits our shelves again, I will send you a jar and I might even include a kangaroo (well, a photo of one anyway). This recipe looks AWESOME – off to try it now. = )
Hey Ali! How does it feel to have inspired a whole random blog post? Honestly I loved your email and especially love the recipe that came out of it. Fingers crossed that the Milky Way spread comes back, I could use a kangaroo photo in my life. 🙂 Cheers!
Its lovely.I tried it but it was a little thin in its consistency.Please can you tell me why.
Hi Syeda, So glad you enjoyed it! Have you refrigerated the spread? If so, what’s the texture like after refrigeration? I found mine got very firm when it was chilled and I actually preferred warming it up a little after taking it out of the refrigerator so it was easy to spread.
Hi again,
I refrigerated it last night and now its pretty firm.Thankyou so much.