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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
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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.
Click here to learn more about baking measurements and conversion.
Wow! Thanks for this recipe I will no longer worry If I run out of nutella HAHAHA. I tried using dark chocolate with mint and it tasted good!
So glad you loved, ooh that sounds amazing. Thanks!
Has anyone tried making this with erythritol or an erythritol blend?
I haven’t tried it, I would love to know how it goes if you give it a shot! I’m sure other users would find it helpful as well!
Can I leave out the granulated sugar if I use semisweet chocolate?
Would black cocoa work as well?
Should it be stored? In refrigerator? How long does it last? Thank you
Hello, I want to make chocolate rugelach without rolling chocolate chips in the dough – I’ve read that you can use nutella. Could I use this spread as a rugelach filling and bake it for 20 minutes or would it turn into a chocolate puddle mess? Thanks!
I volunteer to taste test your homemade rugulach. My mom made them yearly and I truly miss them. She’s eighty-four and has no kechas for baking. I studied the recipe and I think it will run a bit but not enough to ooze out completely. Firm from the fridge would work best and a thin layer might melt into the dough. Oy the memories of mixing cold butter and cream cheese together by hand…
Hey Lauren, That is such a sweet memory I love that! Thanks so much for your feedback!
This is a very rich spread! It was a bit too rich for me, considering I have a very sensitive stomach. I added some fresh mint from my garden, and it really helped to balance out the richness. It’s very good with strawberries too!
This is a very rich spread! It was a bit too rich for me, considering I have a very sensitive stomach. I added some fresh mint from my garden, and it really helped to balance out the richness. It’s very good with strawberries too!
Hello I live in the lsnd of Nutella! Thank You so much for this delicious and easy to make recipe, even avoids the dreaded bain marie!! Much as I love eggs I don’t really like leaving them uncooked so this no egg alternative is fantastic. Remains to be seen if I get to see the consistency when it is cold.
Mmmm, I want to visit the land of Nutella! 😀 Glad to hear that you enjoyed it, and hope the cold consistency works for you as well!
Hi! We tried this recipe and it was delicious. Just want to ask for advice as the spread with did developed a layer of oil/butter on top after cooling inside the refrigerator and it was pretty thick. Thanks!
Hey Cha, that being the case I would recommend microwaving it in small bursts maybe 8 seconds at a time and mixing it throughout. Thanks!
That was easy and perfect thank you
Hey Jean, Thanks so much for following along!
Delicious!
I made some minor changes, like vegan margarine, and combined it with a vegan version of the star bread recipe here:
https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/star-bread/
And it was a huge hit! Also have a kid that only likes chocolate chip pancakes and this lasted forever!
Very tasty!
Hey Andy, That sounds like it worked perfectly! I am so glad to hear it, I love your picture! Thanks for your feedback!
Hi! I’m trying to make this as a gift, would you know the usual expiry date for these goods?
Hey Ann, that sounds so fun! For this recipe I would think the only limiting factor would be the butter. You can use butter as a guide you could say. It will be equivalent to that of the butter. Of course this isn’t an exact science so please use your best judgement, I suggest a couple weeks in the fridge is good. I hope that helps! I would love to hear how it goes!
This is utterly delicious and so quick to make and my son says it is much nicer than nutella but I am curious, my partner’s son is looking for a nut free alternative to nutella since school has quite rightly banned nuts but prefers milk chocolate. Now, I used dark chocolate powder but milk chocolate when I made this but was still quite dark, is there an alternative to the cocoa powder to make it slightly milkier? Thank you,
Hey Jo, I am so glad you like it! Thank you for your feedback, I haven’t tried either of these alternatives myself but I will give you a few options that come to mind. First off, one thing you could do is replace the water with milk. The only thing this will have an impact on is the shelf life. If you are keeping it in the fridge and tend to go through it pretty quick it shouldn’t be a problem at all. Another thing you could try is to switch out the cocoa for powdered milk. I think with either of those swap outs you will get a milkier outcome. I would love to hear how it goes if you give it a try! Thanks!
Before my son was diagnosed with his PN/TN allergy I used to make no bake chocolate balls but stopped when he was diagnosed as what held them together was either Nutella or peanut butter. We all missed them so I took sometime and found some nutfree “glue”. They turned out great using this spread. Shared your recipe in a FB group for Moms of kids with nut/peanut allergies. Thank you for this
Hi Helene, I am so glad to hear you found this recipe! I love finding those replacements, and I am so glad this could be one for you and your family! I love this spread, I always want to put it on everything. I am so thrilled to hear it worked so well and you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe, that means a lot! I hope it can benefit those other parents! Thanks so much for your response!
Can I use this in baking like, let’s say, in a chocolate croissant braid or danish??
Hi Rebeca, that is a great question! I actually haven’t tried that myself to be honest! It is mostly chocolate so it won’t have all those binding ingredients that most baked goods would, however if you give it a try I would love to hear how it goes and what the results are!
Looks yummy, but any ideas on how I can possibly replace sugar with maybe maple syrup or honey or anything healthier as I’m sure it wouldn’t be the same steps, or would it? Lol I’m clueless, please hel
Hi Mira! I haven’t tried it with maple syrup or honey, but readers have made it with Erithrytol and say it works perfectly–maybe give that a try?
I don’t have vanilla extract so any ideas on what I could substitute it with?
Hi Stephanie, you can leave it out, no problem! If you have another flavor extract you really like, you can swap that in instead (I think coconut or almond would taste good, if you like those) but it’s totally fine with no extracts. 🙂
Milkyway is a mars bar without caramel. But a white choc and choc whip spread did exist thats porbably why people are trying to make it.
Hi Ben,
I think this was an international product under the Milkyway label, but it’s long gone now. At least we have delicious chocolate spread in its place!
Thank you for this recipe! My son loves Nutella, but has developed a tree nut allergy. I used to buy him the Hershey’s chocolate spread, but it has been discontinued. We made this the other day, and he said that it’s even better than the Hershey’s! Thanks for making helping make a 10 yr old very happy!
Hi Angie! I’m so glad to hear that you and your son are loving this recipe, and that it could be a help to you as you navigate food allergies. Thanks so much for the feedback!
Thank u for the amazing recipe my kids loved it
Neti, thanks so much for letting me know, and I’m glad that your kids enjoyed it!
Hi. This looks yummy. Can it be used in baking? I wanted to make chocolate pastry twists but they used Nutella, which I am not a fan of.
Hi Liz, I haven’t tried baking this so I can’t say for sure, but my guess is that it would leak out since it does get liquidy when heated–more like a fudge sauce. If you do try it please let me know how it goes!
Hello, I tried this recipe and oh my god, it is the best chocolate spread I have had. I am off of Refined sugar and it works perfectly by replacing the sugar with Erithrytol. I just made one adjustment that I added only 4 oz of Butter as I didn’t want to make a big batch, as I knew I would finish it all in like 2 days. This recipe is amazing if you want to avoid preservatives in outside food but still want to enjoy little things. Thanks a lot.
I am so thrilled that you loved it! Also, thank you for letting me know that Erithrytol is a good replacement–I get this question occasionally and haven’t tried it myself, but I am glad to know it works.
Hi! I’m planning to make this but the amount of sugar had me worried a little. Is there any way that I can reduce the sugar and still achieve the right consistency? I don’t really like sweet stuff and, forgive me for saying this but I hate nutella cos it’s too sweet for me.
Hi Angel! I haven’t tried reducing the sugar, but I do think you could get away with using less and still have the same consistency, because it’s mostly the chocolate and butter that give it the consistency it has. And I agree–Nutella is VERY sweet to me. If you want it to be truly bittersweet you can use a very dark chocolate instead of semi-sweet and that should make it less sweet as well.
It for me was actually too salty just a tad bit also I wanted to add nuts so I place a bit of crushed cashew nuts
Hi Seg, Cashew nuts sounded like a great addition! Re the saltiness, I’m wondering if you used salted butter instead of unsalted? Since the recipe calls for only a pinch of salt and unsalted butter, I’m thinking that might be why it was a bit salty. Either that, or the cashews were salted. But I’m glad it worked out for you regardless!
You are a life saver.. instant, yummy and heart touching…
Thanks Amusha! I’m thrilled to hear that you loved it!
My son-in-law doesn’t like cinnamon but he loves chocolate so when I make cinnamon rolls (CR) he is left out. Can I use your spread on my CR dough or will it ooze out too much.? I can form the CR in a loaf instead of a bun. Got any suggestions?
Hi Jeanette, that sounds delicious! I haven’t tried baking this in rolls so I can’t say for sure, but my guess is that it would leak out since it does get liquidy when heated–more like a fudge sauce. If you do try it please let me know how it goes!
Hasn’t even set yet but I would love to drink the whole thing. :’) This was just what I needed in my life rn. You’re lucky this tastes so good because I’m super bad at math, it’s 4 in the morning, and my stick of butter said it was only 4oz. You can probably guess how that went. XD Anyways, I suggest dumbing this down for the lot like me who struggle at converting ounces into tablespoons. Other that that, AMAZING.
Haha oh nooooo. The perils of baking at 4 am! I’m very glad it worked out in the end and that you enjoyed it! If you’d like to make this again in the future, there is an option to convert to metric measurements–just click the Metric button right below the list of ingredients. 🙂
I made this with swerve and my kids at the whole batch! It does spread a little funny when reheated but still delicious.
Hi Heather, I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the spread! Thanks also for the feedback on using Swerve, lots of readers ask about sugar alternatives so I’m glad to hear it worked well for you.
Hi, Elizabeth
Can I replace the bittersweet chocolate with milk chocolate?
Hi, I haven’t tried it myself so I can’t say for sure. My guess is that it would work fine, but would be much sweeter than the original recipe, and possibly have a thinner, more liquidy consistency. If you don’t mind these adjustments, I say go for it. And please let me know how it turns out!
is this Nutrition for whole jar you made ? or just few grams ?? i made this recipe . it’s taste great but is too diluted . i put it in fridge and check it tommorow to see how it goes .
Hi Kitana, the recipe is calculated for 12 servings, and the nutrition info is per serving. The recipe makes 1-1/2 cups (24 TBSP) so a serving is approx 2 TBSP. This is a similar serving size to other spreads and condiments (peanut butter, etc).
Re the flavor, this spread gets most of its flavor from the bittersweet chocolate, so using a good-quality chocolate that you enjoy eating usually gives the best results. Please come back and let us know how it worked out for you!
I love this recipe!
Made this with dairy free spread. It was a great success! My daughter who is dairy intolerant loved it.
So glad to hear it, Margaret! Thanks so much for letting us know it worked well with dairy-free spread. If you happen to come back and see this, could you let us know which spread you used? I know others might find it helpful to know which brand is tried and true. 🙂
Hi, can you let me know how long the shelf life would be and if it’s ok to store in the pantry? Thanks! Lisa
Hi Lisa, Because of the butter, I would recommend storing this in the refrigerator vs the pantry. I’d say you could get at least 3-4 weeks out of it that way!
My daughters absolutely loved making this. They are 9 & 10 yrs old and made this with little supervision. They’ve been bugging me to make it again. This is exactly what we need since one of my girls and I are allergic to hazelnuts so Nutella is out of the question for us.
Thank you, Emily! I’m so glad to hear that you and your daughters are enjoying this recipe!
Can you skip the premade chocolate in this recipe?
Hi Connor, if you mean can you leave it out, then no, you cant. It’s necessary to give the spread the right taste and texture.
Can this be made with milk chocolate instead?
Hi Amanda, I haven’t tried it but I think it would work fine. Just be aware that milk chocolate is typically a sweeter chocolate so I imagine the spread would be quite sweet. You could try reducing the sugar or increasing the cocoa powder a bit to compensate.
Love the recipe but I need some advice please it goes mouldy after 7 days what can I use to stop this from happening as we need to store it for long periods of time.
Your sincerely Lee Oram
Thank you for your time
Hi Lee, are you storing it in the refrigerator and seeing mold after 7 days? I haven’t had it go bad that quickly, but because it is made with fresh dairy, by nature it will not last an extremely long time. Depending on how long you need it to last, you could look into adding a mold inhibitor meant for candy and desserts, this will probably help with longevity:
https://amzn.to/3CQRFq0
Wow, this was delicious! Totally knocked it out of the park! Easy to make, dare I say foolproof. I used it as an alternative filling for a Nutella-stuffed chocolate chip cookie recipe, because my husband is allergic to hazelnuts. It was perfect.
Lasts six weeks in the fridge? We’ll never know; as a spread, it was gone in six minutes!
Elaine those cookies sound incredible! Now you’ve got me wanting to make this just to have some cookies…. 😉 Thanks for sharing, and I’m so glad to hear you liked the recipe!
amazing
Thank you, Zainab! It truly is lick-the-knife-clean chocolate spread!