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.
❤️ 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
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.
❤️ 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.
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!