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
- 4 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (about 2/3 cup)
- 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
- 5 oz unsalted butter, (1.25 sticks), softened and cubed
Instructions
- Finely chop the bittersweet chocolate and set aside.
- 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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Great recipe! Everyone loved it. It was a little bit hard when i first took it out og the fridge but was perfect spreading consistency when it sat out for a few minutes.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, thank you for your feedback!
Just made it for my son. So easy to make and really finger lickin’ good. Lots of love from Pakistan.
Hi Ammar, thanks for your feedback! So happy to hear you enjoyed it!
Im wanting to make this with one of my students at a school I work at. I dont have access to a stovetop and wondering if it is possible to do with a Microwave?
Hi Andrea! I haven’t tried making this in a microwave so I can’t provide you with exact heating times but I think if you are up to it this recipe could adapt! I would suggest keeping an eye on the spread as you heat it and you should be able to reach a texture you are happy with. Come back and let us know how it goes!
I made it this morning with my student, I warmed the water sugar and cocoa powder in the microwave for roughly 1.5 minutes until everything was dissolved. I then added in the chopped chocolate, vanilla, butter and salt, and mixed until everything was melted, and incorporated. It is now in the fridge chilling. It tastes and smells delicious!
Sounds like you did an awesome job! I am so glad it turned out 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
When I saw this recipe and the pictures of it spread on bread it took me right back to the only chocolate spread I have ever truly loved – Fry’s chocolate Spread. This was sold in a waxed card container with a screw on lid and was to die for – going back to during and just following the war in England now.
However when I made this spread I found it excessively sweet and when it was placed in the fridge, it solidified, and was unspreadable until it had warmed up for half an hour or more.
Good try, but Fry’s chocolate spread it ain’t! Sorry to have to say so, but I will keep looking.
Does anybody else remember Fry’s, one of several famous British chocolate companies, now sadly owned by foreign companies who have no idea or interest in tradition.
Hi Gordon, I’m sorry to hear the chocolate spread solidified while in the refrigerator. If you’d like to send an email to elizabeth@sugarhero.com we’d love to troubleshoot what may have happened.
It is fabulous! My children love it. Thank you!
Thank you Jenny! So glad your kiddos enjoyed it 🙂
This recipe is delightful! I woke up craving chocolate for breakfast, and decided to make this rather than just sandwiching a few squares of chocolate in a roll. I made half the amount and it came out perfectly. I added a little extra chocolate because mine was only 62% cocoa, and an extra pinch of salt brought out the flavour brilliantly. Thank you so much!
I wake up craving chocolate often 🙂 Sounds like you made the perfect adjustments with ingredients on hand! Thanks for sharing!
This is such a great recipe – thank you. I recently used it when baking chocolate yeasted buns for a fundraiser and they went down very well!
Thanks for your comment Danielle! I am so glad you enjoyed this delicious spread! 🙂
My daughter has made several times already. She’s 11 and it’s one of her favorite recipes lol.
Hi Emily! I love this so much! It makes my heart happy to get kids in the kitchen!
Hi! I tried out your recipe and it came out wonderfully! So I was wondering whether we could recreate the chocolate spread using white chocolate instead of dark chocolate to make a white chocolate spread. Is there a way that it is possible?
Hello! I’m glad the recipe turned out well for you. I’ve never tried making a white chocolate version, but I think it would work if you’re willing to play with the recipe a bit. White chocolate tends to be much sweeter than dark chocolate. The chocolate version of this recipe also has cocoa powder in it which manages the sweetness level. I think you’d need to tweak the white chocolate and sugar quantities to make the flavor right. I’d also recommend adding some vanilla bean or other flavor to give the white chocolate spread a deeper more interesting flavor. I’d love to hear how it goes if you decide to try it. Happy Baking!
Can this spread be used as a filling when baking pastry/ bread? Saw a recipe for Star Bread that uses Nutella, but wanted all chocolate (no nuts) for the filling. Everything I’ve seen in the store contains some kind of nut product. Thanks!
Hi Karen. I’ve never tried using the spread this way, but I believe others have. My guess is that it should work just fine. If you decide to try it, I’d love to know what you think! Best of luck!