As an international sensation among nut spreads, Nutella originated in Italy during the World War II era. It started as a sweet paste made from hazelnuts, sugar, and a bit of rare cocoa. During these early days of Nutella, the original version may have been animal-free and vegan-friendly.
However, as the product evolved from being called SuperCrema in 1951 to eventually Nutella® in 1964, as did its ingredients (and its global popularity). Nutella quickly became a household name throughout various parts of Europe, including Germany, France, and eventually overseas in 1978.
What’s in Nutella?
Nutella has a significant number of hazelnuts in each jar and is known for its rich and creamy taste. It contains approximately 13% hazelnuts, which is equivalent to about 50 hazelnuts in each jar.
Other main ingredients of Nutella are sugar and palm oil, with sugar being a primary ingredient. It also contains cocoa solids, skimmed milk, and soy lecithin. Because it contains milk, it is not considered vegan.
The manufacturing process for Nutella is similar to that of generic chocolate spread, involving mixing hazelnuts, cocoa powder, sugar, and skimmed milk until it becomes a paste-like spread.
So, is Nutella Vegan?
While debatably plant-based during its original phases, over the years of refinement, today’s version of Nutella is not vegan. Because it uses skim milk as an ingredient to achieve its sweet, creamy qualities, Nutella contains dairy and is not a vegan-friendly food.
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About The Author
This review was conducted by Tyler Tafelsky, the lead editor here at VeganProteinPowder.reviews. Tyler is an experienced writer in the health, nutrition, and athletic space, and he offers over a decade of experience blogging on various reputable platforms. Having experimented with a vegan diet over the course of his life, Tyler has tried hundreds of plant-based nutritional products and writes about his favorites here on this blog. Learn more about Tyler by viewing his full author bio or by following him on social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram. You can also view his personal site TylerTafelsky.com to learn more about what he’s up to.