Review of Rigoni di Asiago’s Nocciolata Dairy Free Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread

I’ve had many chocolate-hazelnut spreads—both vegan and non-vegan, in my life. From massively popular options like Nutella to healthier dark chocolate dairy-free alternatives, the one thing they have all had in common is they prove chocolate and hazelnut are meant to be mixed.

So when I was asked to review Rigoni di Asiago’s Nocciolata Dairy Free chocolate-hazelnut spread, I was excited but also had some preconceived notions of what it would taste like. While still delicious, most vegan chocolate-hazelnut spreads (including homemade) tend to lean more heavily on dark chocolate and oftentimes have a thicker or chunkier consistency.

According to Rigoni di Asiago’s website, Nocciolata is organic, Kosher certified, gluten free and vegan certified. It is also free from preservatives, colors, additives, or artificial sweeteners, and:

“[C]ombines hazelnuts with cocoa and cocoa butter, natural vanilla extract, and raw cane sugar for a chocolate-hazelnut spread with undeniably superior flavor and smooth texture.”

Sounded pretty delicious to me. When the jar arrived the first thing I noticed, which I think should be advertised on the website, is that the spread is also palm oil-free. For many vegans palm oil is a red flag, and since so many plant-based products contain it, the fact that this spread does not would be a definite plus for those looking to avoid it.

The second thing I noticed after opening the jar was that the consistency was not like any other vegan chocolate-hazelnut spread I had ever had (or made). Incredibly smooth yet not watery, it was just right:

After tasting it, it was immediately clear that this was the best chocolate-hazelnut spread I had ever tried, vegan or non-vegan. True to its description, it really has a “deep chocolate flavor, balanced by the generosity of hazelnuts.” It was so creamy and decadent that I would have happily continued enjoying it solo, but decided to use it to re-create one of my favorite desserts: ice cream topped with chocolate-hazelnut spread.

I kept the no preservatives/artificial sweeteners theme strong by making homemade “nice cream,” and drizzled the Nocciolata Dairy Free on top. The ice cream melted a bit while I was taking photos, but it was still a match made in heaven:

Perfect on its own or incorporated into a dessert, I can definitely understand why this spread has won two sofi Awards!

If, like me, you plan to make this a staple in your kitchen, you can buy it online from Amazon and Thrive Market. You can also use the company’s store locator here to find it in shops such as Whole Foods.

If you love the classic chocolate and hazelnut combination, you will love Nocciolata Dairy Free! Enjoy!

Lena Tashjian

Lena Tashjian manages content and social media for Clearly Veg. She focuses on vegan news, companies, guides, interviews, product reviews and more. You can contact her at [email protected]