Nutella needs little introduction. It’s a delicious chocolate and hazelnut spread that is sold and loved the world over. People use it as a spread for bread or toast, a filling for baked treats, as an ice cream sauce, or even as a sweet treat spooned straight out of the jar.
We know that Nutella contains hazelnuts, sugar, cocoa, palm oil, skimmed milk powder, soya, and vanillin. So, it’s certainly not a healthy food or a nut butter in the traditional sense.
However, it is a delicious treat. But does it contain caffeine? Read on because we have the answer for you.
Why Would You Want To Avoid Caffeine?
Caffeine is a naturally-occurring compound found in coffee beans, cocoa beans, and more. It is also added to some foods and beverages, such as cola drinks.
The compound works by stimulating the brain (psychostimulant) and it’s mildly addictive. Some people don’t have issues with caffeine, but many do. In certain individuals, caffeine causes
- Restlessness
- Nervousness or anxiety
- Shaking
- Difficulty sleeping
- Dizziness
- Rapid heart rate
- Dehydration
- Dependency
- Headaches
Some people want to avoid caffeine for religious reasons. (Some Seventh-Day Adventists, Mormons, and Rastafarians, for example, prefer to avoid it.)
Others don’t want their children to have caffeine because they find that it makes them a little overactive.
Does Nutella Contain Caffeine?
In short, yes, Nutella does contain caffeine. It’s not very much – 1 tablespoon of the spread contains just 3 mg of caffeine. This comes from the cocoa found in the product.
For comparison, here is the caffeine content in eight ounces of some popular beverages:
- Coffee – approx 100 mg
- Black tea – approx 50 mg
- Red Bull/Monster energy drinks – 40 to 250 mg
Some people will be surprised to learn that most chocolates contain caffeine due to the cocoa in them. While dark chocolate contains a much higher percentage of caffeine (because it’s made with a lot of cocoa), products like Nutella only have a small quantity.
Considering this, consuming the recommended amount of Nutella should not raise any alarms as the caffeine inside it will be unnoticeable unless you are particularly sensitive to caffeine.
Is There A Caffeine-free Nutella?
No, the company that produces Nutella, Ferrero, does not make a caffeine-free version and probably never will.
Suggested Substitutes For Nutella
While die-hard Nutella fans will insist that there is no substitute for the real thing, we understand that you may want alternatives. Here are a few ideas.
- Almond butter makes a delicious, healthy spread for bread and it’s caffeine free.
- Peanut butter is an old favorite with adults and kids alike. Look for the sugar-free version for extra health benefits.
- What about a savory spread for a change such as a cheese spread? You’ll get all the spreadable creaminess you love without the caffeine.
To Conclude
We hope we’ve answered your question about Nutella containing caffeine. While it only contains a small amount, it does have some. If you want to avoid caffeine altogether, we suggest you look at using something like almond butter instead.