Coconut and chocolate go together like bed and breakfast, but they each provide a separate spread that’ll get your mouth watering…
Coconut butter takes your palate to the tropical beaches of Hawaii, giving you a taste of what your next holiday vacation could look like. Nutella, on the other hand, makes you fall in love with chocolate all over again, providing a sweet and creamy spread that you’ll want to layer on everything!
Now, instead of putting these together, we’re going to look at each spread separately: the unique coconut butter vs Nutella, the chocolatey nut butter.
Let’s shove them under a microscope and examine what makes each of these so great, and then ultimately decide which one is better!
Comparing coconut butter vs nutella
There’s really not a whole lot that coconut butter and Nutella have in common. In fact, coconut butter seems to be the opposite of Nutella on paper – you can use coconut butter in vegan, paleo, and keto diets, none of which work with Nutella. Coconut butter also has a low glycemic index, whereas Nutella likely has a high one due to its sugar content.
Coconut butter has coconuts as an allergen, while Nutella has tree nuts, milk, and soy listed as allergens.
The one thing they do share is that they’re calorie-dense and not the greatest in protein content, but we’ll take a deep dive on their nutritional profiles later!
| Coconut butter | Nutella (flavored hazelnut butter) | |
| Taste | Coconut, rich, slightly nutty | Sweet, chocolatey |
| Texture | Thick, pasty, slightly gritty | Smooth, creamy |
| Allergens | Coconuts* | Tree nuts, milk, soy |
| Vegan? | Yes | No |
| Paleo? | Yes | No |
| Keto? | Yes | No |
| Glycemic index (GI) | Low** | Unknown (likely high due to added sugar content) |
*The USDA considers coconuts as tree nuts, but many people with tree nut allergies can safely consume coconut products.
**Coconut butter is made from the flesh of coconuts, which have a glycemic index of 45, classifying it as a low GI food. Although there isn’t clear data on the GI of coconut butter, we would assume it’s the same, or very similar, to coconuts.
What is coconut butter?
Simply enough, coconut butter is made by grinding dried coconut meat into a thick and slightly gritty paste. The grittiness comes from the pieces of coconut flesh that are in it.
Coconut butter is fun because you can keep it at room temperature to spread it, but if you warm it up it becomes thin and runny – perfect for drizzling over your baked creations!
And, you can make coconut butter at home, which may be a great option if you don’t like the store-bought ones!
What is nutella?
Nutella is a chocolate hazelnut spread that’s owned by Ferrero – you’ll find it basically all over the globe!
The chocolatey taste is very sweet (and delicious), but there are some health concerns about its ingredients…
Nutella contains a ton of added refined sugar, as well as palm oil. This makes it not a very healthy spread unfortunately.
However, you can make Nutella at home without a lot of the bad ingredients, and you can even make a keto Nutella that’s made with stevia-sweetened chocolate chips to fit your keto diet!
Differences between coconut butter and nutella
The biggest differences between coconut butter and Nutella are their taste and texture.
Now, although coconut and chocolate go well together, these spreads are so far from the same in terms of taste. Coconut butter has a very rich and coconut-y taste to it that’s slightly nutty. Nutella has a very sweet and chocolatey taste.
Texture-wise, these two are also opposites. Coconut butter has that gritty texture from the bits of coconut flesh in it, and is thick and pasty when at room temperature – however, it gets thin and runny when warmed up. Nutella, on the other hand, has a very smooth and creamy texture to it that firms up when put into the fridge.
They also greatly differ in terms of nutrition, but we’ll talk about that in just a bit!
How to use coconut butter vs nutella
Both coconut butter and Nutella can be used in a lot of the same ways, which lets you explore a lot of different flavor profiles if you want to use them interchangeably!
You can simply use them as a spread on toast or bakes (pancakes and Nutella are a personal favorite), mix them into your smoothies and oatmeal, or add them to your bakes!
Nutella also goes really well with fruits – drizzling it over bananas and strawberries is absolutely delicious!
Coconut butter does a great job of adding a tropical twist to many different dishes, while Nutella adds a chocolate and sweet flavor profile to whatever you pair it with!
Just remember, they’re so different that they’ll greatly change the same recipe when you switch them out for one another.
Nutrition: Coconut butter vs nutella
Coconut butter is super high in saturated fat, boasting 18 grams per serving! I recommend keeping this type of fat to a minimum, so keep that in mind throughout your daily food intake. However, coconut butter has a great fiber content, with only 2 grams of net carbs per serving – that’s perfect for keto diets!
Nutella, as delicious as it is, doesn’t have a great nutritional profile. It does have less unhealthy saturated fats than coconut butter, but it has very little fiber and a ton of carbs – 22 net carbs per serving!
The worst part about Nutella, however, is its 19 grams of added sugar per serving, giving it 21 grams of sugar total per just 2 tablespoons!
Both these spreads share a lot of calories, and just 2 grams of protein per serving.
| Serving size: 2 tbsp | Coconut butter | Nutella (flavored hazelnut butter) |
| Calories | 210 | 200 |
| Total fat (saturated) | 22 g (18 g) | 12 g (4 g) |
| Total carbs | 8 g | 23 g |
| Net carbs (fiber) | 2 g (6 g) | 22 g (1 g) |
| Total sugars (incl. added) | 2 g (0 g) | 21 g (19 g) |
| Protein | 2 g | 2 g |
How to store coconut butter and nutella
Coconut butter and Nutella are fine at room temperature, so no worries about keeping them in your pantry. Just remember, coconut butter gets much runnier if it gets warm!
Nutella usually lasts for 12 months after opening it, but coconut butter’s shelf-life can vary from brand-to-brand. You can usually expect it to last 6-12 months before going rancid, but make sure to check the label for best-before dates and any specific storage instructions!
Coconut butter vs Nutella: The ultimate verdict
This is a tricky one.
They each do different things really well, with coconut butter providing a great tropical twist to your creations while Nutella has a chocolate and sweet flavor profile that makes your desserts to die for!
Neither of them have necessarily great nutritional profiles, without a lot of redeeming qualities.
So, which one of these spreads wins?
If you’re wanting a chocolate twist, use Nutella, but otherwise I recommend coconut butter for its versatility in many different diets, simplicity to make at home, minimal added ingredients, and unique taste.
FAQs
Coconut butter is made a little differently than its oil counterpart – it’s made from ground up coconut meat, while coconut oil is made by extracting the oil from this meat. That makes coconut butter have a stronger coconut taste than the oil!
Well, kind of…the USDA classifies coconuts as tree nuts, technically speaking, but many people who have a tree nut allergy can safely eat coconut butter. I recommend talking to your physician first!
Nutella has a massive amount of added sugar in it, which an overconsumption of can lead to negative health issues and unwanted weight gain – overall, it’s definitely considered unhealthy.
Your best bet would be almond butter due to its strong blend of vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats that are all great for overall health. Walnut butter is another great option.
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